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.54 caliber Hawken long rifle

12K views 20 replies 10 participants last post by  45nut 
#1 ·
I took my .54 caliber hawken long rifle out to the farm and put a few rounds down range. I've actually never shot it from the bench before so I was a little surprised to find that it was shooting off. It shot about 6" low and about 2.5" to the right. I didn't have a brass punch to move the front sight (To the right i believe) or a file to shave down the front sight. I wanted to see how far out i could get this rifle but I don't think I'm good enugh to compensate for the sights that much. I'll have to take it out again and sight it in with the right tools.

I shot some video my range session if you want to see the rifle and how it was shooting.

 
#4 ·
Nice looking rifle! Whay powder/charge were you using? Small changes could alter the height your shot hit the target.
That is true. I was using a 60 grain charge of FF goex and a .530 Hornady round balls. The optimal hunting load is around 90 grains of powder.I don't intend to hunt with it so I'll probably be using a 60 grain load from now on. It is going to be a bench gun from now on since I have a .50 jaeger style flint lock that I hunt with. This gun is a little big for a small guy like my to be dragging around the wood. It is however one of the more fun range rifles I have and i'll be shooting it a lot this summer.
 
#5 ·
Fine rifle you have there. I am particularly fond of the Hawken rifles and shoot a percussion .53 that I built.
 
#7 ·
i think drifting rear sight to the left will correct horizontal problem and i would play with powder charge as a possible remedy to vertical . old semperfi
old semperfi is right--if your gun is shooting to the left, and you are adjusting the front sight, you want to move the FRONT sight to the right. If adjusting the rear sight, you would move it to the left.
 
#8 ·
nice flintlock.They are a ton of fun huh.I hunted with a TC St.Louis hawken caplock and truly loved it.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I share your love for the flint lock rifle. My hunter class flint lock .54 cal. Rice radius cut swamped 44.5 " long , Jim Chambers lock and Lightning Vent. I shoot a round ball of .534 a walmart Duct .024 patch with BP Plus wet patch. 100 meter load of 100 grs. Wano 3f. The balls are poured 20-1 lead to tin. I use this rifle in Flint class in many western states each year. Big favorite is the Texas State at Brady, Txs. Good Luck.:)

 
#10 · (Edited)
Is that a Steve Zihn rifle, there Mr. Carson? :)



I have always wanted a flint rifle, but never got around to getting one. I hunt with this .53 cal percussion that I built with parts from Track of the Wolf.
 
#11 ·
Yep, that is a Zihn Rifle. People who know flinters can pick a Zihn rifle out of stack at 50 yds. Steve has a little desert ranch about 300 miles north of me. I enjoy going up to visit him. His rifles go all over the world. Problem is it takes 3 years to get one made. This rifle shoots a tight group at 200 yds.
 
#12 · (Edited)
I am fascinated by the Hawken rifle. It is the most copied, or mis-copied rifle on the market. The TC's and other traditional type rifles, brass trim, single key, with a brass patch box, are actually close copies of Tryon trade rifles that sold in the West for about $7 each.

Not many full stock flint Hawkens survived. They are known to have existed, but most got used up. After 1835 or so with the advent of the half stock percussion mountain rifles, a lot of them survive today.

I had been building and shooting kit rifles up until the 1980's then got a yearning for a nice rifle, so I built mine. I called David at ToW and he helped me with selecting my parts. If I recall, it is a tight Goodoien barrel, L&R lock, and a nice piece of figured maple there. It occupied all of my spare time for a year and a half.

I have another Goodien barrel here, and a pair of Schellinger locks that are going to become another rifle next winter. I dont know why, maybe so I can hold one in each hand.



These Schellinger locks look like they were assembled by a watch maker. The old guy had a box of them, I should have bought the whole bunch.

Sorry to hijack the thread, Sharpie,,,,,

How about some more pictures of your rifle? Did you build it? It has a nice fast lock on it.
 
#13 ·
Not many full stock flint Hawkens survived. They are known to have existed, but most got used up. After 1835 or so with the advent of the half stock percussion mountain rifles, a lot of them survive today.

These Shellinger locks look like they were assembled by a watch maker. The old guy had a box of them, I should have bought the whole bunch.
Unless I'm badly mistaken there's only one flintock Hawken known to exist and it was made in Maryland before the brothers Hawken went into business together.

Those are some very slick looking locks.
 
#16 ·
My Hawken has Siler internals with a handmade plate but I like the look of those. Course they wouldn't fit in with the aged look of my Hawken.:D

Is that a REAL Hawken??? If so,color me green with envy!!:eek: :D ;)
 
#21 ·
Better looking than mine which is a Lyman Great Plains Rifle. It is a nice reproduction and it shoots well too.

However, yours are much nicer!! :D
 
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