SCORE!

[lewistt]

hawken

Keep us posted - I think you will be pleasantly suprised by the accuracy. Triple 7 helped eliminate misfires in my cabelas' .54, as well as using musket caps. The twist is 1:48, so just keep the saboted loads around 250 grains or so to keep the projectile short.

 

[Franksauto]

Update!

I asked my friend what problems he was having and he said "the cap does not fire at the first drop of the hammer but usually does on the second". Not misfires as I had mentioned previously. Well I'm pretty sure I have the problem licked. I pulled off the nipple and hammer. I polished the hammer face and buffed the nipple end with Scotch-Brite. I uniformed the peened end and and slightly enlarged the flash hole in the nipple with a drill bit. Now the caps fit snugly, not super tight like before. I fired 10 caps one after another with out a problem. When I get a chance I will give it a go at the range. This was not a cheap attempt to repair the problem but just to feed my curiosity. I will be ordering several (6) nipples including 2 different musket nipples.
I think I got it what do you think?
Will post back with results.
Frank

 

[Franksauto]

I got out to the range this afternoon and had a lot of fun. The gun fired 11 shots without a problem. Plus I fired several caps. I only swabed the gun twice during this session. Every singe cap placed on the nipple (about 25) went off at the first drop of the hammer. I am going to order 4 nipples, 2 #11's and 2 musket nipples. They are all stainless, spit fire nipples. I cannot get hot shot nipples for this gun because TC does not make them in 6x75 thread. I am also going to pick up 3 bottles of powder. 1 Pyrodex RS, 1 Goex 2f and 1 Goex 3f. Also I will pick up a yard of pillow ticking material. The patches I used today, the .010 all had burn through. Also 1 of the 11 shots was a sabot xtp mag. I wont be using sabots in this gun again. It took forever to get the plastic fouling out from just 1 shot. I scrubbed with a bore brush and pulled out over 20 patches before I got one that wasnt green. (same color as the sabot). Shes nice and clean now. I decided today that this gun will be my traditional only gun. I will shoot only patch and ball or Maxi-Balls for hunting. I think I will use my inline during shotgun season (as I have the past 3 seasons) and the Hawken during ML season.
Thanks again for all the help
frank

 

[cayuga]

Remember with the pillow ticking you purchase in the store there is a sizing in the material. You need to wash that cloth and then line dry it. If you want to shoot it damp, I have done that before.

I like the moose milk for a lube, but what ever works for you. sounds like you had a lot of fun and actually done some good shooting...

Have fun is the main thing,

 

[Franksauto]

UPDATE!
I made it to the range today. I was hoping to get atleast 10 problem free shots in a row. Well I got a lot more than I hoped for. I got 10 shots using 70gr Pyrodex RS and #11 magum caps. All shots want off no problems and grouped ok but was really more interested in making sure the gun will fire. Then fired another 10 using 70gr. Pyrodex P and standard #11 caps. Again no problems or misfires. Then fired another 6 shots using 90gr Pyrodex P and standard #11 caps. Again thumbs up. I used round balls and .015 patches for all shots. I also swabbed after every 5 shots and fired a cap after swabing. Looks like I finally got it. Next range session will be working up loads for tightest groups. I will toy around with round balls, Maxi-Balls and Great Plains bullets. If I get a decent group (which I fell confident I will) I will definately hunt with this gun this upcoming BP deer season.
Thanks for all your help guys,
Frank

 

[Franksauto]

I made it to the range again yesterday. I'm up to 32 shots now without a misfire, hangfire or a ftf. I'm going to keep counting. I fired a few great plains bullets and this gun loves them. I shot 90gr of Pyrodex RS and 385gr bullets at 50 yards and all the holes were touching in the center of the target. This was rested on a bench ofcourse. Boy it gives a pretty good kick using that bullet. You can barely feel the round balls. The Great Plains feel funny going in. You can feel the knurl zip in the first couple inches and then slides right in. Well I found my hunting load.
Frank

 

[cayuga]

Well it sounds like you have your problem figured out... And as for that kind of accuracy, you should have no trouble harvesting about any creature in North America with that load. Lots of down range energy. Lots of power.

The damage that round would do extreme intensive damage and should be good for anything from deer to even moose, elk, bear.. Sounds like you have a real shooter on your hands.

 

[Franksauto]

Hey Dave,
The gun shoots Maxi's and GP's great but I have to find the right load for round balls. They shoot ok at 50 but move all around past that. I did take your advice and go with the .015" patches & I like them a lot better than the .010". I may even try the .020" just to see how they feel. Every now and then I think of your story. The one of the doe you took in the snow with a flinter and round ball. I would love to do that, dont care how big or small the deer but I dont think I have the ballls to try round ball yet. If I can get a really good group with them at 50yds I may try it.

