This past Easter my Dad gave me his T/C Hawken 50 Cal, I have been working with it to try and recover the bore which is rusted and pitted and will shoot, after the holidays I am going to search for a drop in replacement barrel (have one I will buy if it's still available). This one is a 1:48, I have a .490 round ball mould, and a Lyman 370 Maxi mould, have shot both at 50 yards, and either would work. In the meantime, since I drew no New Mexico tags this year, I have been hitting the used book stores, and Ebay, have accuulated a few tomes to keep me entertained, some are great information, and have refreshed past memories, some strike me as being a bit "my way or the highway". Once in particular, The Muzzleloading Hunter, would have me questioning my faith in a 50 caliber for anything larger than a coyote, especially with a PRB.. I appreciate all of the hunting stories here, and someday hope to add my own, so thank you, and hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!
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- Thread starter NMHawken
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Good on you for wanting to revive that old ML.
If the ML shoots accurately and is in safe enough condition to shoot safely, I recommend not changing a thing.
If the barrel is questionable and you cannot find a replacement barrel, then I suggest you contact Bobby Hoyt. He is the ML barrel wizard. Depending on the particular barrel and condition, he can either reline the barrel or maybe even convert it to a .54 caliber.
A .50 cal round ball will kill just about any big game animal within its range limits. However, a Maxi Ball is the better choice. They are accurate and gives you an additional maximum kill range to bring home the meat. For elk, a .50 Maxi Ball will serve you well out to the 100 yard range. I have taken elk past that distance with my .50 and a hand casted Maxi ball. Also, I have taken quite a few deer with Maxi balls out of various .50's and not one has made it past a very few steps. On average, a Maxi ball will put big game critters down faster than round balls, despite what some may claim.
Good luck to you.
Thank you for the kind words of encouragement.
Sounds like a fun project! Getting one's kit all put together and spending time practicing is a great endeavor.
If you want to see what a .50 PRB will do, watch a few of Brian Beckum's videos. I highly recommend his "Real Blackpowder" and "Flintlocks and Whitetails" Vol 1 & 2 videos. He shoots a variety of traditional arms, mostly in 50 cal. Many tips given, etc.
He has a You Tube Channel with clips as well as entire videos:
https://youtube.com/@BeckumOutdoors?feature=shared
Clip from Real Blackpowder (available at 3 Rivers Archery):
Here's Vol 1. Enjoy
If you want to see what a .50 PRB will do, watch a few of Brian Beckum's videos. I highly recommend his "Real Blackpowder" and "Flintlocks and Whitetails" Vol 1 & 2 videos. He shoots a variety of traditional arms, mostly in 50 cal. Many tips given, etc.
He has a You Tube Channel with clips as well as entire videos:
https://youtube.com/@BeckumOutdoors?feature=shared
Clip from Real Blackpowder (available at 3 Rivers Archery):
Here's Vol 1. Enjoy
Thank you!
I wouldn't put much faith in a book that states that a .50 PRB is barely adequate for big game. I hunt mostly with a .54, just because my favorite rifles are in that caliber, but a .50 CVA Deerhunter is what I grab when I take a kid out for Youth Season. I never exceed 60 grains of powder, whether .54 or .50, using PRB's. That load has killed a boat-load of deer cleanly. I have tried various bullets in the past, but don't care for the recoil, even though I have gotten good results with some. I shoot a 60 grain charge (3f Swiss or Pyro P) and PRB very accurately, so that is what I use. Place the ball in the vitals, and you will get your critter. Load up with a heavy bullet propelled by a stout powder charge, miss, or worse yet, make a poor hit, and all the fire and recoil does you not one bit of good.
Well I am hoping to draw a deer and elk tag next year. I am going to purchase a 50 caliber barrel from a member here, and at a 1:66 twist, the Maxi Hunters are out, and PRB are in.
Dave
Dave
Dave, I don't know what part of NM you are in, but I used to live in Alamogordo, and the Lincoln National Forest and the huntable portion of Unit 34 started at the upper end of my residential street (not far from the space museum). Old timers told me that the mule deer hunting used to be excellent up on top, but had seriously declined as the elk herd prospered -- and now whitetail deer are encroaching. I probably saw five elk for every deer in the Sacramentos. Drew a tag one year, but didn't have a shot. I wish I had tried with a muzzleloader -- and wish you all the luck.
Bill, I can see the Space Museum from my backyard! I will say that I see 10-15 or more elk for every mule deer I see, so many elk that it is impacting the cattle ranchers who have been grazing up there since the 1880s. I love having the hunting opportunities, but hard to draw tags these days, and with the increased elk herd has come a diminished deer herd. I used to see deer behind the Space Museum, been the better part of a decade since I have seen one. Good to see a familiar name here, I see you on the lever site too.
Dave
Dave
