Tang sight on a hawkin?

[aztimberwolf]

Howdy folks,
This is my first post here, and just wanted to say what a great site this is.

Anyway, My question was, is it considered sacrilege to put a Tang sight on a Hawkens? any experience hunting with one?

 

[necchi]

Welcome to the site!! Merry Christmas.

Lot's of guy's use'm. Here's a link with a few idea's,,there's only 8 pages of tang/peeps to choose from. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Cate...D=14&subID=167&styleID=770&PageSize=10&Page=1

The fit depends on which "Hawkin" you have and what style ya want. :wink:

 

[excess650]

I have a TC hunting tang sight on my New Englander and like it. The sight radius is increased by 50% in my case, and makes sighting better defined for my aging eyes.

For a hunting rifle I see no reason to not use the sights to take advantage of your rifle's potential. Likewise, this should also equate to better hits and quicker kills on game.

A tang sight may look out of place on an otherwise historically correct rifle. Most of the mass produced repros aren't even close. :shake:

 

[Rogue River]

Go for it, it's better than guessing! If your eyes are not working like they use too you have to do something. I'm putting one on my CVA Mt.Rifle.

 

[PGTMG]

Howdy folks,
This is my first post here, and just wanted to say what a great site this is.

Anyway, My question was, is it considered sacrilege to put a Tang sight on a Hawkens? any experience hunting with one?

I am pretty sure they are not Historically PC but that said I have one on my Custom Hawkin .54 and love it.

 

[29caliber]

I added the T/C tang peep site to my T/C .50 percussion Hawken a couple of years back when the front sight became to "fuzzy" to be relied on for deer hunting. Four deer later and I'm glad it did since the front site clears up when viewed through the peep site. If you want to improve your accuracy and confidence, go for it.

 

[aztimberwolf]

well, my eyesight is fine- I'm 18 :grin:
The purpose would be to improve my accuracy.
I have not bought a rifle yet either, figured I'd wait and get some advice, currently I'm looking a cabela's hawkens in .50 cal. I hunt Cow elk and mule deer every year, but I'm not sure if the .50 or .54 would be better for me...

 

[necchi]

well, my eyesight is fine- I'm 18 :grin:
The purpose would be to improve my accuracy.
I have not bought a rifle yet either

Bwwaaagg! :rotf:

Well, ya found the right place! Good luck to ya young feller,,this traditional BP stuff is a blast!!
I started my son at 9 with his 1st ML,,he's 17 now and a tournement shooter :thumbsup:

 

[Ed Wingenroth]

Merry Christmas Aztimberwolf !!!

Lived in Prescott back in the late forties, man do I miss that area”¦

If you plan on hunting with your rifle, use the best system you can afford and that includes a low-power scope.. If you are worried about being PC, buy two !!!

For hunting, a tang sight may take too long to adjust.. Mostly for bench and target work they do fine in clearing up that fuzzy front sight but again, tough to line up on that Mulie jumping through the scrub”¦

The only difference between a .50 and a .54 is forty thousands (added to the diameter) going into the target.. I think fifty cal. will suit anything you want to shoot, except Bear..

Use conical or REAL bullets for a more accurate shot..

Good Luck !!!

Ed”¦..

 

[aztimberwolf]

For hunting, a tang sight may take too long to adjust.. Mostly for bench and target work they do fine in clearing up that fuzzy front sight but again, tough to line up on that Mulie jumping through the scrub”¦

I didn't think of adjustment time. thanks for the thought.

except Bear

so, It won't be wise to go after a arizona Black bear with a .50?

Use conical or REAL bullets for a more accurate shot..

