62cal hawken

[alaskaboy92]

Hello all and merry Christmas! I’ve been think of gradually acquiring parts for a self built full stock hawken rifle in 62 cal. I live in north Idaho so hunting shots are typically with 75 yards and I also just think it would be awesome! Does anyone know where I can maybe find a swamped barrel for the build? Also does anyone hunt with this caliber? Thanks for all your input, cheers!

 

[SDSmlf]

Hello all and merry Christmas! I’ve been think of gradually acquiring parts for a self built full stock hawken rifle in 62 cal. I live in north Idaho so hunting shots are typically with 75 yards and I also just think it would be awesome! Does anyone know where I can maybe find a swamped barrel for the build? Also does anyone hunt with this caliber? Thanks for all your input, cheers!

Believe the Hawkens brothers used straight or tapered barrels rather than swamped barrels, something to confirm. You may want to consider a Jaeger style gun.

Rice Barrel would be a place to start. Jason can likely make whatever you want. You should also contact Bobby Hoyt and see what he could provide.

 

[52Bore]

Agree with Rice barrels…
Jason was set up at the HawkenClassic..

 

[TDM]

That's good advice from @SDSmlf. I'd listen to that.

 

[HighUintas]

There are Hawken rifles with swamped barrels.

If I were going to do another full stock, I'd get a tapered barrel 40" long.

I'm working on a 36" 58cal full stock (not a Hawken) and wish I'd have gotten a longer barrel. In my opinion, the aesthetics of a full stock are just not as pleasing with a shorter barrel.

 

[david w]

Hello all and merry Christmas! I’ve been think of gradually acquiring parts for a self built full stock hawken rifle in 62 cal. I live in north Idaho so hunting shots are typically with 75 yards and I also just think it would be awesome! Does anyone know where I can maybe find a swamped barrel for the build? Also does anyone hunt with this caliber? Thanks for all your input, cheers!

I have a .62 caliber full stock Hawken with a 1" across the flat-36" barrel. I haven't weighed it, but to me,it's not that heavy. The strongest I've loaded it was with 110 gr. Goex 2f. It has a bit of a thump with that load. 80 gr. is quite adequate.

 

[alaskaboy92]

Believe the Hawkens brothers used straight or tapered barrels rather than swamped barrels, something to confirm. You may want to consider a Jaeger style gun.

Rice Barrel would be a place to start. Jason can likely make whatever you want. You should also contact Bobby Hoyt and see what he could provide.

Thanks! I’ll look into it

 

[longcruise]

You could easily get a stock full or half with a barrel channel to accommodate a straight, tapered or swamped 62 along with the furniture needed from Pecatonica.

It would be a fantastic elk thumper and would not be too heavy in a 62.

 

[david58]

We tend to equate larger caliber with heavier - but that long hole does a lot to lighten a barrel. As I have grown in wisdom (that mistake/experience/judgment/wisdom/years cycle), I have backed away from the larger calibers. Or, started loading lighter. My .62 flinter (VA rifle) was delivered to me with the counsel to use 140gr for elk. Hoping this week to work a far lighter load. The recommendations above for lighter loads are good. The more I think about a .62 Hawken, the more I think, "yeah, that would be cool." But I haven't worked up the load for my .53 yet, so first things first.

Should work up to be a nice rifle.

David
NM

 

[Grenadier1758]

@SDSmlf is correct. Most Hawken Plains Rifles have tapered barrels. For some, the taper is so slight that you have to measure the barrel to verify the taper.

 

[alaskaboy92]

We tend to equate larger caliber with heavier - but that long hole does a lot to lighten a barrel. As I have grown in wisdom (that mistake/experience/judgment/wisdom/years cycle), I have backed away from the larger calibers. Or, started loading lighter. My .62 flinter (VA rifle) was delivered to me with the counsel to use 140gr for elk. Hoping this week to work a far lighter load. The recommendations above for lighter loads are good. The more I think about a .62 Hawken, the more I think, "yeah, that would be cool." But I haven't worked up the load for my .53 yet, so first things first.

Should work up to be a nice rifle.

