Kentucky Rifle compared to Hawken Rifle

[Stan flanery]

I have been shooting a Hawken rifle for over 20 years, but lately I have been thinking I would like to buy a Kentucky Rifle. The problem is that I don’t know anyone that has one that I could shoot so that I could decide if I would like it. I would like to have a .50 cal since my Hawken is also that caliber. I know there are a lot of people on this forum who shoot both. Could y’all tell which one of the rifles you prefer and why. I would appreciate your input before buying one.

Thanks,
Stan

 

[Tinhorn]

Hawken style hook breech for cleaning. My Pops Hatfield Squirrel Rifle with the full stock takes longer to clean, with rubber hose on the nipple, holding it upside down to keep H20 off the stock, all a bunch of rigamarole I don't have with my hook breech Browning Hawken and my CVA Belt Pistol, both in .50 cal. Tinhorn

 

[gabedard]

Love the convenience of the hook breech and wedge key(s)

Have been looking at a Kibler mountain rifle pretty seriously......

 

[Kansas Jake]

Are you thinking of a flintlock or percussion? That might make a difference in the options. A few "Kentucky" rifles had barrel wedges, but most were pinned. I have several long rifles in flint and just don't pull the barrels to clean.

 

[mooman76]

I'm with the others. Alot is I like the looks better also, but when it comes down to it I like my Kentucky rifles( I have 3) also. I also have a couple other long rifles that I like. I'm sure if you get it, you won't regret it.

 

[Stan flanery]

Are you thinking of a flintlock or percussion? That might make a difference in the options. A few "Kentucky" rifles had barrel wedges, but most were pinned. I have several long rifles in flint and just don't pull the barrels to clean.

I was planning on a percussion mainly because I have never had any dealings with a flintlock.

 

[Stan flanery]

Love the convenience of the hook breech and wedge key(s)

Have been looking at a Kibler mountain rifle pretty seriously......

Nice looking rifles, gabedard.

 

[Kansas Jake]

You might like something like a Leman trade rifle reproduction. They have more of a Kentucky/Pennsylvanian rifle look.

 

[Stan flanery]

You might like something like a Leman trade rifle reproduction. They have more of a Kentucky/Pennsylvanian rifle look.

Thanks, Jake I will look at them.

 

[LawrenceA]

Before you get too carried away consider what you use them for.
If this is a serious bit of BP hunting gear then what sort of terrain? Are you carrying it a lot?
Having said that if you carry a Plains Rifle Then a Mountain Rifle will be no sweat.
Check out the sights I have old eyes so it matters to me.

I have both Plains/Short halfstock Rifle (Hawken style) and Mountain/Long fullstock Rifle (Kentucky style) in both Flint and Percussion lock types and a few other front loaders and in my limited (particularly hunting) experience and belief:

• Feel the Hawken as heavier. It may not be but feels that way. I love the look of the Long rifle though.
• The Kentucky has a point of balance more forward and I can only get a few shots off off hand before the wobbles take hold.
• I am relatively new to flintlock and find them less forgiving so far but am told that is just experience.

If I were to go hunting now it would be with the Hawken percussion but that is as much that I know it better, prefer it's sights and its a 54.

Actually just got a smoothbore and loving it. Light, Maneuverable, shot or ball! Just limited range.

 

[ord sgt]

I started with a T/C Hawken in .45 calibre. Learned all by my lonesome on how to deal with muzzle loaders. Second rifle was a bunch of parts and somehow it turned into a passable flintlock Lancaster school style long rifle. Third rifle, same verse, same as the first. And so on....
Don't let the fear of the unknown hold you back. To learn is to grow. AF E-4 long ago.

 

[LawrenceA]

Do let the fear of the unknown hold you back

I think you mean "DON'T let the fear of the unknown hold you back."

And well done ord sgt turning parts into long rifles.

