I need a Hawken rifle

"...average hit rate over both 50 and 100 yard ranges is only 45%. Our best shooter is 57%....."
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I once watched the Blues take out all of the 100-yd/2-liter bottles on the first volley.

But that was back in the mid-`80s... when giants still trod the Plain. :D :D :D
The Old 7th VA


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Model12Win-- Look around on the web for a Browning Hawken. While Browning is known for a range of firearm types, many are unaware of their Jonathan Browning Mountain Rifle. I don't know who produced the rifle for Browning. These are Hawkens. Mine happens to be in .50 with brass hardware. They produced a .54 model with brass or "brown" metal hardware. Several thousand were produced a couple decades ago as a commemorative to Jonathan Browning (a gunsmith himself) who was John M. Browning's father. They are quite nice.

I happen to shoot mine with 777.

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David :)
 
Hard to find !!!

Several thousand were produced a couple decades ago as a commemorative to Jonathan Browning (a gunsmith himself) who was John M. Browning's father. They are quite nice.
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That is putting it mildly as they are exceptional. Problem is finding one for under $600.00. Another option and more in the spirit than the Lyman Great Plaines, is the Ithaca Great Plaines .... :)

Be Safe !!!
 
Pahoo -- We agree pretty much. Approx 5 years ago, I happened to pay exactly $600 plus shipping (no FFL transfer needed to Florida) for mine. It was new in the box (cardboard) and the seller was divesting himself of two JBMRs. The OP said he had a preference to keep it at $600. I see preowned, shot, but still seemingly pretty nice JBMRs for sale from time to time at less than 4 figures. Obviously, the woodened boxed ones with powder horn are much more expensive than the OP would be interested in spending.

Some of these JBMR's have drop dead gorgeous walnut stocks -- let's say I'm pleased with mine.

Just seems to me that spending a few more $'s, the OP might search out and pick up a fine black powder Hawken. There is some real junk on the market.

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David :)
 
Drop dead gorgeous is right !!!

Some of these JBMR's have drop dead gorgeous walnut stocks -- let's say I'm pleased with mine.
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How well I know and even though I have not seen yours, I'm sure I'd be pleased with it as well. I'm aging myself but I can remember when they first came out and you could buy new. Like most things, I couldn't afford it back then and really can't justify it today. Yes, the ones in the presentation cases are nice and you have to watch them as the horns get eaten up pretty bad. Protein is protein to most critters. ..... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Alright gents! Well I think I'm going to get the Hawken in my OP, the Lyman GPR 32" bbl right hand with 1:60 twist for round ball. I can't wait!

BUT... I'm pretty sure I need some extra things!

I know I need FFG powder, .54 rounds balls, patches, and caps. What size round balls and what thickness of patch material should I use? Anybody have a recommendation on where to find materials for patch making? I will probably order the right size round punch and punch them out of whatever material, the same way how I make my cap n' ball revolver wads.

What about lubricant for the patches? Is it needed? Does it keep the fowling soft like the revolver wonder wads? How should I treat the patches I cut out with lubricant?

I am so sorry for all these questions! I am brand new to muzzleloading rifles and most places were I look only talk about the modern inline muzzleloaders.

Thank you so much!
 
not good enough .
Well good enough for volley fire when someone’s not shooting back at you

But no where good enough for a rifleman NOT in formation ,with that same rifle setting you in the sights and pulling the trigger

And I don’t know much about paper shooting . Mostly situates and gongs though we do shoot paper towel tubes at 50 yards off hand

But anyway , what ever you say . But when I hear folks claim that rifled muskets were not very accurate , what I see is the fella off the history channel who couldn’t hit a barn door at 25 yards with a brown Bess. Supposedly proving how inaccurate they were .
The reality of it is that at 25 yards if you cant take a mans head ofF , either your doing something wrong or you just suck as a shooter
 
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Model12Win -- If your Lyman is a .54 bore you will likely need .53ish round balls plus .10/.15 patch. You are not trying to seal a chamber via slightly oversized ball as we do with a BP revolver - lead shavings being seen. In my .50 JBMR Hawken I use Hornady balls and CCI caps due to their quality. As noted above, I shoot the Hawken with 777, 3F. It is about 15% hotter than most real black powder loads so for target shooting I place 55 grains under the patch/ball. If I was a hunter, I'd goose up the 777 load - 80 grains. I shoot with prelubed patches - .10's. You will need more BP in your .54 Lyman. (consult charts).

