Can you guys school me on grades of Hawkens? Quality, value, etc.

[LME]

Don't sell it cheap. They are in demand.

I may sound like a fool but I had rather sell it for a resonable price to someone that may not be able to afford what it may bring. Money isn't everything.

 

[Dale Lilly]

I may sound like a fool but I had rather sell it for a reasonable price to someone that may not be able to afford what it may bring. Money isn't everything.

You are no fool. I have given away nine ML guns recently, some worth $550 to $750. Enjoy making people happy. That's far more enjoyable than $$$$ Polecat

 

[ChuckJonesWagon]

I think the occasional rifle maker puts out (unknowingly) a "dud". I bought a T\C Hawken kit rifle in the late 70's. My buddies had CVA's (IIRC). That Hawken of mine just never consistently shot near POA. I tried every size ball, patch, lube but just could not get it to group consistently. I finally settled on 60gr FF (50 Cal) using a PRB. (I don't recall the details of ball size or patch or lube). But that rifle would put two in a 2" group at 75 yards, then the next two would be 8"-10" away...and not the same side!!!

I replaced the factory barrel with a GM "drop in". At the time it was $200. Best money ever spent. Now I'll shoot Hornady Conicals over 100gr FF and get 5 shot groups of 5" or less at 100 yards.

Again, not knocking T\C......every now and then.........

 

[Adam in WI]

I like the lines of the Great Plains Rifle above any of the other rifles called Hawkens.

 

[Dale Lilly]

I like the lines of the Great Plains Rifle above any of the other rifles called Hawkens.

I agree, but once in a while a Uberti built Santa Fe Hawkin or a Log Cabin shop [both Uberti] comes up in the same price range. I have a Santa Fe and a Lyman. I think the Uberti made guns are a bit more "Hawkenish." Dale

 

[Flint1]

My Hawken is a Sile I bought in 1981. It had the 28 inch barrel chrome lined 1:48 twist. It shot well and the lock and set triggers functioned well. It was .45. Probably over 20 years ago I ordered a Green Mountain .50 drop in barrel 32 inches because I wanted a longer barrel and round ball twist. I have not shot it since doing the barrel swap. From time to time I think about hunting with it since it was the first muzzleloader I hunter with. The moral is you can get a decent used Hawken without buying the name of the manufacturer.

 

[Coinneach]

I'm considering going on the hunt for a Hawken, but I dont know the first thing about them. Can you give me a rundown of value, quality, price? ie. Traditions-> TC-> Pedersoli-> etc. Appreciate it much y'all! I'm looking to stick to a $600ish budget.

That would depend on what you mean by "Hawken", and how close or far from authenticity you decide to go.

 

[Crockford]

I would recommend buying the cheapest one you can find with a good bore. Because once you start shooting and tinkering with it you will be looking for a better higher quality one pretty quick and before you know it you will own several.

 

[RobertIN]

I may sound like a fool but I had rather sell it for a resonable price to someone that may not be able to afford what it may bring. Money isn't everything.

The world needs more people like you.

 

[RobertIN]

I am by no means an authority on Hawkin rifles! I can say that to get one that looks close to a real Hawkin will cost you about $1,000 plus ? I haven't priced them lately but I bought mine in 1985 and it was $450.00 if you factor in inflation it will be a steep price?

I have no doubt about that, HC isn't terribly important to me, I'm just being drawn to that style of rifle really. With money being the issue that it persistently is I realistically won't be able to get my hands on one until after Christmas anyway.

 

[RobertIN]

Don't buy any used gun sight unseen unless the seller has detailed pictures of the inside of the bore, I see quite a few pitted bores on used guns, this is common in TCs and everything else, back in the day people just didn't know how to clean them.

100%. I'm looking to stay local for a trade, but if I can scratch some money up I'll be shopping right here in our wonderful community.

 

[RobertIN]

A Hawken will require 2 more zeros on your budget price.


Your looking for modern commercial half stock representation of a plains rifle.

