My first bp rifle

T

TheBear

New member
Im gonna get myself a bp rifle! After doing some research on the internet and talking to the old guys at the bp range ive made my decision, its going to be the Pedersoli rocky mountain hawken .54cal.
What do you guys think about this rifle? A good choice?
Can i only shoot round balls with this rifle or could i use minie balls, etc too? It has 7 grooves and a 1:65 twist, is this considered fast or slow for a bp rifle in .54cal?
 
This is a slow twist...more suited to RoundBall shooting. The Jaeger is a fast(er) 1:24 twist, more suited to bullet shooting.

That bing said....I'll bet you wil be very happy with the rifle:D. At hawken distances I think you will still be able to shoot bullets/sabot's with satisfactory results. My Jaeger is suppose to be for bullets...but I shoot mostly RB's in it:rolleyes:

Don't forget to post some pics of you shooting it:D

Not sure where you are shopping....but Cabela's has them on sale right now.

If your Hawken shoots like my Ped Jaeger.....your in for a long run of good times with her
attachment.php
 
Last edited:
Pedersoli rocky mountain hawken .54cal
Click to expand...
Excellent choice. Handsome looking rifle too. Primarily a R.Ball shooter though. Since it appears you want to go the way of being a Traditional Shootist. Not that I want to change your already made decision. But, Have you given any thought towards looking at a Lyman brand. Pretty close to looking the same they both are. Pedersoli verses Lyman.
(take notice of their difference in pricing)

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sch...fles-hawken-missouri-river-hawken-walnut.html

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/536/1/LYMAN-GPR-54-P

FWIW: Who's ever rifle you choose. I'm sure you will enjoy. Being a Traditional Shooter you'll meet and greet many here of the same mind set. Keep us in the loop on how its going or if needing any advice as there are many knowledgeable individuals here on FLF. Good luck with that new rifle your about to purchase.

S/S
 
hi bear

don't be taken in by all the "oh that is a round ball gun"

a 54 with a round ball will do anything you ask it to do,,,including elk


and you can eat right up to the hole

all you have to do is shoot the gun and be proficient with it

my 54 rb has killed plenty of deer,,,,no problem,,,,60gr ff will put a ball clear through a white tail at 100yrds

all you have to do is work up a load that the gun likes and then practice,,practice untill you can do it in your sleep

my .02

ocharry
 
You have good taste !!!

Pedersoli rocky mountain hawken .54cal.
Click to expand...
WOW !!
You don't mess around in knowing what you want. On top of that, you were well advised by those Grey-Beards at the range. If I went after this one, I would not have anything but a slow twist. ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
It is a slow twist round ball barrel but being a .54 it may shoot minies well but not solid base conicals. My .54 has never had anything but round balls and it is a deer killer for sure. That rifle should do you proud.
 
That's a great choice!

You want 1 in 48 twist or faster for bullets. Stick with round ball and you'll do just fine. Like was said above it will go clean through dear.

The trick to accuracy with a muzzleloader is loading it exactly the same each time.

A word of warning, black powder is a highly addictive substance. ;)

Enjoy and be safe.

Boomer
 
thanks for all the answers.

its funny, when i started shooting i always said ill never get a bp rifle. i was totally into modern high powered rifles...

one more question:

what kind of accuracy can i expect from a .54 cal bp rifle shooting round balls at 50, 100 yards. the old guys at the range said 2 moa at least but i dont buy it, sounds to good to be true.

edit: the old guys said 2 moa at least
 
Last edited:
3-4 inch groups with open sights for my rock lock pedersoli at 100yds. i have a TC .50 cap lock with a good peep sight that will half thoese groups at the same range and these are not target loads,but what i hunt with. eastbank.
 
2 inches is doable but it takes some doing to work up a powder/ball/patch combo. What works in someone else's rifle may not work in yours even tho it might be the same rifle.
 
what kind of accuracy can i expect from a .54 cal bp rifle shooting round balls at 50, 100 yards. the old guys at the range said 2 moa at least but i dont buy it, sounds to good to be true.
Click to expand...

If you do your job loading the rifle consistently it will out shoot you. First off you need to find a load the works best in your rifle. I don't just mean the powder charge. You'll need to find the diameter round ball and thickness of patch your rifle like, then be sure you seat the ball with the exact same amount of pressure each time.

Practice makes perfect.

I'd also recommend getting yourself a good flexirod with a T handle. If you ever get a ball stuck do to fouling you'll wish you had. They work way better as a ball puller than a wood rod.

Boomer
 
what kind of accuracy can i expect from a .54 cal bp rifle shooting round balls at 50, 100 yards. the old guys at the range said 2 moa at least but i dont buy it, sounds to good to be true.
Click to expand...

Once you have worked up a proper load it in fact should be that or less at 100.
At 50 you should be able to hold a clover leaf group easy enough . Especially if shooting from a rest with open sights .
As others have said , it takes practice .. It also takes time in learning not only the rifle but also the complete load it like . IE powder patch , ball and lube combination .
it also means learning how to use open sights so as to group on targets that you may or maynot be able to see clearly
Once you get confident in your groups , move away from shooting at larger targets by progressively shooting at smaller and smaller targets .
I very seldom shoot from a rest as im more into off hand shooting with open sights

Here are a couple targets shot off hand with a 54 cal flintlock , 42 inch Iron barrel . 80 grains 3 F. . 530 ball , .015 ticking patch with spit as a lube

50 yards off hand .

delete220.jpg


off hand long distance 200 yards

DSC00864-Copy.jpg
 
i know my bp rifles will shoot,the weak part of the rifle is ME!. one of my favorite rifles is a older navy arms cap lock .58 zouve repo with a 575213 hollow based mimi bullet with a heavy skirt(i modified the lyman molds base plug). and have a good set of peep sight mounted(2.5 inch sight stem) on it with a little trigger work. this rifle will shoot 4 inch groups at 200yds all day long from a rest.
 
A excellent rife, well made and great workmanship.

For me, personally, it's too heavy and has too much drop on the stock.

Mine was in the first container coming into the country, I could not handle the rifle prior to buying it. Had I handled and fondled it, I would not have bought it, it just does not fit me personally.

Really a nice rifle if it fits a person. No complaints on the quality of the rifle. The Tryon fits me fine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top