If you are not familiar with Track of the Wolf, probably the finest BP store, I'd visit their website. They pretty much have it all.

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David :)
 
yes track of the wolf or www.possibleshop.com they sell bulk precut patches as well.

No doubt, 90-110gr goex 2f with .018" ( blue & white stripe) .530" round balls. If thats not accurate, you just need to shoot some more.

Get some windex and a cleaning jag, cut up 2 1/2 x 2 1/2" strips of old t shirts for cleaning/swabbing and run a lightly damp patch down the bore after each shot to clean the fouling out. Dry patch, load up and hold on!
 
If you want best accuracy you will swab the bore clean after each shot. I HATE it to but when you pull off 4 shots like this at 150 yards, You shut up pretty quickly and put up with it.
IMG_3305_zps94bb9e7e.jpg


Check this out, maybe it will help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEho5cMXsOg&list=UUeZck8LIRY1kV6raxImR_sg
 
Oh, but for general plinking and silhouette shooting do I still have to do that?

Also, I'm wondering how the finish on the Lyman GPR looks? I'm talking about the complete rifle, not the kit. Anybody have a pic of a stock Lyman GPR that was not made with a kit?

Also, if I get the rifle and it's too light, how can I go about staining it a darker color? I would like the finish to look like this:

hawken.jpg


Kind of a dark reddish brown color. Does the stock Lyman GPR look like this? Thanks!
 
Model12Win -- fwiw, I too use Windex while shooting. I don't use it between each shot but often it is used. Be careful with the Windex and make sure you remember to dry patch the bore before loading the next shot. Five years ago when I first got into BP guns I cleaned out the Hawken's bore but forgot the dry patch part. Pored 777 down into a wet bore placed the lubed patch and ball on wet powder. Guess what ?, wet powder doesn't go booooom! The only other time my Hawken failed to fire was when I forgot to put a percussion cap on the nipple -- duh!

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David :)
 
Oh, but for general plinking and silhouette shooting do I still have to do that?
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No. In N-SSA competition we only have the opportunity to clean the barrel in between matches. You can easily shoot multiple rounds accurately before cleaning.

You will probably find that your first shot on a clean barrel does not go in the same place as subsequent shots on a dirty barrel. This is not uncommon.

What is going to drive you to clean is the effort of loading. Black powder makes a lot more fouling than smokeless powder.

Steve
 
not good enough .
Well good enough for volley fire when someone’s not shooting back at you
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I suspect it would only get worse with someone shooting back at you. :eek:

But no where good enough for a rifleman NOT in formation ,with that same rifle setting you in the sights and pulling the trigger
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Well of course. Like I said, in individual shooting, you have 15 minutes to carefully put your 5 shots in the target. I took first place 100 yard musket last skirmish in individuals. You have all the time in the world to breathe and relax and rest after loading.

Team shooting is a "whole 'nuther animal", as they say. You're under pressure to get off as many shots in 5 minutes as you can, and hit targets. There's no resting in between shots.

The reality of it is that at 25 yards if you cant take a mans head ofF , either your doing something wrong or you just suck as a shooter.
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The only thing shot at 25 yards in our competitions are revolvers and smoothbores. All musket and carbine shooting is at 50 and 25 yards.

One time I accidentally hung my musket target at the 25 yard line and when I went to pull my target I was like, "Wow! I am doing awesome today!!!". Then I realized I was on the 25 yard line. :)

Steve
 
^ LOL!

So I take it these plains rifles were mostly hunting guns, but saw secondary uses as personal defense weapons against such hostiles like Indians? Am I correct? Just curious!

I'm setting up my "possibles bag" at the moment, only problem... I don't know which bag I want! Anyone have a recommendation for a possibles bag for a Hawken rifle that is under $100 that's good?

Thanks for sharing and teaching me guys, this is a daunting new world I'm getting into but it's been fun so far!
 
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