Investarms/cabelas .54 cal

[parafrog5045]

Hi everyone: I'm new to muzzleloading and have a question about an Investarms .54 cal that I purchased. The gentleman I got it from does not know what the twist rate or model number is. Does anyone know how I can find out. The Investarms website was no help.

 

[cayuga]

The Investarms Cabela's model is their Hawken correct? So that means it has a 1-48 twist. This is an all around twist. It will shoot roundball and conicals very well. I have a LYMAN TRADE RIFLE. This is also an Investarms rifle, the same as the Cabela's Hawkens except no brass.

90 grains of 2f powder, like Pyrodex RS or Black Powder and a .535 roundball with a .018 patch should shoot real well in that rifle. In mine it is a tack driver. And all the power you ever need for hunting.

Start your testing out at 80 grains and work up 5 grains at a time and see where the best accuracy is. You can also shoot .530 ball with good accuracy also. The .535 load a little tighter but still shoot great. Use a good lube and prepare the rifle real good before you shoot and the rifle will behave wonderful.

 

[parafrog5045]

Thanks alot, I do appreciate it. It doesn't have the brass like the other cabelas rifles. The guy I bought it from never fired it and bought it back in the late 90's.

 

[cayuga]

The are very good rifles. Cabela's also sells Blue Ridge Rifles but they are Pedersolli. Like I said, I have two Lyman Trade Rifles. Both flintlocks. One in .50 and one in .54. Both of them are excellent shooters. I also have two lf the Lyman Great Plains rifles. One is the Great Plains rifle wiht the 1-66 twist and the other is the Great Plains Hunter that has a 1-32 twist. Also Flintlocks. They are good shooters as well.

 

[parafrog5045]

I was really set on getting a Lymans rifle but I got this rifle for a great price. I'm going to order from cabelas a starter kit and a buddy is going to coach me through the loading and cleaning process.

 

[cayuga]

If its an Investarms Cabela's it is a Lyman rifle. When I got my Lyman they send you an Investarm manual for the rifle. And a Lyman one as well. Same rifle, less brass.

As for the starter kit. Personally I would save my money. They are expensive and have junk that you will collect down the road on your own.

A powder measure, vlear view type is the best. With the cut off funnel.

A short starter. Get the old wooden ball model. Your loading roundball. Sometimes they need a good WACK! to get them started in the bore.

And inline capper is nice, but again, that is something you will collect down the road.

#11 magnum caps. Winchester, Remington, or CCI Magnum. Not the standard CCI caps. They are too light. And make sure they are #11 and not #10. #10 are made for cap and ball revolvers, but the tins look identical.

A box of .530 roundball or .535 but again, the large the ball the harder the load. Since you don't have a range rod yet, maybe stick with the .530 ball.

Go to a fabric store and purchase a yard of 100% cotton pillow tick. The blue stripe or the red stripe ... it does not matter. take that home and wash it in the washing machine then LINE DRY it. Now you have all the patch material you will need for a year for patching roundball.

And pick up a cleaning/loading jag or two. And some gun oil for after your done cleaning and want to protect the rifle. Then start looking through your old sock and T shirt drawer and get out all the bad 100% cotton stuff you have. These make great cleaning patches.

Pick up a bottle of isopropyl alcohol and a bottle of olive oil. The alcohol to clean the rifle and the olive oil to lube the patch. The rest is pretty easy.

 

[parafrog5045]

How can I check if it's a 1 in 48 twist?

 

[cayuga]

Well the rifle has a 28 inch barrel. So if you push a patch to the bottom of the breech on a tight jag and mark the rod and barrel at one spot.. as you bring that patch up the barrel it should turn approximately half way.

But Investarms for Cabela's did not offer a Great Plains Model. They offered the Cabela's hawken rifle. And those had a 1-48 twist.

 

[parafrog5045]

Thanks, this advice is priceless by the way.