SCORE!

[Franksauto]

I just picked up a .50 cal hawken style rifle for FREE! It's a Cabalas model in great condition. Not a spot of rust on it. I just checked the bore with a light and it looks great. I was telling a friend I would love to get a flintlock and he said I have a caplock you can have just take it! I guess he had 2 misfires while hunting and that was enough for him. He said when he takes it to the range it groups great at 25 & 50 yds but every once in a while nothing happens when the hammer falls. (Sounds to me like it could use a new nipple.) He picked up a TC Hawken and couldnt wait to get this one out of his house. I will give it a go at the range with a new nipple, if it works out I may even hunt with it. I felt really bad about just taking the thing and offered him some money several times and he refused. He said just pick me up a pound of Pyrodex. Well I'll do better. I will get him a bunch of stuff he uses. Balls, patches, cleaning supplys, etc... Just wanted to let you guys know I'm not just a inline guy anymore. Our club wont let anyone use the black powder range unless it's primitive. NO INLINES. Now I'm in. Just what I needed another hobby.
Cheers
Frank

 

[Anonymous]

On my Tradition Hawken I had misfiring,mostly in fall.
The remedy is simple,I change the #11 nipple for a musket nipple,better fire power and never had a missfiring since.
Taureau noir

 

[cayuga]

The Cabela's brands are Investarms. Investarms are the same people that make Lyman rifles. Lyman were known for misfires because of the factory nipple they come with. Replace it with a stainless steel new one and shoot Goex if possible and the end of your misfires are over.

 

[Franksauto]

Thanks guys. I was going to try a hot shot nipple but instead I will get a stainless #11 and a musket cap nipple. I just read some reveiws on this rifle and there was a lot of the same misfire complaints. Some mentioned that the hammer and nipple were a little out of alignment and it looks as if this one is slightly out of alignment. I didnt realize this gun was $339 from Cabelas. Although it looks to be well built I thought it was a $150.00 cheapo. For not too much more you can buy a TC Hawken. As soon as the weather warms up a little I will be out giving it a go. I think it will be a blast. I was getting a little crazy with my inline trying to acheive one hole groups constantly. This will be the nuts just to get out there and fire at tin cans with open sights. I do want to get a flintlock some day and I want to hunt with it. The only problem is here in my area if you blow your chance at a deer it may be your last chance of the season. I only got 1 shot with the ml this past season and missed at about 50 yards due to a fogged scope. Has anyone here used this rifle and if so what do you think of it. Again it does seem to be pretty well built.
Thanks
Frank

 

[Franksauto]

Also can anyone give me a starting point. How much powder should I start with 70gr, 90gr??? He also gave me 2 boxes of 370gr TC Maxi Balls so I will shoot those off first. I would like to try some patched balls. Any suggestions. Any info will be appriciated. Please excuse what may sound like stupid questions. I have only shot an inline with sabots & pellets.
Thanks again
Frank

 

[cayuga]

With a .50 caliber I always start them at 70 grains. Then I shoot at 25 yards to see how it groups. If I feel the group is as tight as I can get, I kick it up 10 grains and shoot 80. I just keep testing until I get the best possible group.

The Stainless Steel nipples are hot shot nipples. You can get them at http://www.rmcsports.com/rmcsports_cfmfiles/find.cfm

 

[richdeerht]

Just switching from Pyrodex to real blackpowder will go a long way in dealing with misfires.

 

[cayuga]

Just switching from Pyrodex to real blackpowder will go a long way in dealing with misfires.

That is so true. A friends son purchased a Tradition's St. Louis Hawkins. They finally came to my house with it because it would not shoot consistently. I cleaned the rifle, checked it over and told the young man to load it as normal. He loaded 70 grains of Pyrodex RS and a patched ball. It fired on the third cap.

So I looked and it was not a hot shot nipple so I replaced the nipple and we tried again. While better, it was still not dependable. So I asked them how old the powder was. They advised not all that old. I tried a charge of it in my rifle and it shot perfect and had standard recoil I felt.

As we scratched our heads, I finally suggested we load it with Goex. Once he changed powder to Goex, the rifle fired perfect. Something as simple as a powder change.

 

[Franksauto]

Another stupid question. Before swwitching to pellets I was shooting Pyrodex powder out of my inline but insted of RS powder I was using P powder. I figured finer powder would be/ignite better than the course powder. The gun always shot good with it but I never did try the RS powder out of it so I cant compare. What do you think. P, RS or just go with Goex. Is Goex course? (I would like to stay with Pyrodex if possible)
Thanks
Frank

 

[cayuga]

Try the hot shot nipple first. See if that does not help. And I personally would not worry if you're shooting P or RS both should work. Goex is as course as Pyrodex basically. The fffg grade is much better in my opinion for the smaller calibers like 50 and unders. I shoot FFg in my bigger calibers with great results.

