What is a good load for a Hawken .54 caliber?

[Borty77]

My uncle gave me a Hawken .54 that uses percussion caps. If anyone has any good experience with this gun....... What load will shoot good groups out of this gun?? I am fixing to buy what I need to hunt with this gun, and I don't want to spend a bunch of money trying out loads.

Type of powder?
Ball?
patch?

Thanks for the help

[cayugad]

Powder: Pyrodex RS or P, Goex 2f, or Triple Se7en 2f
Caps: CCI Magnum or RWS 1075 #11 caps
Ball: Hornady, Speer, or Buffalo .530 roundball
Patch: .015-.018 thickenss you can get them pre lubed with bore butter if you like
Bore Butter as a lube

that should get you shooting.. of course you will need a short starter, powder measure and many other things also.

[roundball]

ORIGINAL: Borty77

My uncle gave me a Hawken .54 that uses percussion caps. If anyone has any good experience with this gun....... What load will shoot good groups out of this gun?? I am fixing to buy what I need to hunt with this gun, and I don't want to spend a bunch of money trying out loads.

Type of powder?
Ball?
patch?
Thanks for the help

You didn't mention the make or the condition, but a target load that works great for me in my TC Hawken is:

50grns Goex 3F(or 60grns Goex 2F, or 60grns Pyrodex RS)
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking patch
Hornady .530 ball

Then for deer huntingI use:
90grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke wonderwad
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking patch
Hornady .530 ball

[lemoyne]

First check the manule for the gun you have and DO NOT EXCEED recommended loads.
The make and the twist are very important for load information.
I have built my own with Green River barrels and have some TC That I won this is what works for me.
TC with 1-48 twist .535 ball, a ticking patch, borebutter lube and 110 gr of pryodex RSwill usually do the most accurate at 100yd in my experance with a 1-66 barrel I have had to go to 120gr RS if you use pistol or FFF cut the load by 15% some guns like APP or Pinnacle. Lee

[eldeguello]

When shooting a patched round ball, the "standard" load for the Hawken and other plains rifles as used by the Mountain Men in the 19th centurywas 1/2 the weight of the ball. So this would work out to between 110 to 115 grains of FFg by volume measure, or the equivalent, such as an equal VOLUME of Pyrodex RS. If you used T7, the load should be reduced by 20%. However, in my experience, T7 is a poor powder for use with PRB, as it invariably blows patches regrdless of how much you use. This can't help accuracy any. I'd stick to using real BP, APP, Pinnacle, or Pyrodex.

Note that this is a hunting load, and that for pure fun or targert shooting, you can get away using a lot less, such as 60-70 grains.

[Sharp Shooter]

What do you wan't to hunt with it? If hunting deer with the PRB 100yds will be your maximum shot with the Roundball. Your rifle can also handle a number of good conicals. If you buy pre-lubed conicals you do not need a patch and they are easy to load. I would try the 425gr Hornady Great Plains Conical. You do not needa patch with those. The have a hollow point for maximum expansionon deer.

Here is a good place tobuy from. Scroll down and below the roundballs are the Great Plains Conicals. http://www.possibleshop.com/ball-bullet.htm

[lemoyne]

Sharp Shooter,boy I glad you did not tell me that 100yds was max before I shot that 600 pd black bear at 177yd he might have called foul. Lee