62cal hawken

[alaskaboy92]

I’ve looked through a few forums and have deduced a gap from 90-130 grains. I guess I’ll find out what my gun likes at 100yds. It is kinda thick country up in n idaho so even that would be a long shot

 

[david w]

I’ve looked through a few forums and have deduced a gap from 90-130 grains. I guess I’ll find out what my gun likes at 100yds. It is kinda thick country up in n idaho so even that would be a long shot

100 yards is usually a long shot here in Arkansas, too. Although, on piece of land I'm allowed to shoot on has some open spaces of 1000 yd.+. That's where they like to sight in their unmentionable 6.5 Creedmoor's. The farmer owns over 30,000 acres of land. Most of the deer I've shot was probably less than 50 yards with my smoke poles since I remain along the tree lines. The hilly terrain of Crowley's Ridge limits distance.

 

[alaskaboy92]

I definitely am more of spot and stalk/ ambush hunter anyway so that’s why I love going out with the muzzies, something about tricking a wild animal in its own backyard is pretty fun for me!

 

[HighUintas]

I think you would get a plenty efficient powder burn out of a 36-in barrel in that caliber. There are a couple of guys on another forum who are both older and have spent many years shooting larger bore muzzleloaders very accurately, one of whom is one of the best Hawken rifle builders to my knowledge, and a lot of the velocity data they have shared with larger calibers, like a 62 or a 69 use barrels that were no longer than 36 in with charges higher than your stated range and they were able to stuff a whole lot more powder in there and still get modest increases in velocity.

Unless you're wanting to load up 160 grains of powder, I think the choice between a 36 and 40 inch barrel would primarily be based on the balance and aesthetics of the rifle you want to achieve and if you want to eat out every last bit of the velocity you can. I bet you wouldn't gain that much velocity and 4 inches of barrel with 120 grain powder charge

 

[david w]

I think you would get a plenty efficient powder burn out of a 36-in barrel in that caliber. There are a couple of guys on another forum who are both older and have spent many years shooting larger bore muzzleloaders very accurately, one of whom is one of the best Hawken rifle builders to my knowledge, and a lot of the velocity data they have shared with larger calibers, like a 62 or a 69 use barrels that were no longer than 36 in with charges higher than your stated range and they were able to stuff a whole lot more powder in there and still get modest increases in velocity.

Unless you're wanting to load up 160 grains of powder, I think the choice between a 36 and 40 inch barrel would primarily be based on the balance and aesthetics of the rifle you want to achieve and if you want to eat out every last bit of the velocity you can. I bet you wouldn't gain that much velocity and 4 inches of barrel with 120 grain powder charge

I think if you load your gun with 160 gr. your going to need some Bengay before you go to bed!

 

[HighUintas]

I think if you load your gun with 160 gr. your going to need some Bengay before you go to bed!

Their big caliber heavy charge guns were English sporting rifles... Much better buttplates for that than a Hawken!

I'd probably try it once in a Hawken. Only once

 

[2 shots]

have you tried the hawken shop??

 

[david w]

I definitely am more of spot and stalk/ ambush hunter anyway so that’s why I love going out with the muzzies, something about tricking a wild animal in its own backyard is pretty fun for me!

I prefer the still hunt. I have never had success from a deer stand. From a stand, I once had to battle a squirrel for over 2 hours. He kept chattering, and throwing things at me. I had my fill. Squirrel lost.

 

[alaskaboy92]

I think if you load your gun with 160 gr. you’re going to need some Bengay before you go to bed!

I’m not planning on it unless mammoths are in season lol

 

[alaskaboy92]

have you tried the hawken shop??

No I haven’t but thanks for the recommendation!

 

[cannonball1]

I have tried 140 grains of powder. To much kick for me, so I settled on 120 grains of 2F black powder and a round ball. I got a shot at a free roaming buffalo on Utah's Henry Mountains, but missed and didn't get the job done with a ML. I have shot an elk and a few of deer with it though. No more fun than to shoot at a large animal with a flintlock. At the time I got it built, I cut my teeth on shooting jackrabbits, I better rephrase that to shooting at jackrabbits with it. I made this one with a wood blank. I think the barrel is a Green River Barrel, but I can't remember for sure. It may be and H&H Barrel. Who cares. It shoots straight with a straight shooting lefty behind it. That is no longer me.

 

[alaskaboy92]

I have tried 140 grains of powder. To much kick for me, so I settled on 120 grains of 2F black powder and a round ball. I got a shot at a free roaming buffalo on Utah's Henry Mountains, but missed and didn't get the job done with a ML. I have shot an elk and a few of deer with it though. No more fun than to shoot at a large animal with a flintlock. At the time I got it built, I cut my teeth on shooting jackrabbits, I better rephrase that to shooting at jackrabbits with it. I made this one with a wood blank. I think the barrel is a Green River Barrel, but I can't remember for sure. It may be and H&H Barrel. Who cares. It shoots straight with a straight shooting lefty behind it. That is no longer me.

That is a beautiful gun! I really like the silver nose cap on it, it’d be used for elk sized game and down, maybe a moose if I ever draw a tag or a Buffalo if I can save my money haha

 

[pamtnman]

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 hunt with a .62 percussion rifle, and I like it so much I’m having a .62 flintlock rifle made just for our (Pennsylvania) late season that is flint only. The percussion has a 34” barrel, but I think you can easily get full performance from a 30” barrel. The planned flintlock has a 28” barrel because it’s modeled on the British Sporting Rifle, from which the original halfstock Hawken was copied. It’s a fantastic and really hard hitting caliber perfect for Idaho game like elk, bear, mule deer.

 

[alaskaboy92]

I finally have gotten all the parts in hand, I picked up a 36” barrel from rice company and a fullstock and most other things from totw. Started by Inletting barrel and tang into the stock and worked on the nose cap last night. It’s a lot lighter than I was expecting and holds good when I pretend to sight it in.

 

[alaskaboy92]

I finally finished the winter project, went with that light stain and dark brown metal browning. Went to shoot it this past weekend and shot pretty good at 50yds, I went with a .610 ball with .10 patch and 85 grains of 2f. Pretty excited for stretching that range out to 100yds for hunting. It was super fun and now I’m thinking every few years to start another one.

 

[Mulebrain]

Like the color on your stock, what did you use on it? Don't know if you did it on purpose, but your rear sight is backwards.

I would be careful with patching like that, better to use just round patching.

 

[springfield art]

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

140 grains! That's one powerful load!

 

[alaskaboy92]

Like the color on your stock, what did you use on it? Don't know if you did it on purpose, but your rear sight is backwards.

I would be careful with patching like that, better to use just round patching.

I used honey maple stain on it with stock sealer, the sight was super long and would overlap the tang if I put it the other way

 

[david w]

I used honey maple stain on it with stock sealer, the sight was super long and would overlap the tang if I put it the other way

I would consider having someone cut a new dovetail for you. Either that, or buy a simple non-adjustable sight. Even with a simple sight, who cut the dovetail so close to the breech? I have that same sight, and my dovetail is 12" from the breech. Nice patch box. Even 120 grains FFg is a lot.

 

[alaskaboy92]

I would consider having someone cut a new dovetail for you. Either that, or buy a simple non-adjustable sight. Even with a simple sight, who cut the dovetail so close to the breech? I have that same sight, and my dovetail is 12" from the breech. Nice patch box. Even 120 grains FFg is a lot.

The barrel was shipped with all dovetails cut out, I like the long sight radius with the current setup