First gun kit.

[Chronos]

I'm looking for my first gun kit and found one from Dixie I thought I'd start with. It's the Hawken Rifle kit (PK0516) sold for $240. My main goal is to have a research gun to practice more advanced techniques on before trying them on future guns. Such as engraving and inlaying. So this isn't going to be an heirloom piece, but I want a rife that is made with quality parts so I can also do ballistic testing. Does anyone have any reasons why I shouldn't start with this rifle?

Thanks,

Michael

 

[Birddog6]

IMHO, I would buy a GPR kit & build something that is a good buy for the money........ All Dixie ever did for me in the past 35 years is furnish me a good wish book to look at, but when I have tried numerous times to buy something they generally piss me off every time, as they seldom had In Stock what I wanted & the quality of what they sent usually sent me was just piteful.
The last time I called them (? 2 yrs ago) it was for a Chamber Deluxe Siler, and much to my astonishment they actually had one on hand, when everyone else was out of them. They priced it to me for $ 140. plus $7. shipping !! I finally caught up with Jim Chambers himself & sent me one & it cost $ 100. plus $5. shipping.

:results:

 

[ol vern]

I :agree:

The only thing I would get from DGW is one catalog. There is a ton of good infomaton in the back pages. They are the kings of the back -order

Customer service? Like a dairy bull services the herd.

:curse:

 

[Packdog]

:agree: Get yourself a Lyman Great Plains Rifle in kit form. I think you will be MUCH happier. :imo:

I have ordered from DGW once. I try not to make negetive comments so I will tell you the positive side of my transaction..........nice catalog.

Two suggestions. If you want to practice engraving and inlays get some sheet brass and scape maple wood then get yourself a pipe hawk to work on. You can engrave the head and add inlays to the handle. Much cheaper if ya mess up but the skills are all the same.
PD :results:

 

[Chronos]

Who or what is GPR?

 

[Packdog]

GPR stands for Great Plains Rifle. They are sold by Lyman. http://www.lymanproducts.com
I have alway heard Midsouth Shooting Supplies has the best price. They have a site also.

PD

 

[Chronos]

I think I'm going to bite the Dixie bullet. Most of the kits I've found are 2.5 to 6 times the cost of the Dixie Hawken. $240 will get me in the game and I'll find if I like it before spending more money. After all, my first fly rod wasn't a Sage.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, you could do worse.

This kit is made by Investarms/Italy and looks to be the same gun Cabela's calls "The Traditional Hawken Rifle".

It is, of course no where close to a Hawken rifle but I've read several posts which said it shot well and for the price, is a good gun.

It has a 1:48 twist barrel with .010 deep rifling grooves which should shoot short lead bullets or patched balls well.

The stock, being walnut should give you a much nicer looking stock than some of the strange white woods that the Spanish guns are stocked with. (I never have figured out what that wood the old CVA's were stocked with is. It is not Maple. It's wierd.)

If your ordering from Dixie, you might want to make part number PK0519 an option to the kit number you mentioned.
It is the same gun in .54 caliber.

It's been my experiance the .54 caliber guns tend to be more forgiving. That is to say, they will accept a wide variation in powder loads and still be very accurate.
Shooting a .530 diameter roundball with a .015 to .018 patch with a powder load of 60-120 grains produces excellent accuracy in my .54's and is powerful enough to take any big game available in the US.

 

[Chronos]

I think you all have offered great advice. When I buy most firearms, I go for top quality. My first muzzleloader in just for play and testing, and I'm willing to toss $300 for the project. If I like it, I'll be looking to you all for top end guns.

Thanks all,

Michael

 

[Birddog6]

Most of the kits I've found are 2.5 to 6 times the cost of the Dixie Hawken.

I think you are not comparing Apples to Apples.......

You are comparing Assembly kits to Rifle Builders parts sets that are sometimes called Kits.

LOTS of difference.

However, if you feel like you want the Dixie kit, get it. Ya gotta start somewhere.

:thumbsup:

 

[Chronos]

If you know of a .50 or .54 kit under $300, I'll give it good thought.

 

[Birddog6]

Here you are:

Lyman GPR Kit at Midsouth Shooters Supply

:results:

 

[Chronos]

If it's Smokin' and smells good, It's pork fat.

If it ain't a Smokin' & a Stinkin', it's Merely an Imitation....

 

[Chronos]

I'm buying. It works for me. Can I hunt at your place?

 

[Chronos]

I can't wait to get away from the nightly gunfire in the city for gunfire in the woods.

 

[Darkhorse]

Just my 2 cents on the starter kit thingy here. I would definitely go with the Lyman GPR. No second thoughts on this one.
European walnut stock.
A good shooting barrel after a couple of hundred rounds.
A fast lock.
A touchhole liner that can be modified to shoot fast and often.
And a gun that actually looks like a Hawken rifle.

Pay your dues on the Lyman. Do it right and you'll have a fine shooting rifle when finished. Then... you can get one of those component sets Birddog was speaking of and you'll step into a whole new world of muzzleloading.

 

[Chronos]

OK, OK; I'm not doing the Dixie.

 

[Chronos]

Please stop shooting at the guy with a question. Maybe the next guy has a message. Shoot him.

 

[Chronos]

Any tips for a bunny rifle? No carrots please.

 

[Birddog6]

Any tips for a bunny rifle? No carrots please.

Yes.

Build the first one.one
Learn how to make it work Reliably
Enjoy it.
THEN build another one.........

:thumbsup: