The other day I was at Wal Mart and they finally had their Pyrodex RS down in price so needless to say I stocked up. I also have a friend who went back there and got me an additional 10 pounds (I hope).

I have one rifle in particular that is a Tradition's Woodsman Hawkin. This was one of the first Woodsman that came out when they had a 1-66 twist roundball barrel. I bought it of course and it has been a very accurate roundball shooter. This rifle absolutely thrives on Pyrodex RS for some reason.

It normally shoots anything from 85-100 grains of Pyrodex RS in a good tight group. So I took a pound of Pyrodex and decided to have a little fun. I have also had a terrible time this winter with pine squirrels getting into building and tearing up everything they find. So I have been on the look out for them.

Well the rifle was benched at 30 yards and I shot this group without ever swabbing the barrel. I was shooting 100 grains of Pyrodex RS a moose milk pillow tick patch and home casted .490 roundball. Very accurate little rifle.

These two tree rats were foolish enough to come out in my woods and never saw me sitting at the bench rest. So they were no more then 40 yards out, and with me sitting, resting off my elbow, the little rifle proved again that you will not blow up squirrels with a .50 caliber Hawkins. Field dress them with a round ball, yes. Blow them up No!

Nice shooting cayugad, Congrats on the tree rats. Therrrrreee great, over gravy. lol

>>>So that's what's in them rice Chex, I always wondered why they tasted like they had a little grissle in them. lol

Hmmm ...
I've resisted the urge to get a sidelock until now , maybe I should reconsider .

How much was it ? I have 3 Traditions inlines and love them , but having a slow twist tack driver for my all time favorite projectile would be a real bonus .

Kevin I don't know if Tradition's makes a Hawkins anymore with the 1-66 barrel. This was bought many years ago when they first came out with this model. All their new ones are 1-48 twist. Many of them still do a real good job on roundball.

I've seen the Tradition's Woodsman listed for around $259.00 tp $300.00 but I can't remember now ifI was checking out flintlocks or percussion. Probably flintlocks knowing me.

Lymans still makes a slow twist 1-60 barrel on the Great Plains Rifle. They are excellent shooters as I have a couple friends that shoot them and can do some impressive shooting.

Later that afternoon when I was about to clean the rifle I saw two more out in the woods feeding. So I did a quick swab of the barrel andwent out and popped them as well. This should keep the rascals out of the buildings for a while. I notice now when I hit the back door latch, they all scatter.

cayugad,

Good shooting on those squirrels and nice gun. I've got an old Traditions Springfield Hawken that I've had for about 25 yearsor so with a 1-66 twist. It's a real nail driver with those round balls. Mine has the fixed sights and I really had to do some filing on that front blade to get it shooting good when I first bought it. I have also killed a couple of squirrels with mine and a couple of foxes. I've never tried Pyrodex in mine. I've always used Goex 2f (90 to 100 gr). By-the-way, I kept mine loaded in the gun cabinet (in the house) for several months after deer season last year. When I finally took it out to shoot it, it shot on the first try like it had just been loaded.I know that's not a great idea but mine worked fine. Anyway, you got a great looking old gun there.

Thanks Mike...

Wal Mart was selling Pyrodex at the end of the year sale and I always stock up. Actually Pyrodex other then being a dirty powder works real well in percussion cap and inline rifles... I also shoot a lot of black powder for the most part, but I like to keep Pyrodex RS, Pyrodex P, Triple Se7en, Pinnacle 3f, and American Pioneer 3f (finally) around the house when I test different bullets out of the rifles. I have plenty of Pyrodex again..

Cayugad has such a large audience that he is now selling ad spots in his posts to Chex cereal.

Yeah, Cayugad made me want some cereal. That old Hawkins dropped those Rice Chex in their tracks too.

I'm a cereal killer.. what can I say.

Cayugad..,I have 3 sabot rifles that will shoot 1 inch with the load they like, when I drew a tag for the refuge I took my home made hawken 54 cal with a 35 inch barrel witch uses a 535 ball and 130gr rs because it will drop them on the spot and I can reload while keeping an eye on them ,but I do use my sabot rifles on my own property where I can track them at my leasure and they will still be there. Lee