.54 caliber Hawken long rifle

S

sharpie443

New member
I took my .54 caliber hawken long rifle out to the farm and put a few rounds down range. I've actually never shot it from the bench before so I was a little surprised to find that it was shooting off. It shot about 6" low and about 2.5" to the right. I didn't have a brass punch to move the front sight (To the right i believe) or a file to shave down the front sight. I wanted to see how far out i could get this rifle but I don't think I'm good enugh to compensate for the sights that much. I'll have to take it out again and sight it in with the right tools.

I shot some video my range session if you want to see the rifle and how it was shooting.

http://youtu.be/Xd6czmEWKxo
 
No offense but it doesn't look much like a Hawken. Too much drop in the stock, single trigger, brass butt plate, wrong trigger guard and the wrong front sight.
 
Not sure about the "Hawken" designation either. Sorta a generic looking muzzle loader. But, if well made, and it looks fine, should be OK.
I don't like the use of a flask for loading or placement of it while shooting, especially with a flintlock. Bad-bad safety issues there.
On a farm with no tools? :confused: Gimme a break.
You can use wood or a nail to drift the sight.
Again, a farm with no files? :confused: Gimme another break. ;)
Grouping at 25 yards is not bad but you need to be using a 50 yard target to really establish whether your ball/patch/lube/load combo is providing the best your rifle can do.
Then, and only then, start poinding and filing on those sights.
 
"No offense but it doesn't look much like a Hawken. Too much drop in the stock, single trigger, brass butt plate, wrong trigger guard and the wrong front sight. "

It has an iron but plate and no brass on this gun whatsoever. I've been told by a few collectors that it is a hawken and one that it is a Pennsylvania long rifle. So who knows.

"No tools on the farm"
Lots of tools and files out there. I just didn't have a key to get into the barn with me that day. My grandfather was off in Ohio at the time so I had no way to get to the tools. I also would only use a brass punch on the sight. I've spent to much time restoring this gun to scratch it with a nail.

"Have to shoot it at 50 yards."
I needed to see where the sights were putting the ball. For that all you need is 25 yards. If you can get it to shoot straight at 25 yards then you will be a lot closer to the mark at 50. Once i address the windage and elevation issues at 25 then I'll take it out to 50 and refine it.
 
Looks like you got some work to do on this rifle. Just how does it shoot out at longer ranges just the way its set-up? Were you able to talk to its previous owner about his rifle? You might want to try dropping the powder charge some to see if indeed that changes anything for yaw in its sighting. I haven't got the information your really requiring here Sharpie 443 as my rifles have adjustable rear sights. But I know of someone who might.
Hello down there in the Great State of Mississippi.
Click to expand...
Well what do you think Hawg Haggen got any suggestions for this lad in his hopes to sight this rifle in with?

Oops!! I didn't see Sharpie 443 follow up answers at the time of this thread writing.
 
Last edited:
Sorry Sharpie but it looks like brass in the vid. It's not a Hawken tho. You say collectors and talk about restoring. Are you saying this is a period piece? FWIW there's only one Hawken flinter known to exist. The barrel in the vid looks too short to be a long rifle but that could just be camera angle. Tell us more about it and post some still pics.
 
No it's not a period piece. I actually have no idea how old the gun is because i has no markings. I had to restore it because it sat in a basement for a number of years. The guys I've show it to are collectors but this rifle is not a collectors piece. I just wanted to know what it was. They said full stock hawken. So that's what i went with.
 
Experiment with various loads, FIRST

Before you punch and file on it, try some different loadings.

If you are shooting round-ball and the patch is too thin, it will affect your accuracy. Loading HOT will make that ball fly erratically. Loading LIGHT will affect accuracy. Different density of lead projectiles will act differently during the trip down the barrell.

Slugs shoot different than round ball and various models of slugs shoot differently as well.

Different powders will shoot slightly different.

Experiment with some loadings and look for stable consistency down range. Then move the sights if you need to. You might find that way back in the day, someone probably had that gun sighted in and had it hitting the mark with a particular load. You might stumble onto the load.

Keep some written notes on black powder guns - what worked well. Keep the notes stored in the case with the gun. It really comes in handly later.
 
Also the rate of twist will determine what shoots best. 1:48 is a middle ground for conicals and round balls but not ideal for either. Anything faster will be conical only. A round ball really likes a 1:60 twist or slower.
 
Hawg Haggen said:
Also the rate of twist will determine what shoots best. 1:48 is a middle ground for conicals and round balls but not ideal for either. Anything faster will be conical only. A round ball really likes a 1:60 twist or slower.
Click to expand...

That's only true for the larger caliber round balls. Some folks may not realize that because the smaller caliber balls are shorter in length, they actually require a faster twist. For example, the Green Mountain .36 caliber swamped profile barrel that they advertise as having a round ball twist is 1 in 48", along with having a rifling depth of .010 - .012.
GM makes one 44" swamped .40 caliber round ball barrel with a 1 in 56" twist.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/blackpowdermuzzleloaderriflebarrels/swampedprofile44long

But all of their other .40 caliber barrels are 36" - 42" long and have a 1 in 48" twist which are known to shoot round balls with pin point accuracy at 100 yards.

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/blackp...els38long/swamped-barrel-40-caliber-a-profile

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/blackp...els38long/swamped-barrel-40-caliber-a-profile

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/blackp...arrels/1516-black-powder-barrel-40-caliber-36

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/blackp.../1316-black-powder-rifle-barrel-40-caliber-42

http://www.gmriflebarrel.com/blackp...1-18-black-powder-rifle-barrels-40-caliber-36

The different barrel makers all have their own preferred twist rates for the different caliber round ball barrels that they make.
 
Last edited:
That's all true Arcticap but 99% of the posts on here are about .50 cal and up. The OP's rifle is a .54;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top