cabela's hawken

[dsuursoo]

hi all-

i've done my share of modern rifle hunting, alaska, vermont and washington, and i've found that well... it lacks a certain something. sure, a modern rifle can be a devastating, reliable thing... but it's just not the same. there's not as much challenge in taking the shot from 200+ yards. i bowhunt, and it's more satisfying.

so i've made the choice to switch to blackpowder hunting. having shot both flintlocks and percussion(and owning a .36 cal navy cap and ball that's a fun time to shoot), i'm sold on going totally whole hog, and going with a flintlock.

right now, it looks like cabela's hawken kit in .50 cal is a great choice. not only is it fully legal here in washington for all game, but the price is right, and i'll be able to finish it to a level above what cabela's does with the standard rifle.

anything i should watch out for, with this particular rifle? the customer ratings are extremely favorable, so i'm feeling good so far.

as a note: i chose the hawken over the pennsylvania/kentucky pattern mostly because the cover in the san juan islands where i'm preferring to hunt is fairly thick, and the slightly shorter hawken will get through the bush better, and it'll be overall less cumbersome(and hawken pattern rifles have that whole 'heavier load' bit going for them.) and easier to use.

 

[Trot]

The only thing I don't like about the Cabela's Hawken is the cheesy rear sight. You might also look at the Lyman Trade rifle and Great Plains rifle, they are made by Investarms, the same company that makes the Cabela's Hawken. They are all excellent shooters, but the Lyman guns come with better sights.

 

[Swampman]

I also like the Lyman. I prefer to buy the completed guns and rework them to my satisfaction, but building a kit has many rewards.

 

[Dane]

pom-pom,

If you want to do it right.... go with a flintlock. The only way to fly.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You don't want to buy the Cheapest Flintlock available. The imports- cabelas is one-- have lots of problems with lock geometry. They may also have other problems, like that mentioned above about the sights. Some domestic flintlocks have their problems, but they can be fixed. With the imports, they are difficult to fix and make the gun fire reliably AND fast. The Domestic locks are much better in that regard.

With a flintlock you want a lock that is reliable and fast. I recommend looking at the Lyman Great Plains Rifle instead. Altho the barrels are made overseas, the locks are not that bad, and can be fixed. This is one area where you get what you pay for any gun.

 

[cowpoke1955]

First off, Welcome :hatsoff: There are other places to shop than Cabela's and a lot cheaper too. Cabela's offer their .50 cal. Hawkens flint kit for $399.99. DNR Sports had the .50 cal. Trade Rifle flint (not a kit) for $313.92. They also have a .50 cal. Lyman Great Plains Rifle flint kit for $362.22. Here's the link: http://www.dnrsports.com/acatalog/D___R_Catalog_Lyman_Muzzleloaders_649.html . Both Cabela's and Lyman are both made by Investarms of Italy and very good quality. I got a .54 GPR flint kit from DNR a couple of years ago and I'm very pleased with it. You mentioned hunting the extreme northern state where you might find larger game. I'd suggert looking at a .54 caliber. Good luck :thumbsup:

 

[dsuursoo]

First off, Welcome :hatsoff: There are other places to shop than Cabela's and a lot cheaper too. Cabela's offer their .50 cal. Hawkens flint kit for $399.99. DNR Sports had the .50 cal. Trade Rifle flint (not a kit) for $313.92. They also have a .50 cal. Lyman Great Plains Rifle flint kit for $362.22. Here's the link: http://www.dnrsports.com/acatalog/D___R_Catalog_Lyman_Muzzleloaders_649.html . Both Cabela's and Lyman are both made by Investarms of Italy and very good quality. I got a .54 GPR flint kit from DNR a couple of years ago and I'm very pleased with it. You mentioned hunting the extreme northern state where you might find larger game. I'd suggert looking at a .54 caliber. Good luck :thumbsup:

hm... no real pattern difference that i can tell, save for the positioning of the sights... i was seriously considering putting in a rear peep sight on any rifle i get anyways.

now, lock troubles on these italian guns? would it be spring issues(fairly solvable) or action issues(positioning of parts, much less solvable) that might cause issues? the cabela's flint guns that i've looked at seemed to have no issues with shooting quick and reliable.

 

[Onojutta]

Hey I black powder hunt as well and that's after hunting 12+ years with a modern rifle and not getting a single deer!

I echo what others have said: Lyman Trade Rifle is the best production gun on the market. With a little TLC they can be made to fire almost as fast as a centerfire. Very accurate as well.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Pom-Pom,
Cabela's Hawkens, Dixie Hawkens, Lyman Trade Rifle and Lyman Great plains Rifles are all made by Investarms in Italy. They are all good quality weapons with reliable locks. I have two GPR's and never had a problem. On my flinter, I modified the vent liner by drilling the touch hole lager to 5/64th". Now she fires first time, every time. The two "Hawkens" and the Trade Rifle are pretty much in the same class. The GPR is a step up. All have tangs that are drilled and tapped for peep sights. Personally, I'd go for the .54 GPR flint kit from DNR. You can use that $37 you save to buy a lot of balls :thumbsup:

 

[Trot]

I can only speak for the one I own but my flintlock Lyman works very well, long flint life, good sparker, decent lock time.

 

[dsuursoo]

Hey I black powder hunt as well and that's after hunting 12+ years with a modern rifle and not getting a single deer!

I echo what others have said: Lyman Trade Rifle is the best production gun on the market. With a little TLC they can be made to fire almost as fast as a centerfire. Very accurate as well.

now, can anyone tell me if the lyman trade gun comes with set triggers? i've used them for years on several guns, and find single or double set triggers to be quite the useful thing for taking prepared shots. i know the plains rifle does, though the rifling is a bit slower(1:60 as opposed to 1:48), which might not lend itself to conicals as well.

 

[Trot]

The Trade rifle only has a single trigger.

 

[dsuursoo]

okay, well, since that last statement of mine seemed to take a while

it looks like i've made a fairly good choice, overall. my single gripe about the plains rifle is the rifling, the extra barrel length doesn't particularly bother me. I'm looking to shoot a greater variety of loads than simple patched ball (target minie, some of the hornady great plains bullets, tompson maxis, and possibly powerbelts, depending on what i'm after), so i'll want the faster twist to give me better performance out of conicals. yes, i know it's only 20 percent faster, but hey, i like having my options.

so, the cabela's hawken it is(thank you all, as the response was strongly positive for the maker), i'm not too concerned about the cost of balls/bullets, i plan on picking up some molds while i'm at it, at least for round ball.

 

[fort fireman]

You can get a faster twist in the GPR. I think its a 1-32 twist. The cabelas hawken was the gun that got me started in this wonderful world of BP. I didn't get the kit but the production gun is very nice and the only trouble I had with ignition was when I used substitute BP when I first got it. Since I switched to the real stuff in 3fg I haven't had a problem out of it. It's a very decent gun for the price.

 

[dsuursoo]

The Trade rifle only has a single trigger.

but, is it a single set trigger, or just a single trigger? i know it's nitpicking, but i like set triggers for long guns.

 

[Zonie]

No, it is not a single set trigger.

Actually I don't know of a low cost factory made gun that comes with a single set trigger. They are kinda rare.

 

[dsuursoo]

You can get a faster twist in the GPR. I think its a 1-32 twist. The cabelas hawken was the gun that got me started in this wonderful world of BP. I didn't get the kit but the production gun is very nice and the only trouble I had with ignition was when I used substitute BP when I first got it. Since I switched to the real stuff in 3fg I haven't had a problem out of it. It's a very decent gun for the price.

i've been planning on using goex powder in the classic 2f/4f setup(it's tempting to make my own, but i lack a good source of sulfur right now) so i doubt i'll have problems there.

hm... 1:32, huh? sounds fun, but maybe a little fast for .50 cal blackpowder. i think i like the 1:48, seems like a fair overall twist.

 

[fort fireman]

Ya, I think they made that 1-32 for those that have no intrest in patched round balls at all and never plan on shooting them. It would be great if you were planning on shooting conicals and only conicals. I think you'd end up with a pretty wicked curve ball if you tried a PRB.

 

[Packdog]

I have a Cabela's flint Hawken in .54 cal. I have shot and hunted with it for years. In factory condition it beat the crud out of my cheek and would not go off reliably. The rear sight were so sloppy that I could not put a group into a pie pan at 50 yards. Some have had problems with the lock sparking but mine has worked admirably for years.
I replaced the stock with a fullstock maple replacement. The new stock has more drop, shoulders great and does not slap me in the cheek now. Drilled out the ventliner to 5/64 and coned it. Now she goes off like a champ.
I chunked the rear sights and replaced them with a TC primitive sight that screws into the factory mounting holes. One year later I threw those away and dovetailed the barrel for new front and rear sights. Great sight picture now.
Now I have a great hunting gun that is a lot of fun to shoot. I learned a lot in the process of making it a very serviceable and reliable hunting gun. Now, If I was doing it all over again, I'd buy a leman GPR in kit form and save myself a lot of grief, work and money. I would also have barrel made for round ball shooting. Unless I'm misinformed, 1:60 twist comes factory in the Leman great Plains.
Ken

 

[dsuursoo]

I have a Cabela's flint Hawken in .54 cal. I have shot and hunted with it for years. In factory condition it beat the crud out of my cheek and would not go off reliably. The rear sight were so sloppy that I could not put a group into a pie pan at 50 yards. Some have had problems with the lock sparking but mine has worked admirably for years.
I replaced the stock with a fullstock maple replacement. The new stock has more drop, shoulders great and does not slap me in the cheek now. Drilled out the ventliner to 5/64 and coned it. Now she goes off like a champ.
I chunked the rear sights and replaced them with a TC primitive sight that screws into the factory mounting holes. One year later I threw those away and dovetailed the barrel for new front and rear sights. Great sight picture now.
Now I have a great hunting gun that is a lot of fun to shoot. I learned a lot in the process of making it a very serviceable and reliable hunting gun. Now, If I was doing it all over again, I'd buy a leman GPR in kit form and save myself a lot of grief, work and money. I would also have barrel made for round ball shooting. Unless I'm misinformed, 1:60 twist comes factory in the Leman great Plains.
Ken

recoil's not a worry,i qual'd on the barret .50BMG while i was in the service and regularly hunted with a .300 winmag.

seems like the main issue is the sights(and like i said, i'm thinking of going straight to peep sights, and even if i don't i should be able to get the provided sights into good order when installing them in the kit) and the touch-hole. making it somewhat funnel shaped just seems common sense.

thanks for that advice on it.