Sorry, shooting elk with my .270 Win is kind of boring. :thumbsup:

 

[Billnpatti]

If you want one, put it on. That's what they are made for. Don't loose your open sights because you may, in the future, want to shoot in a match that requires the use of open sights. I have a tang peep sight and a hooded front sight on my T/C Hawken. I am not worried about it not being HC because a T/C Hawken is not HC anyway. Since my flintlock Lyman GPR is HC, I use only a buckhorn sight on it and save it for use in primative matches.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I use Lyman 57 SML peeps and Lyman 17 AML globe front sights. I like them a lot for hunting. I have mine sighted in with my range finder. Adjusting my sight for yardage while in the field is easy and quick. I have painted hash marks on it for 50, 100, 150, 200, 250. I NEVER shoot over 150 yards for the first shot on any animal. Most of the time I try to get to around 100 yards for the first shot. I have them sighted in farther just in case something bad happens. Follow up shots on a wounded animal is always a possibility. If I can see them I can take a follow up shot if needed. I tend to prepare for the worst hope for the best. Ron

 

[Rat Trapper]

The peep sights are great for hunting. I set my sights to shoot an inch or inch and half high at 50 yds and that's plenty good enough for where I plan to hunt deer with iron sights. If I was going to hunt elk, I'd go with the 54 caliber. Both conicals and round balls weight a little more and will do a better job on large critters. The Williams apertures will fit both the TC and the Lyman rear peep sights. For hunting you may want to try a dia of .125 or .150. Midway has them in their catalog, and that is where I got mine.

 

[DEWB]

I have one on mine and use it for hunting and I also have some freinds that use them. They work good,when you shoot one ignore that back and just concentrate on the front sight and your eye will automatically center it. Sighting is not slow. As far as caliber I would go with a .54 and wether you use a round ball or a conical depends on your rifle. I think the cabelas guns have a 1-48 twist. Myself I shoot round balls. They are very accurate.My rifle has a round ball twist. If you want a good round ball shooter you might check out a Lyman Great plains,Thay have a 1-60 Twist. Good Luck.

 

[necchi]

I have the cabelas sporterized hawkin in .54, love it,,it's been a great shooter from the start.

Why the .54? just cause it's BIGGER than a half inch.
I know a guy on the vous circut told me one time he turned down buying a .54,,"cause all I shoot is .50's",,funny part is I outshoot him everytime. :idunno: poor guy just doesn't get it.

 

[bobman]

peep sights are faster to aquire targets with than iron sights

which is why virtually all modern military rifles use them where gettting on target quick is a life or death situation

the trick is dont go super small on the apeture

 

[Dphar]

Tang sights on 50 caliber ML hunting rifles need no adjustment to 120-130 yards if the velocity is 1800 fps or so since they shoot flat in regards to deer or larger animals to that range. Ball will be within 3" of LOS to 130 yards if the rifle is properly zeroed. Sight the rifle on for 105-120 yards and it will be on as far as a 50-54 ball should be used on big game. Some sight them dead on at 130 and there is historical documentation for this from the mountain man era but I can't recall the citation.

The 50 caliber will be adequate for Black Bear but I consider it minimum. With any RB something .610 or over and hard alloy like wheel weights is needed if you want to break major bones.
Shoot for the lungs/heart from broadside.

Also animals do not lay down when shot be they B. Bear or whitetail deer. They often turn toward the side the bullet strikes when struck and may then panic run that direction which can take them toward the hunter who they probably have no idea is there. but its can be exciting, has happened to 2 friends of mine over the years, both were using a 12 ga slug in "modern" shotguns. Likely less effective than a 12 bore RB.
A 12 bore percussion double shotgun loaded with a PRB can be a good backup problem solver when hunting bear.
Shooting a conical bullet will not change this much. If you need more power a RB of equal weight is better than a conical based on contemporary accounts and historical writings. Nor will shooting more powder behind the ball change much. The RB can only be magnumized by increasing its diameter.

Dan

 

[PGTMG]

IMHO I find peep sights are faster to acquire and more accurate than open sights.

I do not adjust my sight when hunting. I zero at 100 and that leaves me MOD (minute of deer) from point blank to about 130 yards with my .54.

 

[nkbj]

Didn't totw use to carry a blank rear that could be drilled?

 

[selvinman]

No longer young but put a Lyman 57SML on rear and a Lyman 17A on front. I can now shoot sub inch groups at 25yds consistantly :grin: It made a noticeable improvemant. Try it if you want better groups consistantly. :thumbsup: