Does this exist?

[alaskabushman]

Okay all you blackpowder shooters out there, question for you.

I don't have a huge amount of experience with BP, I own a Ruger Old Army and shoot it on a semi-frequent basis. I have also shot a couple flinters (one a Kentucky rifle kit my Father-in-law built) as well as my Grandpa's excellent Lyman Plains rifle (percission). Here's the deal though; I want my next rifle to be BP, since I'm gonna try doing more bullet casting and I'd really like a woods rifle that's super cheap and fun to shoot.

Living in a temperate rain forest adds a complication. I already know from using my Old Army and other guns that rust is a ever-present battle, so I'd like to go stainless if possible. I want a traditional look (even if its stainless) preferably a Hawken style but I am open to other patterns.

Percussion ignition, I don't want to deal with calf legs and such to try and keep the rain out of my pan.

I'd like a medium caliber, something in .45 would be great so I could use the same bullets as the OA (which may be hard because of the odd .457 bullet size of the OA). This is not critical, casting a different bullet is not THAT big a deal.

finally, I'd like it left handed, this is not a hard rule either, since to me shooting a lefty BP rifle isn't that much different than a standard rightly. My thumbs are long enough to make it work.

Simple right? I've looked at Lyman, Traditions, Cabelas and even checked out a few modern in-lines, but these do not appeal to me as much.

Does what I'm looking for even exist?

[hunter63]

I would seriously doubt it....would not fit into the Period Style.
If the was, left handed version would be a real Unicorn.....?

Sorry, if that wasn't much help.

[kyratshooter]

I found 2/3 of what you want, or think you want. Left handed, Hawken style percussion from an excellent manufacturer. .54 caliber set up for round ball shooting. Good price for those features too.

You do not really want a .45 caliber for a woods gun in Alaska. You can buy a new Lee Mold in .54 for $20 anyway, and you will find that the balls for your Ruger Old Army will not fit a .45 rifle. The .45 ML rifle uses a .440-.445 round ball, so you would have to have a new mold anyway.

https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categ...YMAN-GPR-54-PL

The stainless barrel could be provided by any BP gunmaker with any skill. Most know the Lyman rifles well and would not hesitate to make the barrel you want, but you can probably get 5-10 years of good service from the carbon steel barrel if you care for it.

[Graf]

I was old school BP for years till I bought a brake open/ breach plug acurracy, easy to clean, stainless, pyrodex charges, shotgun primers, I'm a coverted man love that gun

[Zack]

The stainless barrel could be provided by any BP gunmaker with any skill. Most know the Lyman rifles well and would not hesitate to make the barrel you want, but you can probably get 5-10 years of good service from the carbon steel barrel if you care for it.

Do you recommend anybody for 'custom' barrels? I have some old CVA .50's that need to be tuned up.

[hunter63]

I was old school BP for years till I bought a brake open/ breach plug acurracy, easy to clean, stainless, pyrodex charges, shotgun primers, I'm a coverted man love that gun

Can't say I have seen a SS version....but then again I haven't looked too hard...
Just never though I needed one.
What the brand?

[alaskabushman]

Kyrat, That is beautiful gun, I'd almost be afraid to take it out into the woods! It looks very similar to the Lyman that my grandpa has, which he took a couple elk with back when he was ML hunting. I'd be okay with the .54 caliber too, since in my looking I couldn't find any rifles that were close to the OA's .457.

Graf, that's kind of how I'm leaning right now. The in-lines are less traditional looking than I'd like, but I already have two bricks of shotgun primers even though I don't reload shotgun shells.

The closest thing I could find is the T/C Greyhawk, which is a used gun proposition and not very common. Nice looking gun though.

I think what I'm leaning towards at the moment is the Buckstalker from Traditions. For $250 its an affordable gun I can dip my toe into the world of BP rifles, and have something I can bash around in the woods without much grief.

Ultimately I think I'm gonna have to get two.

[kyratshooter]

I believe the Buckstalker with the cerakote finish will make you the best compromise gun of the group.

It is reasonably weather proof, has sort of "classic" lines and is not specific for either right or left hand.

Reasonably priced too, even with the addition of a moderately priced scope. If you kill 100 pounds of meat the first year it will have paid for itself. In my area even hamburger is $3.50 a pound.

Also has the advantage of being .50 caliber so you can pick up bullets, sabots, powder and gear anywhere.

[alaskabushman]

I think the Buckstalker is the next gun. In my watching of Youtube reviews for the Buckstalker I came across this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en384qVqrug

Don't try this at home kids.

[hunter63]

Seen a couple on vid on in-line ML as well with smokeless powder...same result.
"Hummm...vids are running now...no sound?)
Anyway
I guess if some one say's, "don't try this at home" will mean....
"Hey I would have never thought of THAT...Cool, hold my beer I gonna try it!"

Was stuck at "The Place"...waiting on my tractor shed being built....ML season was still open...no ML with me...
Soooo....
Had to add a Buskstalker/scope as well..... in a blister "Ready Pak"" on sale a Cabala's last season......$149 bucks.....have on as my cabin stash ML...
NO rifle deserves to be sold in a "Bilster Pak" no matter how cheap is was.

Shot dead nuts thru the scope no adjustments.....and everything camp in the Blister Pak except primers and powder.
Actually realy like this rifle.

Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

BTW
Haven't seen any New In-Lines in anything other than a .50 cal lately.....

[kyratshooter]

Walmart runs those poor rifles in the blister pack every year.

One of those "so cheap you can't pass it up" deals.

I picked up a CVA in-line a couple of years back from a guy in the sheep sheds at the Friendship Nationals. He seemed ashamed to sell an in-line at Friendship so I got it for $50 and it had a good red dot sight on it that sells new for $75.

The red dot went on a pistol and I put a 4x Tasco on the ML. It shoots round balls as well as any of my sidelocks so I put it in the rack with the rest. I don't know if it feels out of place there but every rifle deserves a home after being taken out of that infernal blister pack.

[hunter63]

That does give me the Willies seeing a rifle in plastic......

That poor thing...Good on you for giving some TLC after suffering that embarrassment.