CVA .50 caliber Hawken and deer hunting
 

I am looking to buy a used .50 caliber Hawken and wondered if anyone in the forum had used it to hunt deer. I checked online and I couldn't quite find a good overview of the CVA model in reference to deer hunting.

I know there are a lot of good reviews on the CVA Wolf but I kinda wanted a more traditional blackpowder rifle.

Please post any good bullet/load hunting combos you've used with success.

I hunted traditional last year. I used a .54 TC Renegade with a GM barrel. Silmilar gun the The Hawken.

My load was .530 RB .018 pillow ticking patch lubed with mink oil, and 80gr of 2F Swiss black powder.

I shot a cow elk at 70yds, and she didn't go 50yds. The load would have knocked a deer on it's butt.

A very satisfying hunt.

I have a CVA hawkins and a two Traditions Woodsman Hawkins. Two of them have a 1-48 twist and one has a 1-66 twist. I also have a Traditions Pioneer with a 1-48 twist. Oh ya.. and there is a CVA Stalker Carbine, and a CVA Tracker Carbine. All of the 50 caliber. All of them shoot roundball excellent.

To tell you that a CVA Hawkins 50 caliber will kill deer is easy.. yes it will. It depends on shot placement, range and your own skills. As for telling you the load the rifle will like is a little harder. All rifles are different. BUT ON AVERAGE I find that 70-85 grains of 2f powder, a pillow tick patch, your favorite lube, and a roundball will give more then satisfactory results in the accuracy department.

I cut my muzzleloading teeth on a CVA Mountain rifle. Not a better shooting rifle, was there. It was a .58 caliber mind you, but it was a CVA. Normally they make a good rifle.

the CVA Hawken is a great rifle!

Heres what that i think is new for $250
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/pp...uct/8454/cat/9

I have 4 blackpowder rifles to pick from, and the only 1 that normally is used is my hawkens. I built it from a kit and have now spent 45 hours into it.

Going with roundball maybe this yr. Been shooting shockwaves out of it and they are nasty deadly.

Thanks guys! I am picking up the rifle tomorrow. I decided to go with the Hawkens. I can't wait to try it out at the range. I will make sure and spend plenty of time at the range before taking it out to hunt.

I like how you have so many variables to adjust on these guns. I know it will take time to know what works best but that is part of the fun. I may even try my hand at casting some bullets down the road.

As the other posts stated the round ball will do you well. But you can also try other projectiles. Hornady PA conicals should shoot nicely also and you won't have to mess with patches. And also like Cayugad said, you don't need a lot of powder. Get yourself a powder measure and use loose powder - like Pyrodex RS (I assume it is a caplock) or FFg black powder. Start at 70 gr and shoot a group. Then move up in 10 or even 5 gr increments until you get it shooting nice tight groups. You will know when you hit the rifle's sweet spot when the groups start to open up. Remember to swab between shots to keep fouling down and your shot to shot consistancy. A simple spit patch followed by a dry patch will work while at the range.
AND - don't forget to snap a couple caps on the nipple BEFORE you load your first charge/ball to make sure you get all the oil out of the breech.