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hodaka

New member
After a 30 year break I have gotten back into the BP game. My first purchase was an Uberti 1860 Army. Had so much fun with it that I bought a Lyman GP percussion. I shoot rifles a lot but I am amazed with the accuracy of these little round balls. I'm having a lot of fun and will undoubtedly have some questions coming up. For the GP rifle, I am shooting pistol Pyrodex, 70g with a lubed 0.10 patch with a 0.490 Lyman ball. The biggest problem I've had is the need to hit the cap twice due to not seating it enough. I have begun tapping it down with a dowel although that makes me nervous.

In high school I had built a CVA flintlock that I shot a bunch until the thing quit sparking and I put it away. I may add another Lyman flinter soon.

Regards
 
Welcome back to the world of muzzle loading.
Your caps are probably a size too small.
The frizzen on your CVA rifle can be rehardened to start sparking again.
 
hodaka;

You didn't say how you are capping the rifle. Are you using a capper? If you are and can't seat the cap, try another size/brand etc. You also didn't say if you were using #10 or #11 caps. Most of my rifles use #11 and most of my hand guns use #10. Now get off that stupid "puter and go make some smoke.

BTW, welcome back to the dark side:)

Just an after thought, I have to wonder how many folks know who or what a Hodaka is, I do.
 
I'm going to go another way - the OEM nipple on a GPR (I assume you bought it new or that it has factory original parts) is, in a word, junk. Or perhaps junque. The inexpensive answer is to fiddle with it as suggested above - nothing wrong with that, but you'll be happier if you replace it with almost any of the quality after market nipples available. I recommend Treso part number 11-50-03 (Track of the Wolf catalog number RLP-A). It's a metric thread, M6X0.75, 0.603" tall. Be sure to get a rifle nipple in that thread; the pistol nipples are too short, on the order of 0.520".
 
You did exactly what I did....

.....Took a break (in my case imposed by my thankfully Ex wife) and then came back. Present wife is a great improvement to my accuracy. (I don't ask her to go shooting and she doesn't ask me to go to church.)

Odd though, that your enjoyment of the revolvers impelled you to buy a rifle..... To me, enjoying a revolver, makes me want..... (you guessed it) another revolver. :D

Welcome to the congregation.
 
JM1

She talked me into going to church about four years ago. During the service, the church was struck by lightening. I figure the lord was trying to tell me something.

After the service, the others ask me what I though of the message. I told them, "I got it."


Please understand this is all light hearted fun, not intended as a slight on anyone and Of course, Waaay of the topic, which as a reminder had to do with our joy over Hodaka rejoining the flock.

So I will add to Mykeal's sentiments by saying that I am among those who have solved a problem with Treso nipples.
 
Thanks for the welcome! I will not do much shootin this week as I am on vacation. Question for you though. After about 100 rounds through the GP rifle I'm getting what I consider good accuracy at 100 yards........well sort of. The first round out of a clean, cold barrel tends to hit about a foot low. The next 3 or 4 will hit the mark, a 2.5 x 2.5 Post It note ( I like the dark ones on a sheet of butcher paper). After that, the accuracy becomes much worse. This pattern has repeated itself on the past 3 trips.

My Hodaka, a Super Rat, is long gone, but the handle hints at my age and I've been using it for a long time. I have been lurking in the BP area of the forums for a while and am really learning a lot. I also have a 30 year old brass Navy (Pietta I think) that needs some parts and work. A spring broke and it has lived in a coffee can in my garage for a long time. Another project.

ps - I can only find CCI #11's locally. I am using a pistol capper. I will be placing an order to Powder Valley soon and I plan to get some Remington #10's along with my other centerfire stuff.
 
If ya be needing a good rifle, I will have a Thompson Center 50 Hawken Cap
for sale here by the end of the week.
 
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