I took 7 shots using Pyro RS without swabing then ran a wet patch down the barrel. I was very surprised how clean it came out. I did do the hot soapy water rinse when I got home. Then dryed it and lubed it well.
I think I will stay away from the Goex. Man I almost had to use a mallet to get the second ball down the barrel. I'll give the can of it to my friend.
Frank

 

[n8dawg6]

oh, you'll stop counting when you've figured out their niche, sidelocks go off like clockwork

blackpowder will always make more fouling than pyrodex ... there's a reason they came out w/ pyrodex in the first place! folks get pretty heated about only using blackpowder or only using pyrodex/subs. i use both, depending on the application. both have advantages and disadvantages. but one of the huge advantages of pyrodex, in my mind, is the lack of fouling build-up compared to blackpowder. you still have to clean it at the end of the day, there just isnt as much to clean off. and you can go indefinitely w/out swabbing between shots.

the huge advantage of blackpowder is that its easier to ignite. you can go w/out swabbing with blackpowder, too. you just have to have the right patch lube. and ive noticed that you cant have any heavy oils in your barrel, either. and ... even though you can go w/out swabbing, it still leaves a lot more build-up.

and ... as cayuga noted in a recent post, some blackpowders burn cleaner than others ...

 

[cayuga]

I for some reason do not have problems with fowling like others. Perhaps it is the moose milk lube I use, or maybe I am lucky and the rifles have a bigger bore. I do not know.

The other day I was shooting Graf's black powder 2f in my Trade Rifle and shot six shots without swabbing. I think I could have shot more but was feeling the fowling. Actually the patch and ball loaded really easy.

All guns are different. Good luck with yours and if one method works for you, then follow that method..

 

[Franksauto]

Update

Well over 100 shots not without a misefire. I love this gun. I have been usiny the Pyrodex P and the RS. I gave the Goex ff & fff to a friend. I really didnt care for the fouling and clean up. The Pyrodex cleans up no problem. I have been shooting round ball with 70gr and the 385gr Great Plains with 100gr 2f. That load is a shoulder breaker but very accurate at 50 yards. Do you think that 100gr behind the 385gr GP is over kill or too much. What would you recomend behind the 385. I have been sick as a dog all week and we only have a little over a week left of out bp season. I still havent got one during the bp season but I did get one with ml during our shotgun season. Just wondering if I should stick it out with my scoped Knight or take a chance with the Hawken. Any suggestions!!!
Frank

 

[cayuga]

Re: Update

Well over 100 shots not without a misefire. I love this gun. I have been usiny the Pyrodex P and the RS. I gave the Goex ff & fff to a friend. I really didnt care for the fouling and clean up. The Pyrodex cleans up no problem. I have been shooting round ball with 70gr and the 385gr Great Plains with 100gr 2f. That load is a shoulder breaker but very accurate at 50 yards. Do you think that 100gr behind the 385gr GP is over kill or too much. What would you recomend behind the 385. I have been sick as a dog all week and we only have a little over a week left of out bp season. I still havent got one during the bp season but I did get one with ml during our shotgun season. Just wondering if I should stick it out with my scoped Knight or take a chance with the Hawken. Any suggestions!!!
Frank

There is no such thing as over kill. If you're getting good accuracy with 100 grains and that Great Plains you have a load that could hunt deer, elk, moose, bear, or anything else you want to take on.

I like hunting with a Hawkins rifle. It really makes me feel good when I touch it off and see the deer go down. BUT use what ever you feel more confident in. And get one.

Also hope you stay healthy. This is the time of year I normally catch a cold and it hangs in there until spring.

 

[n8dawg6]

interesting thing about pyrodex, which i didnt realize until recently, is that it is basically blackpowder, w/ some additives. has the same main ingredients: charcoal, potassium nitrate, sulfur. here is the MSDS

http://www.hodgdon.com/pyrodex/pyrodex-msds.php

777 looks like pyrodex w/out the sulfur

http://www.hodgdon.com/tripleseven/msds-tripleseven.php

of course both have "trade secret" materials which are not listed. but its still interesting to note that their foundational composition is the still the same stuff that's in blackpowder.

 

[Franksauto]

Another 20 problem free shots today. Not a single misfire since I fixed the issue a couple years ago. I love this gun. I think I may try it out hunting this season. Depends on how confident I am feeling.

 

[swoter]

You'll be hunting for another muzzleloader next! No one can own just one.

 

[Franksauto]

You'll be hunting for another muzzleloader next! No one can own just one.

Already have another on my wish list but in addition to that one, I think I also want a flinter.

 

[Semisane]

I think I also want a flinter.

Uh-Oh!!! You're in BIG trouble there fella. Got it bad. Once you get a flinter you'll want two.

 

[excess650]

You'll need to learn to like REAL BP if you're going to shoot a flinter. Personally, I ONLY use real BP in my sidelock MLers. With Shenandoah Valley Lube(formerly Lehigh Valley Lube) on a pillow ticking patch, I can shoot as long as I want without cleaning using Goex fffg. The "trick" is finding a powder charge that "shoots clean" and using a lube that keeps the fouling soft. Other patch lubes that I've used over the years include Crisco shortening, Dixie Gunworks Zip Patch grease(mutton tallow and beeswax), and even Redwing boot dressing of the pine pitch, mink oil, and beeswax variety.

If shooting conicals like Maxiballs or Hornady Great Plains, I run a lubed patch down a clean bore prior to loading, and then run a simlarly lubed patch down between shots. This makes the 2nd and 3rd shots go to the same POI as the first, and makes loading easier on the follow up shots.

 

[Franksauto]

You'll be hunting for another muzzleloader next! No one can own just one.

You were right. I just bought another from a guy here at MM. TC Omega. That makes 3. Next one will be either a Pro Hunter or a flinter (or both). Way more fun than hunting with a shotgun.