David
NM

I have a pedersoli frontier flinter in 50 cal and that’s good for deer around here but I’d like the insurance of a thumb digit size ball for elk and bear. I know shot placement is the #1 factor as well but there’s a badass factor for this setup I want also

 

[lonedave]

I'm not sure if they have barrels, but you might check with October Country Muzzleloading in Hayden Idaho. As others have said, you probably will need to look for a tapered barrel if you want to go to a .62 caliber. Rice would be a good choice. Years ago, Green mountain made a 1" straight rectangular barrel in .62 caliber, but they were smoothbore. They also made 32 inch drop-in barrels for T/C Hawken and Renegades. Quite a few of us on the forum at that time bought the .62 drop-ins and sent them to Ed Rayl to rifle for us. He felt there was enough clearance at the screws to allow it and they seemed to work well then and mine still does. It is rifled 1:72 and I shoot a .595 ball with 0.15 patch in front of 90 grains of 2f Goex....and yes, I still hunt with it. Nothing this year, but this was a mulie buck I took with it last year along the Snake River. If I remember right, this gun weighs right at 9# with the sling. Do you need a .62 caliber for deer, elk, or even moose....no, but it's just different and neat! (I do like my ramrod a bit longer than the barrel, but I think it was pulled out a bit further in the picture)

 

[alaskaboy92]

I'm not sure if they have barrels, but you might check with October Country Muzzleloading in Hayden Idaho. As others have said, you probably will need to look for a tapered barrel if you want to go to a .62 caliber. Rice would be a good choice. Years ago, Green mountain made a 1" straight rectangular barrel in .62 caliber, but they were smoothbore. They also made 32 inch drop-in barrels for T/C Hawken and Renegades. Quite a few of us on the forum at that time bought the .62 drop-ins and sent them to Ed Rayl to rifle for us. He felt there was enough clearance at the screws to allow it and they seemed to work well then and mine still does. It is rifled 1:72 and I shoot a .595 ball with 0.15 patch in front of 90 grains of 2f Goex....and yes, I still hunt with it. Nothing this year, but this was a mulie buck I took with it last year along the Snake River. If I remember right, this gun weighs right at 9# with the sling. Do you need a .62 caliber for deer, elk, or even moose....no, but it's just different and neat! (I do like my ramrod a bit longer than the barrel, but I think it was pulled out a bit further in the picture)
View attachment 185188

That’s a dandy mulie! I’d love to try hunting along the snake sometime. I would like to have as much weight towards me on the gun as possible so swamped or tapered would be the way to go. I also am pretty settled on the idea that a pre inlet stock is out of the question but doing my own would be another fun step in the guns journey

 

[SciAggie]

I picked up a .62 Jaeger this year. It is now my favorite rifle. I have taken several animals with it and it hits hard. You won’t be disappointed.

 

[ElkStalker]

I don’t have much to offer, but wanted to chime in and introduce myself as another North Idaho guy. .62 will do you well for elk, bear, or moose. I am considering having one of my 50’s rebored to .58. If I were going to build a rifle from scratch, a .62 Jäger would be hard to beat for a comfortable to carry hunting rifle.
Merry Christmas!

 

[cannonball1]

Several years ago I made a 62 caliber 1 1/8 barrel 36" long barrel, Hawken Flint. I believe the barrel is a Green River. Shot an elk and several deer with it. Made me feel just like Jim Bridger while I was out hunting the Rocky Mountains. One arm is now longer than the other.

 

[alaskaboy92]

I think I’m going with a 40”x1” barrel from rice and getting a full stock hawken blank, I like the honey maple stain and the blue rust look

 

[david w]

I think I’m going with a 40”x1” barrel from rice and getting a full stock hawken blank, I like the honey maple stain and the blue rust look

I'm not knocking your choice of a 40" barrel, but I do really love the balance of my 1" across the flat- 36" Just saying. My full stock Hawken has Hoppy Hopkins barrel, but Rice makes some of the highest quality of today's options. I think Hoppy's son still makes barrels, but when Hoppy was alive, he used ordinance grade steel. Let me tell you, those barrels were tough!

 

[alaskaboy92]

I'm not knocking your choice of a 40" barrel, but I do really love the balance of my 1" across the flat- 36" Just saying. My full stock Hawken has Hoppy Hopkins barrel, but Rice makes some of the highest quality of today's options. I think Hoppy's son still makes barrels, but when Hoppy was alive, he used ordinance grade steel. Let me tell you, those barrels were tough!

I’m just wondering about the length of barrel in relation to the powder burn efficiency? More powder burned=more energy yes?

 

[david w]

I’m just wondering about the length of barrel in relation to the powder burn efficiency? More powder burned=more energy yes?

Yes, but just how much powder do you plan to use? I have used 140 gr. 2Fg Goex, but it is very punishing to the shoulder. 90 gr. will send a .62 ball clean through an Elk at 75 yards.