As long as you have raised the " Hawken Legend", I know of two famous " mountain men " and guides who used Hawken Rifles-- Kit Carson, and Jim Bridger. Bridger's gun, horn, possibles bag, and powder measures are in a museum out west. I now forget exactly which museum holds them. But, several years ago, now, someone wrote an article in Muzzle Blasts about studying Possibles Bags. He traveled the country looking at Pre-revolutinary bags, Rev. bags, and on all the way up through the Depression in the 1930s.
When he got to look at the bag of Jim Bridger, he happened to also take a look at his antler horn powder measure. It seemed quite shallow in depth, so he asked the Curator how much powder it threw. The Curator did not know. He had powder and a powder scale in his truck, so he got them, and with the Curator watching carefull he poured a measure full of powder, and then put it on the scales. " 50 grains ". bridger's gun is a .53, or .54 Hawken, depending on whether someone made a typo in writing a story.
Later, the researcher studied some of the old writings about Bridger. The man had a reputation for telling tall tales, so most historian dismissed his biographies as providing truth in any regard. However, in one interview, Bridger was asked about his gun and the loads he used. He said, without reference to the weight of the powder in grains, that he used " one measure " of powder for deer, and antelope, " Two measures full " of powder for elk, and moose, and puma, and " Three measures full " for Grizzley bear.
What also became evident in further statements that Bridger was more concerned about saving his lead, than powder. He used light loads so that the ball would not leave the animal's torso on the opposite side, and be lost. He wanted to find the lead bullet on the inside of the hide on the opposite side of the animal, so that he could recover the lead and melt it into a new ball.
When you understand that the early explorers, like Carson and Bridger left from St. Louis and traveled by water, and then by horseback to the mountains, more than 1,000 miles from the nearest supply of caps and lead,or powder, so that everything they need for a year or more had to be carried in by them, you begin to understand his thinking. He was an excellent tracker, which most ML shooters today ARE NOT. He was not worried about a bad shot that might require him to track his game down to recover it. He also was a very good shot, out of necessity, so those opportunities were very rare. But, he could do it, and recover both his deer, and the lead slug.
Percussion caps don't weigh much, nor take up much space. The only problem was keeping them dry. They did that by sealing the tins with wax, and then wrapping them in oilcloth, in several layers.
If people are really interested in being " period Correct " I might suggest the heretical notion that they learn to track well, and then use less powder in their guns when they hunt. :nono: :hmm: :shocked2: :thumbsup:
