muzzle loadding rifle

[82rude]

Iam thinking about getting a traditions 50 cal hawkin rifle in precussion model.DOES anybody have one and how is it for quality etc.Plan on using it for deer and maybe moose.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

I purchased one for my son a few years back in .50 (209 primer) that was a break open and it is really nice and accurate enough at 100 yards. My son mounted a multipower scope on it and made it even versatile. No complaints.

I have a knight in-line that is 15 years old with a scope, a CVA inline w/ iron sights, and a gonic arms pistol barrel for my Thomson Contender.......they are all just fine for quality and accuracy. I have primer choices on my knight (I have the conversion kit) and the gonic is a 209.

We (my son and I) do not use more than 100 grains of powder and shoot mainly sabot bullets. No accuracy problems and very reliable.

Go for it I doubt you will be disappointed. Most shots are within the 100 yard range and the sabots do a fine job at that distance. Using the "150" grains of powder is just extra torture on your shoulder and I have never seen the real advantage.

Keep in mind this opinion is from a 45-70 shooter so...... a nice slow moving chunk of lead wins all the time in my book!

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

Have one had for years. It's a good gun, I use nothing but BP, not Piodex Shoot round balls and maxi balls. I have shot many a turkey at 50 Yards in a turkey shoot at the gun club.

 

[82rude]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

Bought a .50 cal thompson arms hawken ! beautiful looking gun and should be a blast .I pried it out of the hands of some guy that had a note that said ,this is the gun that kilt the bar that kilt me.HA gotta love that movie with Redford expecially when Will Greer sends the grizzly into the shack and yells ,well start skinning.

 

[aspeck]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

Congrats on your new play toy. Should give you lots of fun, enjoyment, and meat for years to come...

 

[mommicked]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

I bought a new Thompson, Hawken .50 cal. percussion Rifle years ago and I had trouble w accuracy before and when sabo's and inlines were just coming out. I tried patched balls and different brands of conicals/loads, and 100 yrds was a hail mary w all. I sold that gun after some years and bought an inline, break action CVA and what a difference in accuracy and easy cleaning , unscrew the breach plug and run patches breach to muzzle. I'm fond of the hollow Pyrodex pellets that make each load/shot very consistant and reloads quick w speed loaders, w/o taking your eyes off the next victim!!. This scoped gun is very accurate at 125yrds. and probably further. The 50 grain pellets are hollow so the flame from the inline shotgun primer shoots down middle of them and I belive that makes it more consistant/accurate than the nipple on the side of the barrel. I'm fond of the Powerbelt bullets.

 

[82rude]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

Havnt shot it yey but i was talking with a couple of fella,s that shoot them and just for fooling around i will use round ball and when i want to get serious i will use the new sabot rounds which at lest for them are very accurate.Something about they grab and twist in the barrel much better if i understood correctly.No matter what, i wanted one for a long time and now i have it ,wether i use it seriously will be determined on the range.Next,a 45-70 sharps,and then a 375 h&h magnum.Gotta have a least a couple of rifles just in case we start stocking elephants and rhinos.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

I don't believe the Traditions Hawken is an in-line/break open, OP can verify. It should be comparable to the T/C Hawken version. Although nice guns, the problem is any kind of longer range accuracy due to the lack of proper twist. I'm just not positive on the twist of the Hawken. At best it's 1 - 48". If you can get it accurate to 100yds, that will probably the best the gun will do. The inlines have a lot tighter twist. Getting a round to spin as quickly as possible makes all the difference in accuracy..... I have a bunch of BP guns. They're all side hammers, old school. All I shoot is loose powder. Goex to be exact.

 

[82rude]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

Thanks for the info i will look up the specs on the hawken .I have no illusions about this being a tack driver atall more of a toy and if i cant hit a deer or what ever at 50 yrds or so its time to quit shooting period.I figured 100 yards would be max ,though wikipedia shows a effective range of 400 yards.Most deer and moose up here are shot at close rangeIf im not positive i can hit what im aiming at i dont pull period.My main rifle of choise is my new savage 30.06 or even my p17 enfield in same cal. which is extremely accurate.Just watched a video on a fella shooting one at a range in sacramento and at least to 50 yards it was very accurate.Second shot he hit the bullseye!I still have a few things i have to buy before i can shoot it but i will get back to you,s on how it shoots for me.I think i will go join the local gun range again as i use to target shoot handguns yerars ago.I had a ruger .22 target and a ruger .44 mag superblackhawk and 2 .44 cal civil war era handguns also.The black powder handguns were a blast to shoot!

 

[mommicked]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

WIMUSKY is correct on the 1 in 48" twist on most reproduction Hawkens, that was how the original ones were. I had enough accuracy at 50 yrds. w mine but kept seeing deer at 75-100+ when I was hunting w it. I took a few deer w it at +/- 50yrds, but I did'nt hit them where I wanted too. A 385grn hollowpoint conical will do alot of damage wherever it impacts though!! I sold mine after a friend I was hunting w shot a buck w his older, rusty 45cal. Hawkin style muzzleloader, patched ball, while the deer was trotting through the woods. I know this because I was listening to the buck moving through the woods when he shot and the deer piled up right in front of me! I really tried to find the right loads and projectiles, 90 grains behind the full bore conicals was the best in my Hawken.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

My brother has a T/C Hawken. The furthest he could get out there and still be accurate was 70 - 75yds. No doubt, 50yds you can shoot the eye out of a gnat.

 

[82rude]

Re: muzzle loadding rifle

Will let you guys know in a week or 2 how it turns out for me.Watched an amazing vid on youtube of a guy hitting a dinner sized plate at 1000yrds with a 1861 civil war era replica sniper rifle (muzzleloader).650 yrds with open sites ,not even sure i can see that far ,lol.vid is about 11 minutes long and is very intersting.