Anyone here own a Gonic muzzleloader?

[like2fly]

I have a 1991 Gonic Arms GA-87 50 cal. Seems like a quality rifle, with a 26" 1:24 twist barrel.

But the bore is really more like .497" (at least mine is). I heard that Gonic originally made them slightly undersized by design so you could only use their special made undersized bullets, which are no longer available. Every modern 50 cal bullet I've tried is too big to go down that skinny bore.

I've tried a few 44 (.429") and 45 (.449") bullets in the proper 50/40 and 50/45 sabots, and have found a couple of combinations that seem like they should work. At least they push down without too much effort, and seat well; but I haven't tried shooting them yet to check accuracy. I suppose I could also invest in an adjustable resizing die and size my own...

Just wondering if anyone else shoots a Gonic 50 cal, and what bullets they are using.

 

[PBramble]

get a sizer and make your own. then you can shoot without sabots as well.

Smooth Bullet Sizing Die Complete Kit - Hanks Precision Gun Parts

This is a complete kit for smooth sizing your bullets to fit in your rifle barrel. This kit consists of a sizing die body and adjustment nut, a wrench for making the adjustments, the bullet pusher stem, and an expander ball if you ever go to far and need to open up the die to the original size...

hanksprecisiongunparts.com

 

[clock]

get a sizer and make your own. then you can shoot without sabots as well.

Smooth Bullet Sizing Die Complete Kit - Hanks Precision Gun Parts

This is a complete kit for smooth sizing your bullets to fit in your rifle barrel. This kit consists of a sizing die body and adjustment nut, a wrench for making the adjustments, the bullet pusher stem, and an expander ball if you ever go to far and need to open up the die to the original size...

hanksprecisiongunparts.com

+1, and replace the cocking spring as you'll have misfires with the factory weak spring, clock

 

[John Co]

I have a 1991 Gonic Arms GA-87 50 cal. Seems like a quality rifle, with a 26" 1:24 twist barrel.

But the bore is really more like .497" (at least mine is). I heard that Gonic originally made them slightly undersized by design so you could only use their special made undersized bullets, which are no longer available. Every modern 50 cal bullet I've tried is too big to go down that skinny bore.

I've tried a few 44 (.429") and 45 (.449") bullets in the proper 50/40 and 50/45 sabots, and have found a couple of combinations that seem like they should work. At least they push down without too much effort, and seat well; but I haven't tried shooting them yet to check accuracy. I suppose I could also invest in an adjustable resizing die and size my own...

Just wondering if anyone else shoots a Gonic 50 cal, and what bullets they are using.

PR Bullit makes Gonic sabots