cva hawkens 50 cal load size

[buzz]

have a CVA 50 cal hawkens rifle looking for confirm my thinking of a proper load or powder for it
probley 25 to 50 yard range and just target shooting
I know 2F is proper for a rifle but will be usig 3F
I'm to young to have forgotton this but i have
thanks in advance for your advice

 

[cowpoke1955]

A friend of mine has a .50 cal. CVA Hawkens. He shoots a .490 ball, 65 grains of FFFg Goex and pillow ticking patch lubed with Balistol, with excellent results at 50 yards. Makes a fine deer rifle :thumbsup:

 

[Kentuckywindage]

Finished sighting in a .50 cva hawken last week.

.490 home cast round ball
90gr. Pyrodex RS
.018 pillow tick patch
Remington #11 caps.

Printed 2" groups @ 100 yards with it. Cant complain about it!

Just a word of advice, get some 0000 steelwool and some Flitz Polishing Compound and give it 50-75 strokes down the bore.

Smoothes them right out! We used to have a hell of a time getting it loaded with .015 patches on a dirty bore but after doing the flitz/steelwool treatment, it smoothed the barrel out of any burrs and we can now get the tight .018 down the bore, fouled or not!

 

[cowpoke1955]

That's good shooting, Kentucky! Those CVAs not only shoot round balls, but REAL and Maxis as well. The CVAs are real shooters. You used to find them on the auction sites for under $100, all day long. Now, they are about the same price as a T/C Hawkens, when you can find them. For a "cheap" entry level muzzle loader, I think that says a lot :thumbsup:

 

[R.M.]

I have a Plainsman that just loves 45gr of 3F and a Frontier that likes 55gr of 3F.
I'd start at around 40gr, and work your way up until you find a load that it likes.

 

[rafterob]

I have the Traditions which is essentially the same rifle. I shoot 70 grains ffg, .490 ball and pillowticking patches (I don't mic them) very good accuracy at 25 and 50 yards and have finally gotten to the point I can score at 100 yards offhand. So I think the recommendation of 65 grn fffg should be good. I would recommend starting at 50 grns. see how it groups off the bench and add 5grn. increments to see if point of impact raises significantly. If so, go with the higher loads, if not, stick at 50. You will save powder, and shooting paper doesn't require high velocity.

 

[bwhoffman]

for 25 to 50yd TARGET loads, my cva hawkin, mt rifle and a friends hawkin, like 35 to 45 gr of 3F, a 490 ball and .015 patches(the ball is actually .492).
at that distance, any of these 3 guns will group about an inch out to 35yds and strongly under 2" at 50 without playing with the sights.
...and 40gr/3F is what I shoot in my mt rifle for the trail walks at our local rondys! it will "ding" the longer gong targets that are 130+yds.

We are talking TARGET loads here!