General discussion > Black Powder Shooting
.58 Hawken Loads, velocities, targets
Herb:
Here is a .58 Hawken I've tuned up for a trophy elk hunt. Barrel by Bill Large, 1 1/16 by 35" bore, hooked breech adds another inch, straight, 1 in 48 twist. Lock is marked Roller 66 inside and ORE TERR IKE BAY on the outside, and on the barrel. Presume he made it. The rifle weighs 12.5 pounds. The owner drew a Boulder Mountain elk tag after 14 years of applying. I shot .570 Hornadys (.562s were too loose, even with tight patching), CCI 11 caps, .015 OxYoke patches and wool over powder wads for heavier charges. I first used 1978 Moosic, PA Goex 2F with 80, 90, 100, 110 and 120 grains. Ran out and used 2005 Minden, LA Goex 2F with 120, 130 and 140 grains, checking it against Lyman's 2nd edition loading handbook. Also Swiss 1 1/2 and Swiss 2. No wiping between shots and only cleaned at the end of the day.
All loads below 110 grains seated easily, 110 grains I could feel fouling, 120 was more,which an over powder wad cured.
ottawa:
whats the range? looks like shes in there. will the cliant be useing the same type of powder ? or dose that matter?
northmn:
A 58 pushing 1800 is nothing to be sneezed at. Interesting data. I have used 575 cast in two of my 58's and still used a fairly heavy patch. Might be why you were getting some fouling at 120 as that is not really a heavy load for a 58.
DP
Daryl:
Good going Herb - a tighter combination might have had the 140gr. charges shooting with the 130gr. one. Of course, 1 group can't be relied upon and further testing is required. I've not have any luck at all with .015" patches, except in my .58 which has a .574" bore & only .003" for rifling at the muzzle & then only with 75gr. of 2F for 1,300fps. I was using a .575" ball. Same goes for the .40, with a .398" bore and a .400" ball with light and heavy loads. In that .58, I experimented with double patching using .017" denim with the .562's and they worked well. I picked up all those patches, and used them for the trail the next week. They were still in shootable condition after being fired twice - only needing more lube.
With .005" to .010" smaller balls in all the guns and barrels I've tested, I needed .0215" to .022" of patching to get a seal and prevent cutting or burnouts with all loads. The starting to burnout at 110gr. with a single patch and no wad shows the patches are a bit thin, even at that lower pressure. Increasing the loads puts additional stress on the patch. I was able to load a .562" ball with accuracy in my tight .58 with 48" twist when using a .025" patch. I use a mic. for measuring as those same patches run .030" with calipers.
I am assuming the shooting is at 50 yards.
Herb:
Yes, these were at 50 yards from rest. Cranked them out with no cleaning between powder changes, except before Triple 7, if I remember right. I don't know what powder or charge the owner will use, so I tested a variety. I used 100 grains of Triple 7 2F, 140 grains of Pyrodex RS (two lots) and 120 grains of Pyrodex Select (RS). The Pyrodex cans were at least 15 years old. Pyrodex and Triple 7 need heavy patches, the .015 OxYoke burned even with the wool OPW. I did not wipe between shots, but the Swiss 1 1/2 fouled the bore for the first four to six inches at the breech, making loading hard. Swiss 2 wasn't so bad. The rifle is zeroed at 50 yards and I shot one group at 100 yards for drop.
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