kawasakifreak77
New member
Spending more time reloading than I do shooting I think it'd be nice to have something that doesn't require another set of dies, buying brass etc. Just load & shoot! Always been curious about black powder, just never acted on the itch.
I'm looking for suggestions on purchasing my first BP rifle. Here's what I'd do with it & what I like:
Looking around the traditional percussion rifles by Thompson or Lyman seem to be the most visually appealing yet offer a couple modern features (like fiber optic sights & recoil pad) that'd be nice to have. I generally like old stuff, but it doesn't have to be 100% historically accurate.
50 caliber looks like the best for component availability but not being a big game hunter I'm worried one might be overkill for my needs. I target shoot the most, occasionally getting to hunt small game or varmints. I think this is my biggest hangup is caliber & twist rate. Could a 50 be loaded down enough not to blow a rabbit in half, then high enough to reach out 100+ meters accurately for targets? If not what caliber?
Any insight greatly appreciated!
I'm looking for suggestions on purchasing my first BP rifle. Here's what I'd do with it & what I like:
Looking around the traditional percussion rifles by Thompson or Lyman seem to be the most visually appealing yet offer a couple modern features (like fiber optic sights & recoil pad) that'd be nice to have. I generally like old stuff, but it doesn't have to be 100% historically accurate.
50 caliber looks like the best for component availability but not being a big game hunter I'm worried one might be overkill for my needs. I target shoot the most, occasionally getting to hunt small game or varmints. I think this is my biggest hangup is caliber & twist rate. Could a 50 be loaded down enough not to blow a rabbit in half, then high enough to reach out 100+ meters accurately for targets? If not what caliber?
Any insight greatly appreciated!