 

[Carbon 6]

I much prefer a Kentucky rifle over a Half stock Hawken. They are usually longer, much sleeker and have a longer sight radius. they tend to hold better, and your head usually doesn't end up over the muzzle when loading. Give me a Kentucky, Pennsylvania, colonial, Southern mountain or any other long rifle over a Hawken any day of the week.
Now, a full stocked Hawken would be an acceptable substitute for a Kentucky, but we likes what we likes.

 

[Stan flanery]

Before you get too carried away consider what you use them for.
If this is a serious bit of BP hunting gear then what sort of terrain? Are you carrying it a lot?
Having said that if you carry a Plains Rifle Then a Mountain Rifle will be no sweat.
Check out the sights I have old eyes so it matters to me.

I have both Plains/Short halfstock Rifle (Hawken style) and Mountain/Long fullstock Rifle (Kentucky style) in both Flint and Percussion lock types and a few other front loaders and in my limited (particularly hunting) experience and belief:

• Feel the Hawken as heavier. It may not be but feels that way. I love the look of the Long rifle though.
• The Kentucky has a point of balance more forward and I can only get a few shots off off hand before the wobbles take hold.
• I am relatively new to flintlock and find them less forgiving so far but am told that is just experience.

If I were to go hunting now it would be with the Hawken percussion but that is as much that I know it better, prefer it's sights and its a 54.

Actually just got a smoothbore and loving it. Light, Maneuverable, shot or ball! Just limited range.

A lot to think about. Thanks

 

[Carbon 6]

Thinking doesn't help ,much if you're like me, you'll end up buying them all anyway.

 

[tenngun]

The looks are important. I like full stock, I like longer barrels. So looks is number one.
I like flinters, and that draws to earlier styles
Lastly the historic times. A twenty year old who bought a rifle near the end of the F&I could still have it as a seasoned citizen In the war of 1812. A Hawken shooter buying his rifle at twenty in 1835 would see breechloaders come. Flinter plains rifles were short lived.
One won’t work better then the other. It’s all what you like. I think most of us that like ‘Kentucky style’ started out with some sort of half stocks ‘hawken type’

 

[Stan flanery]

Thinking doesn't help ,much if you're like me, you'll end up buying them all anyway.

You are probably right.

 

[LawrenceA]

A better way is you will regret not getting one a LLLLOOOTTTTT longer then regret getting one.


But just get one that is most likely to not be regretteble

 

[bang]

Longer sighting on Kentucky nice. Point of balance makes them some front heavy. Long holds to target can get tiresome. Needs bit more maneuvering room. If I hunted with one I would want something to help support it to get steady aim and pick opening to make shot rather than sight and follow.
Shorter Hawken short sighting can be as accurate with better point of balance stability. Target hold less cumbersome. Less manuvering room.
Effective range not drastically different enough to say one or the other.
I use a Kentucky for target that only requires lifting to sight point and fire.
I use a Hawken for hunting for the longer holding on target times, bit less manuvering room, sight and follow ease and reasonable equal effective range.

 

[SDSmlf]

Personally, love the look and feel of the longer barreled ‘Kentucky’ style rifle, but they just don’t cut it with where and how I hunt. My primary hunting area has over 1500 feet elevation change and hunting spots can easily be 2-3 miles of actual trail from the cabin/parking spot. I use a not so traditional ‘iron horse’ to get to and from my hunting spots. Some may know it as an ATV. It has an easy rider rifle rack mounted over the front fenders just ahead of the handlebars. The width of the fenders is about 43”, just about the exact length of a TC with a 26” barrel. Any longer, and I have a real limb catching setup. Over the shoulder (think non PC sling) doesn’t work because of low hanging brush. Many of the stands I hunt from are little bigger than an old phone booth, and it can be a struggle with a 26-28” barrel. Likely wouldn’t be able to get a gun with a 40”+ barrel pointing in the right direction quickly, if at all, without spoking game.

Bottom line, depends what you plan to use the gun for. Me, I just don’t usually hunt the open fields and woods enough to find any advantage with a Kentucky type rifle, although I own and enjoy a number of them.