Browning Hawken?

[kgs113]

A friend of mine is looking at a Browning Hawken from the 70s. Word has it that it has never been fired and comes with the original box. Any Idea of value? Load recommendations? .50 cal 1 in 66 twist he was told. Thanks for any info.

 

[Wes/Tex]

The Browning Mountain Rifle is a bit heavier than many of the other varieties and was proofed to 120 grains of FFg or Pyrodex RS by the maker. This load delivered nearly 2000 fps velocity with descent hunting accuracy. On the more "fun" side, 50 grains of FFFg delivered about 1500 fps and 70 grains of FFg really accurate at about 1600 fps. These loads were with .490" balls and .015" patching.

 

[boar]

They was discussed on here before and I think they said about 700.00-800 dollars,I couldbe wrong. Dilly

 

[faw3]

If you do a search on that rifle and Hawken's for the last 2 years here it should pop up a few dozen times,without the box in perfect shape take 500 and run has been whats on but like anything if you wait long enough ,for the right person you might get it up a few 100 more, I bought a very nice Ithaca Hawken for 400 on the old classfieds here and got E mails wanting to buy it up to 550 over a year ago. Anyway good luck. Fred :hatsoff:

 

[faw3]

Add to above a year or more search post by John Hinannt on perc about Browning or Hakens, now hope that helps you out. Fred :thumbsup:

 

[Poor Boy]

I have a Browning .50 cal with single set trigger. It's not new,and I lost the box in a tornado a few years ago. The gun is about 98% .It's shoots great. I'm left handed and am replacing a few right handed guns.........I have an extra home made range rod,also the Browning's breech plug is made so you have to use the special cleaning jag that comes with the rifle.If you don't use,you'll loose it. A regular jag will stick in the breech...If interested I'm OLSON...E-MAIL me

 

[44-henry]

There was one in the Rodgers Cabelas recently for $1300, I bought mine (a .54) for about $500 a few years ago, killed a couple deer with it. There very nice rifles

 

[Poor Boy]

There was no such thing as PYRODEX when the Browning Mountain Rifle was made......OLSON

 

[Herb]

There was no such thing as PYRODEX when the Browning Mountain Rifle was made......OLSON

I don't know if that is true. But, in the July-August 1980 Rifle Magazine (No. 70), Layne Simpson had a great article on this rifle. He used 120 grains of Pyrodex RS and a .490 ball to get 2,139 fps. He asked Hodgdon to pressure test this load and they got 2,160 fps with 9,200 psi. Layne wrote "In discussing the strength of my mountain rifle with Al Carver of Browning, he stated that charges up to two hundred grains of FFg black powder or one hundred sixty grains of Pyrodex RS behind the .490 patched ball are perfectly safe in the rifle. However, Al also stated that when using such heavy charges, a good portion of unburned powder would be blown out the muzzle. As can be seen in my load chart, my Oehler chronograph agreed with Al's statement. With the round ball, my last ten-grain increase with the round ball exceeded the point of justifiable returns.

"As an additional note on the strength of the Browning rifle, I promised Al Carver that I wouldn't mention the exact loads that the Browning people used in proof-testing their rifle during its design stages, but I was so amazed that I must come close to breaking my word. I'll merely say that the massive powder charge touched off behind a number of patched balls, as a PROOF LOAD, would take care of all the game shooting the average hunter could accomplish in several years."

 

[windwalker_au]

* Olson Said:

There was no such thing as PYRODEX when the Browning Mountain Rifle was made......OLSON. this is a page fromsam fadala's blackpowder loading manual,circa 1980.right click the pic then click again to make bigger.
bernie :grin:

 

[faw3]

All of them had good loads for even back then, the 54 150grs, they also sold out for 400 when they stopped selling them. Ive seen 99 percent near new ones for 500, about the same for my Ithaca I belive, but add a bit for box and new, in the end you'll get what someone will pay for one. :hmm: But it's a rifle you wouldnt want to shoot Ud lose a few 100 with first shot. Fred :hatsoff: one in the Rodgers Cabelas recently for $1300 :rotf: and some guy will pay that for it, # i or 2 was for sale for less than that within the last 2 years on one of the gun auctions.

 

[Vaino]

Bought a Browning Mountain Rifle in .50 cal.{preferred .54, but they were sold out} when they went out of business and although the rifle was very well made and never misfired, the balance and fit FOR ME were lousy, prompting me to sell it. I think this rifle in .54 cal. would have yielded a better balance and carrying this muzzle heavy rifle in .50 cal. up and down the Rockies hunting for elk, didn't add to the enjoyment. I now shoot a .54 cal. Pecatonica kit "Hawken" and a while back completed a Stith "Hawken" for a customer and both have excellent fit and balance.....Fred

 

[44-henry]

My hunting load for the 54 has always been 110 grains, light by the standards shown here, but it sure dropped those deer dead in their tracks.

 

[sekim68]

Some more info on the Browning Mountain Rifle.... Back in 1983, I bought one of the discontinued rifles from Midway Arms. They had stated that they had bought out the remaining stock from Browning and by the way this is the same outfit today called just Midway USA. My rifle is a .45 and with all brown furniture and have used it in many matches since then and still now. This is a truly quality gun and shoots groups just under 2" at 75 yards at a rest of course. Today they are a little bit hard to come by and one that is in a least a 95% condition, (that being the standard grade) will bring from $650.00 to $800.00. My only problem with the rifle is, when you get older like me, they are hell to carry around because of their weight. One thing though.....if you get one, you won't ever get rid of it. Also, still have the add from the Shotgun News in which Midway placed.

Mike

 

[almrl]

There was no such thing as PYRODEX when the Browning Mountain Rifle was made......OLSON

My First Edition of the Lyman Muzzleloaders' Handbook, copyright 1976, has an article "Pyrodex - A Safe Black Powder Substitute Here at Last" by Dave Wolfe. The article states that Pyrodex was introduced at the NRA Convention in Indianapolis in April, 1976.

Old Coot

 

[faw3]

That's kind of funny :rotf: in a Muzzle Blast from 84 (I think) "G" has a ad for it and claims to have been used by all shooters since 72 ???? Whatever, 120 grs 2f still is better than 120 grs of "G" in the " Mountain Rifle". Fred :hatsoff: