A Correct but Different.54 Hawken Sighting In

[Herb]

Everett had a set of Hawken parts from "Cabin", perhaps Log Cabin, he wanted put together.  I started August 18 and got done today, 113 hours.  The parts may have come from the Hawken Shop.  There was an inletted stock ($232 present cost).  Nothing was done to the barrel, which was a .50 caliber Green Mountain which he waited about a year for, wanting a .54, but had to settle for the .50.  I had a premium (as checked with a bore scope) .54 Green Mountain 1" x 36" so traded him and cut it to 32".  The Hawken tang has a funky snail like the Hawken Shop's, kind of flat in front.  The guard was attached to the trigger plate, correctly and as I do it.  The stock was too thin across the forearm, measureing about 1.350" wide.  The escutcheon inlets were too deep, I had to paper-shim the escutcheons flush with the wood.  Otherwise good.  I fitted the breech plug and attached the underrib with rivets.  He wanted a correct Hawken but different.  I used a brass butt plate I had and made a brass toeplate and brass lockbolt escutcheon, like some originals.  He wanted the escucheons left in the white with brass keys.  I also left the nose cap and entry pipe in the white.  He wanted the steel parts heat blued and the barrel cold blued, which I did with Brownell's Oxpho blue.  The stock was stained with a mix of Lincoln dark brown leather dye (too black) and Fiebing's leather dye (more red).  The finish is five coats of Track of the Wolf's Original Oil (linseed oil) finish.  Here it is compared to another one I built from Track's parts on the bottom (which is excess to my needs, GRRW .54 barrel).
 


He wanted this adjustable rear sight, which I have little use for.  It is a better one than came from Track, having a bigger dovetail to hold the sight better.

I tried five different patch materials, some loaded too hard and some blew apart.  Even so, they shot with fine accuracy (less the two right ones).

The rear sight was too tall, had to file a deep notch, but I tried it at 100 yards on this used target and found that it shot at least as good as the guy with a high-powered scope and probably a 7mm mag.  (All scopes are high powered any more!)

Everett will use this to hunt elk the first part of November.

[JB2]

nicely done, again Herb.  Looks like it'll do 'minute of elk' easily, if he does his part.  as for them 7mm holes, can't be too much 'magnum flinch' in that group!

[wattlebuster]

Looks like another fine job Herb. I like it

[Topknot]

Herb, that's a great looking Hawken !

                           topknot

[Herb]

So I got a tall front sight and shot again today, starting with 80 grains of Goex 2F at 50 yards.  Aimed at the bottom right, first patch was some .008 linen, too thin, patch blew. Shots 2 and 3 off the bottom were with .014 soft canvas, loads too hard.  Filed the front sight down some and drifted it left and shot 4,5 and 6.  Tapped and filed some more and switched to .013 red canvas duck from WalMart, loaded easier.  Less the first shot (1434 fps), 9 averaged 1523 fps with a spread of 106 fps.  Wiped the bore.

Lower left was with the red canvas duck and 100 grains of Goex 2F at 1750 fps.  Had a cleaning patch on the jag as I seated each ball and wiped after each target.  I used a six o'clock hold on the bottom of the black.




Wiped the bore and loaded 120 grains of Goex 2F and shot the top right.  1843 fps.  A good load.


This is higher than I wanted, but may be due to recoil.  To lower the group I would have to file down the back sight.  I'll see what Everett wants to do.  Shot at 100 yards next with 120 grains and the first shot hit center but the patch blew, 1773 fps. (I labeled the target wrong, Shot #1 was red cotton duck).  Shot #2 was a red duck patch I reused (I ran out), it went 1886 fps.  Shot #3 was .014 soft canvas at 1826 fps.  I did not see it in the same hole and thought it was off-target, so dropped to 100 grains of Goex 2F and the .014 soft canvas for shots 4-7, which averaged 1741 fps.
I like 120 grains of Goex 2F in a .54 for a heavy load.

[moleeyes36]

Herb,

Did you use the medium brown or dark brown shade of Fiebings leather dye? 

Mole Eyes

[gblrklr]

As nice looking as that rifle is, the bottom one in the 5th post is even better looking to me!

[Vomitus]

  The 1843 fps load is where I'd keep it at fifty yds. Me thinks it should be dead on at 100. Very nice group.

[Herb]

Moleeyes, it was the dark brown.

[Herb]

Today I tried shooting seated on the ground, at 100 yards.  First shot was at the top left target with 100 grains of Goex 2F  but the patch blew and the ball  hit the top black target, way to the right.  I didn't call that shot out, so can blame some of it on that blown patch.  Then I went back to the bench and shot twice at another target not shown here, but I plotted the impacts on the top left target.  My copper base front sight was finger loose, that is why the group is to the right.  pushed it back and set the base with a nail and rock and shot 6, 7 and 8 centered.  Don't know why the first four were so high.  I had a cleaning patch on the seating jag for each shot and cleaned the bore between powder charge changes.  Shot the bottom left next with 120 grains of Goex 2F.  I picked up each patch as I shot and #4 blew to pieces but still the ball hit #2's hole.  Four of these 21 patches blew, but that did not seem to affect the grouping, except maybe #1..  This .013 red canvas duck from WalMart loads easily and makes a good patch.  In aiming, I brought the top of the post up to the middle of the bull, then aligned it right and left, trying to hold half way up the bull.  So if some shots don't look as good as the rest for group, maybe it is that I didn't see the sights exactly.  Last I shot 110 grains of Goex 2F on the bottom right target.  Five shots.  All patches good.  I think I am done with this rifle, it is ready to go elk hunting.

[shifty]

Herb was this the 1-70 twist barrel?

[Herb]

Yes.  Haven't heard from Everett if he got his elk.  But his friend came by and wants a .45 fullstock flintlock.  He said the Ute Indian Reservation now has about 900 buffalo free roaming.  They may have to offer hunts to cull the herd, that is a lot of buffalo and they are increasing fast.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You do very credible work Herb.  And I like the patience you show in the test shooting.  For a four-eyed guy, you shoot pretty well!

I have your .58 full stock in the shop presently.  Hatchet Jack wants me to fit a spare lock ... I enjoy studying the rifle!

[shifty]

Herb not trying to get off the subject but have you ever tested loads for a 54 cal with a 1/48 twist and if so what was the biggest charge it would shoot accuatly with? thanks

[Don Stith]

Not Herb
 But The most winning of the Cross stick match guns ( out of 7 that I owned) was a 1-48 twist H&H barrelled one. I shot 100 grains out of it as my normal load.

[shifty]

Thanks Don I haven't worked on loads for my 54 ca1/48 twist in a few yrs,but but when I was developing the hunting load 80 grns 2f Goex with blue line pillow ticking mink oil lube and .530 RB was as heavy as I could go started looseing accuracy after that, I guess maybe I have shot it enuff now that i could try going up in powder,maybe the rifling has somethed out some,it was a new CVA barrel from Tip Curtis,when I started with it.

[Don Stith]

Really don't wantto trample on Herbs post, so we should probably go to PM's
 No experience with CVA barrels but suspect they may have shallow grooves which is the problem with the TC 1-48 twist. TC is the main cause for the bad reputation for 1-48 twist barrels. The shallow grooves just do not work with patched round ball. My original Hawkens have 1-48 twist.
 Dennis: Maybe you can move this part of the discussion to a separate posting
Don

[WadePatton]

... Four of these 21 patches blew, but that did not seem to affect the grouping, except maybe #1..  This .013 red canvas duck ... loads easily and makes a good patch. 

I like the rifle and your shooting and sharing this with us, but I simply don't understand calling these "good patches" with a 20% (one in five) failure rate. 

[Herb]

Shifty- I have not shot 1 in 48 twist barrels.  Wade- I'll get back tomorrow.

[Herb]

Don- thanks for answering.  It is great that people can get good answers to their questions, based on real experience.  Wade- is that the red duck where the patch blew but still cut the hole of another shot at 100 yards? Or if a couple failed, the balls still went into the group?   I also call this red duck a good patch because I have used it in several other .54 Hawkens and .58 flintlocks.  Sometimes patches shred but the velocity is normal and the ball still goes into a good group.  If I find a patch that never fails, well I just have to shoot it more and one may fail.   Am working with a .45 GRRW Leman now with trials of various patches and powders.  Some work great and some not at all.  Will post in a couple of days.

[WadePatton]

Okay I can follow that logic. 

Keep on padre!