Checking out a Hawken

[Kansas Jake]

Nice target. Bacon will bring its namesakes home.

 

[dragnetbill]

Ok guys...I gave up and took Bacon to the range this morning. I got sort of curious about where it shot myself. At 50 yds. it seems like it sort of likes 70 Gr. of 3f with a PRB. This was a 5 shot group...

That would appear to explain that first "lucky" shot.

 

[Stony Broke]

That would appear to explain that first "lucky" shot.

Actually I didn't even have to do any adjusting on the sights ! I guess whoever owned/shot it last must have worked out that part. Guess I was just "lucky".. I only fired the 5 shots at the range, and took it home to clean it.

 

[pnw]

No luck involved, keep after the vermin.

 

[azmntman]

mmmmm "piled pork" samiches

 

[Blogman]

Hahaha, I envisioned a "Dagwood" sandwich when I read that.

 

[Jamie from Alberta]

Nice groups. Nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[koz]

yummy Bacon

 

[Beerd2]

Ok guys...I gave up and took Bacon to the range this morning. I got sort of curious about where it shot myself. At 50 yds. it seems like it sort of likes 70 Gr. of 3f with a PRB. This was a 5 shot group...

yup, it does appear to "sort of" like that load.
What patch & loob?
Maybe try some 2f next range session.
..

 

[Stony Broke]

I loaded it up with a standard old load of a .490 ball with a .015 patch. I have been using a mix of Murphy's oil soap and Windex for years, and never had a problem with it as a patch lube and I clean my guns with it as well. I just keep a spray bottle of it with my shooting stuff.
I have experimented with a lot of different powders over the years, but eventually just settled on 3f, and nowdays just use it in all my muzzleloaders. I have a number of muzzleloaders from .40 caliber to .62's and it just seems to work just fine for me in all of them....with very little difference between the 3f and 2f.

 

[Walkingeagle]

I have been using a mix of Murphy's oil soap and Windex for years, and never had a problem with it as a patch lube and I clean my guns with it as well. I just keep a spray bottle of it with my shooting stuff.

If you don’t mind, would you expand on the ratio of your lube mixture, as well as which type of Windex please?
Walk

 

[sawyer04]

Got a rifle that shoots that good, I would be careful about tinkering with it to make it better. That is a meat gun.
Now, I would give Ole Bacon a good cleaning, and get to butchering and curing; and definitely keep Ole Bacon ready.

 

[Stony Broke]

If you don’t mind, would you expand on the ratio of your lube mixture, as well as which type of Windex please?
Walk

I might be a little strange in my procedures, but they have worked for me for a lot of years, and I just keep at it. I normally grab a bottle of Original Windex..that has ammonia in it, pour it in a larger bottle and add a fair amount of Murphy's..maybe 1 or 1/2 cups. A large bottle of this mix lasts me for virtually years, and I attend shoots monthly, hunt, target shoot and play with those guns a lot. I just use a small squirt bottle and give it a couple of pumps on the patch and load things up. Some guys say not to use the ammonia in your barrels, but I have guns that I've shot for over 20 years with no damage to the barrels from it. Just can't see any reason for me to change !

Got a rifle that shoots that good, I would be careful about tinkering with it to make it better. That is a meat gun.
Now, I would give Ole Bacon a good cleaning, and get to butchering and curing; and definitely keep Ole Bacon ready.

Good advice !! I seem to operate on a whim sometimes and I might just grab it and take it out for another hog or two before deer season opens. I have lots of options in my rifles, but I sort of like that old guy...

 

[Walkingeagle]

Interesting, thank you sir.
Walk

 

[Bad Karma]

Ok guys...I gave up and took Bacon to the range this morning. I got sort of curious about where it shot myself. At 50 yds. it seems like it sort of likes 70 Gr. of 3f with a PRB. This was a 5 shot group...

Purists tend to denigrate the lowly T/C and CVA rifles with their “combo” rate of twist but they really are nice little guns when fed a diet they like...

 

[sawyer04]

I have a 50 caliber CVA Hawkin I traded for 40 years ago. It was in kit form already assembled. A 20 year ago trade was for a 50 CVA Hawkin assembled kit. The first Hawkin did not have Made in Spain on the barrel. It has been said the first CVA's utilized Douglas barrels, whether this is true or not, I don't know; maybe some of the historians on this site could be of help.
I will put the old Hawkin beside any Thompson Center I have for accuracy and meat getting. I use from 30 grain to 70 grain double F, depending on the task at hand. Another thing about the old CVA rifle, I am not afraid to drag it through the brush, just keep it clean and respect it. Good cheap, productive shooter.
The Spanish barrel does a fairly good job, just never found the chemistry with it.

 

[Stony Broke]

I have a 50 caliber CVA Hawkin I traded for 40 years ago. It was in kit form already assembled. A 20 year ago trade was for a 50 CVA Hawkin assembled kit. The first Hawkin did not have Made in Spain on the barrel. It has been said the first CVA's utilized Douglas barrels, whether this is true or not, I don't know; maybe some of the historians on this site could be of help.
I will put the old Hawkin beside any Thompson Center I have for accuracy and meat getting. I use from 30 grain to 70 grain double F, depending on the task at hand. Another thing about the old CVA rifle, I am not afraid to drag it through the brush, just keep it clean and respect it. Good cheap, productive shooter.
The Spanish barrel does a fairly good job, just never found the chemistry with it.

Gotta agree with you on a rifle to drag through the brush. I have custom guns that I use to shoot matches and stuff like that, but a good old TC or CVA makes the hunting a lot easier on you. Just keep them clean and working properly and they will outlive us...