I hope the simple change of nipple is all that is needed. Also, what cap are you using? I like 1075 RWS of CCI Magnum #11 caps. You can keep the Remington (personal opinion).

 

[Buglemintoday]

Anything free is worth saving up for!


Congrats

 

[Franksauto]

Try the hot shot nipple first. See if that does not help. And I personally would not worry if you're shooting P or RS both should work. Goex is as course as Pyrodex basically. The fffg grade is much better in my opinion for the smaller calibers like 50 and unders. I shoot FFg in my bigger calibers with great results.

I hope the simple change of nipple is all that is needed. Also, what cap are you using? I like 1075 RWS of CCI Magnum #11 caps. You can keep the Remington (personal opinion).

I will be using CCI #11 I already have a pound of Pyrodex P so I will try that combo first, after picking up a hot shot nipple.
Thanks
Frank

 

[Franksauto]

Picked up a bunch of stuff today. CCI #11 magnum caps, nipple wrench, range rod. Havent been able to find a hot shot stainless nipple with metric thread. I will be using TC Maxi-balls but I picked up balls and patches to play at the range.
Not sure what to use but I picked up Hornady .490 round balls and .010" wonder patches. Is this combo what I should be using. I asked for swaged balls but it dosent say swaged on the box #6090. I am soo green at this.
Thanks
Frank

 

[cayuga]

RMC sports carry the nipple you need. Also another real handy tool is a wedge pin puller/nipple wrench combination tool. http://www.octobercountry.com/products3.php?productid=513

You might run into some accuracy problems with the .010 patches. They are kind of thin. They might burn or get blown. You should look for some .015 patches or go to a Wal Mart in the fabric section and get some blue stripe 100% cotton pillow tick. This will mic out at .015-.018 and is an excellent patch. Just wash the material, line dry it, lube a strip that can be torn off the bolt as you need it, and cut it right at the muzzle.. Then you have a perfect centered patch every time.

 

[Franksauto]

RMC sports carry the nipple you need. Also another real handy tool is a wedge pin puller/nipple wrench combination tool. http://www.octobercountry.com/products3.php?productid=513

You might run into some accuracy problems with the .010 patches. They are kind of thin. They might burn or get blown. You should look for some .015 patches or go to a Wal Mart in the fabric section and get some blue stripe 100% cotton pillow tick. This will mic out at .015-.018 and is an excellent patch. Just wash the material, line dry it, lube a strip that can be torn off the bolt as you need it, and cut it right at the muzzle.. Then you have a perfect centered patch every time.

Thanks for the tip on the fabric. What is a wedge pin puller? (wedge pin?) Sorry for what may sound like a stupid question.
Frank

 

[cayuga]

Click on that link and you will see a wedge pin puller. When it comes time to clean your rifle and you have to pull the wedge pin, the one end acts as a little hammer to pound the wedge holding the barrel out a little. Then the other end has little edges that allow you to slide under the wedge and pull it straight out. Finally the other end is a nipple wrench. It just is an easier way to break the rifle down for the hot water bath.

 

[Franksauto]

Click on that link and you will see a wedge pin puller. When it comes time to clean your rifle and you have to pull the wedge pin, the one end acts as a little hammer to pound the wedge holding the barrel out a little. Then the other end has little edges that allow you to slide under the wedge and pull it straight out. Finally the other end is a nipple wrench. It just is an easier way to break the rifle down for the hot water bath.

I get you now. I didnt know what a wedge pin was. I will pick one up.
Thanks again,
Frank

 

[Spitpatch]

Before hunting....I introduce some fff under the nipple screw....never a misfire!!!! :shock:

Have fun Mike!

 

[lewistt]

misfires

Something a lot of people miss, especially on used muzzleloaders, is hammer wear. If the thing is dry fired much, you get a worn hammer face. I check mine every now and the, and dress it up so it's flat, with a diamond cylinder bit in a dremel.

 

[Franksauto]

Re: misfires

Something a lot of people miss, especially on used muzzleloaders, is hammer wear. If the thing is dry fired much, you get a worn hammer face. I check mine every now and the, and dress it up so it's flat, with a diamond cylinder bit in a dremel.

That was the first thing I checked. I will give it a buffing with the dremel. The gun itself is in excellent to new condition. He told me he bought it last year. Thats why I couldnt believe he was giving it away. Anyway I did shoot it today. Out of 20 shots I got 3 hangfires, 2 fire on the first hammer drop, 13 nofires on the first hammer drop and 2 cap went off but no fire. There is no doubt it is a junk nipple. I will order a half dozen different nipples. I will post again after I get her to the range again.
Thanks for all the info guys,
Frank