Building Sights for a Hawken Deer Rifle

[Herb]

I finished my last Kit Carson Hawken on Sunday and sighted it in on Monday and Tuesday for my mule deer hunt Wednesday.  It is the top rifle in the photo below (the bottom one is a nearly identical one with a one inch barrel and slant breech) with a 15/16" Hopkinson and Hobbs barrel I cut from 36 to 31 1/4", like the Carson rifle.  I detailed the flat muzzle with files like the original Carson rifle.  I used a Schillinger lock, not cut for snail, and a 1" straight Hawken Shop breech plug and tang Kevin gave me, which I filed to 15/16" width.  It has a Bob Roller trigger and Track's Jim Bridger butt plate, trigger guard TG-Hawk-L-I, entry pipe Hawk-TE-7-I and the 1" Plains Rifle Forend Cap (on hand) which I squeezed down and filed to fit the smaller barrel.  I had to modify most of these parts.

I made the key escutcheons, rod thimbles and  hickory ramrod, and riveted the underrib on with .200 copper wire.  I had to bend the hammer about 3/16" inward and modify the stock, which is a Pecatonica hard maple Hawken stock inlet for 15/16" barrel and 7/16" rod, but not the tang, lock, trigger plate or butt plate.  I cut it for a 13 inch length of pull.  This stock works well for the Carson Hawken, with modifications.  The rifle weighs 8 pounds.


The original Kit Carson Hawken has a low rear sight, which Track of the Wolf copies, and a very low front sight, probably bout .090 high.  Track's Jim Bridger and Kit Carson Hawken sights are only about .200 above the barrel, where a notch would be cut.  If you use that flat to aim with, the front sight will have to be cut down about .080 below that for a 50 yard zero.  Then the front sight is only about .120 above the barrel.  I like a front sight about twice that high, so have to make a taller rear sight.  I filed one out of steel and drilled a .130 hole at the elevation I wanted, but had to file my front sight (Track's FS-TC-CB-81, about .080 thick) down to bring the point of impact up.  I quit at .210, but the rifle still shot low.

So I patched the rear sight.  I cut a piece of steel lumber banding with my Dremel tool and disc cutter, shaped to fit the back of the sight.  Then I marked where I wanted the taller hole to center.  Drilled that .100 (the best size) and super glued and clamped it on the back of the rear sight.  Ground and filed the edges to shape.  Worked just fine.  I aim with the top of the front sight in the center of the hole for a 50 yard zero.  But if I hold the front sight at the top of the hole, that rises the impact about 2 inches, which gives a second longer range zero.  This gives about a 4 inch raise at 100 yards, or about a 150 yard zero with my hunting load, which was 100 grains of Olde Eynsford 1 1/2F.




Sighting with my first sight.

First sight and 100 yard impacts.

Raised rear sight, held center hole at bottom of black.

Held with the top of the front sight at the top of the hole.  Tapped rear sight left after shot 4, then back for 6.

My last Hawken or plains rifles. From top, H&H .54, front sight .210 high, .54 Kit Carson .200 high, .54 Jim Bridger .220 high, .58 Flint Plains rifle .255 high, .50 fullstock Carson inspired antelope rifle, .240 high.  That rifle is lightest in weight, 7 pounds 13 ounces.

[Craig Wilcox]

You do very nice work, Herb.  Your latest is a beautiful piece.
One might think that you like Hawken rifles!

[wattlebuster]

Herb you do outstanding work an though im 25 or so yrs younger than you I do believe you can out shoot out work an out walk me every day of the week. I enjoy seeing all your posts

[Herb]

Thanks, Craig and Wattlebuster.  I thought I was 49 years old all this time, but I found out different on my hunt.  Made two long stalks through the sagebrush that about did me in.  Tried to sit on the ground to shoot, couldn't get there, then couldn't get back up!  The years have piled up and I feel their weight.  Will write the hunting story after I get my friend Bill Lewis' phone images of my stalks, in a day or so.  He had to drag me up that last hill with my suspenders, I think I remember that......

[P.W.Berkuta]

Nice rifle and very inventive rear sight. I made a similar rear sight except it was a "Vee" and held on with two #2-56 screws that when lossened up you could move the "Vee" up or down to adjust the P.O.I. It was like a Marples "white diamond" sight except with the look of a buckhorn sight.
Looking forward for more info on your hunt. I know all too well the impact of age on the body has! .

[flinchrocket]

Good job Herb. I really like the colors you got on this one. Is that a rust blue rubbed back some?

[alacran]

Nice looking Hawken Herb. Looking forward to your hunt story. Congretulations on still having the will to go out and do it.

[Leatherbark]

Cool write up.  If I might ask where do you get your .020(.012 after crushing) Linen?

Thank you,

Bob

[Craig Wilcox]

Herb, was thinking about this last night.  I am a big fan of peep, or "Ghost ring" sights.  The peep, or aperture that you made - if you enlarged the screw holes to the right and left, you would be able to adjust for windage a bit easier than tapping the sight left or right.  Once you have it adjusted to your satisfaction, put a drop of the green Loctite on the screw. The green is used where the screw or bolt is already tight - seeps into the threads.  If you ever want to adjust them again, a wee bit of heat (match or tobacco lighter) will enable you to do that.

I do see a Hawken in my future, but it will be a flinter!  First I have to finish this Lehigh (Rupp) rifle.

[Herb]

Flinchrocket, the barrel is cold blued with Brownells Oxpho blue.  I like the worn look from this blue treatment.  I wanted to brown the barrel but ran out of time.  The lock, triggers and guard, nose cap, entry pipe, keys, escutcheons, toe plate and butt plate are heat blued.  Leatherbark, I got this linen from Home Fabrics and Rugs in Idaho Falls, but they may be out of business now.  Their web site was homefabrics.com, but that no longer works.  JoAnns Fabric has a solid linen, I'll check them tomorrow and see of they still have it and what its number is.  Here is my Home Fabrics linen.  I cut a strip 1 1/2" wide, then cut it into square patches that size, then use an empty cap box for a template to cut them round with a scissors.  They fit in a cap box, and I wet them before the hunt, using Murphy oil Soap and rubbing alcohol as a lube.  I shot this group after my one shot off my sticks, using Olde Eynsfored 2F, 80 grains.  Couldn't see the sight well enough (not blacked), and couldn't hold well on this target, I ran out of black paint.

I checked my sighting after the hunt, first shot with a cold barrel and 100 grains of Olde Eynsford 1 1/2F off my shooting sticks.  This is staged in my yard.  The legs can be swung out to adjust for vertical, and the third hinged leg makes a tripod.  This will stand by itself, I can hold very well with it.

Here is my first shot off the sticks on a used target that was on my range.  This bull was easy to hold on, and yes, I can see that good and hold that good and shoot that good, but this center shot was a fluke.  But ain't it great?

I'm still working on the hunting photos.

[smylee grouch]

Those are some neat stix Herb. I think I will work up a set. Good luck on your hunt. 

[Herb]

Thanks, Smylee.  My hunt was Wednesday Sep 26.  I killed a four point mule deer.

[Herb]

Leatherbark, I went to JoAnns Fabrics today and they do have pure linen. It is not as thick as what I used, but still good.  Another good source of linen in www.denverfabfrics.com.  They are in St. Louis!