I should have been more clear, looking for a hawken style half stock as you said.

 

[RobertIN]

as you can see you have opened a can of worms and found a hornets nest but I'll add my opinion you can't go wrong with a used TC, CVA, Lyman, the new Traditions are good guns just not in the same class. In my opinion the holy grail is a USA CVA mountain rifle find one and you'll never look back

I appreciate it Bull. I certainly have! As usual it's a firehose of information and opinions! I have so much to learn

 

[RobertIN]

You are no fool. I have given away nine ML guns recently, some worth $550 to $750. Enjoy making people happy. That's far more enjoyable than $$$$ Polecat

Good man. Being helpful to others is much more fulfilling than having a space filled in the rifle rack. You can't take the rifles with you, but your spirit can take the good energy from a life well lived.

 

[LME]

The world needs more people like you.

I appreciate the compliment but I can assure you I am not a good model for one to aspire to be. I have a history that would show you why! I sure don't want to air my dirty laundary here! LOL!

 

[Howard Pippin]

Hawken's style guns are really easier to take care of, and there's lots of them out there. I have a Hawken style that's flintlock, and that of course is not original. It's doubtful that they ever made any flintlocks but it makes it a snap to take care of and clean, and it takes just as long to shoot as any other flintlock. Percussion made in that style all work fairly good. If you need to have original, be prepared to pay thru the nose, but any of the percussions in that design are about the same and all seem to work reasonably well. I even have one that has a fiberglass stock with a little shorter barrel so that I can shoot it off hand as it weighs less than 6 lbs. It might not be original but it is period Design. It makes some of those purist shutter, thank goodness that's not my
problem.
Squint

 

[RobertIN]

I appreciate the compliment but I can assure you I am not a good model for one to aspire to be. I have a history that would show you why! I sure don't want to air my dirty laundary here! LOL!

Any man no matter their history can have admirable traits, can be learned from, and can redeem themselves. (Within reason)

 

[Packrat]

My Father always said, buy the best yu can, it will pay for it's self in the long run

 

[Tenring]

The word or term Hawken gets thrown around a lot for rifles we see these days that don’t even come close to what they really were. I really wish it would be historically accurate if the half stock Hawken was a Flinter. My Oh My how cool would that be…

 

[Grenadier1758]

@RobertIN, I do understand that you are looking for an entry level traditional muzzleloading rifle that conforms to the specifications of these entry level rifles and not a rifle that is a close version of a rifle built by Sam Hawken of John Gemmer. After all the copyright for naming has long since been passed. So, stick with the specifications of a relatively short barreled, 45 or 50 caliber rifle with a percussion lock and double set triggers. As stated by many of us, the brand name is less important at this stage of the search and your stated level of experience than the condition of the bore. For the entry level rifles, I recommend a percussion lock as these are less difficult to use proficiently by someone new to traditional muzzleloading and there is little benefit to spending extra money for a replacement percussion lock. The set triggers are acceptable but not great. I do prefer a barrel with a snailed breech to the drum and nipple as the snail is stronger (pay no attention to the what is called the "cleanout screw", it's not). Both will require some learning to keep the chambered breeches clean and the flash channels clear. There's plenty of threads here on the Forum on that topic. Some useful information can be found there.

When you have a rifle in your hands for inspection, be prepared to run a lubricated patch down the bore. You are looking for a load at the breech and if rust is present. Be aware that it is likely that the patch will pull out some very brown rust like material. It may be rust or oxidized Bore Butter (or other lubricant) left in the bore. With a bore light look for pitting on the lands or in the grooves. Ask what powder has been used. Pyrodex fouling has been well documented to cause irreparable harm to bores. If the rifle has been properly cleaned and rust inhibiting oils used, the bore should be fine although the patch pulling out the old oils will be a nasty brown color. Be very leery if the owner won't allow you to use a bore light or run a patch.

Enjoy the process of searching for a new to you rifle and learning of the joys tthat can come from using traditional muzzleloading rifles.