I am starting to save up some dough and sell off a few things to buy a hawken precussion rifle. I have access to a 209 inline for this season (deer and maybe elk) but I would like to get a hawken kit. Would you all reccomend a 54 over a 50 or does bullet advancements negate the need for a little more? I live in colorado, no pyrodex pellets, no sabots, and no scopes allowed. SO, fire away! EJ

If you want a sidelock, get the .54cal. I shoot a .50 flintlock, .50inline and recently built a .45 sidelock that i will use this year on mule deer.

Just make sure you know that difference with the rifle barrel twists. 1:66 for example is for patched round ball.

1:48 twist = Patched round ball and conical

1:28 twist= Conical and/or sabots.

Im from CO also and some of those small towns up north usually only carry .50cal bullets and so thats the only downfall if you have a .54 and accidently forget your bullets. Just take your time and look at different rifles and see if it will work out for you.

I am a 54 advocate, it will handle large game quite well with PRB I have used mine on bear and elk as well as many deer and hogs, Because it is the largest PRB shooter that has the right twist for 2000 FPS + and I can tolerate the recoilI use it for the long range matches at friendship as well as hunting for many years, since I have gotten old and have difficulty with Iron sights I quite compitition but I still believe I could have gotten any thing I have shot with my inlines with my 54 hawken. The range, trajectory and hitting power are noticeably less with a 50. Lee

Traditional rifle ... .54 caliber without question. The rifle has a roundball 30% larger in weight, you're putting a bigger hole through the animal, and I find the .54 caliber better for longer ranges then the .50 caliber. Not by much mind you, but I think the .54 is a better choice overall. With a 1-48 twist, you can shoot roundball and conical. With the 1-66 you can shoot roundball. With either of them you can harvest any size game you want to hunt. The .54 caliber is just IMO a better choice.

ejpaul1

It really depends on if you are going to use them Traditionally - PRB or if you are going to shoot conicals, Powerbelts, and or maybe sabots. Since you are in CO - I doubt you will be using sabots. But! I really expect you might be using conicals...

My thoughts - if tradition and that is basically all you are going to shoot go 54...

If conicals or sabots with an occasional PRB for deer go 50.... the selection great slip fit conicals for a 50 far exceeds the availablity of 54 conicals...

I have three 54 sidelocks, none of the three would I really give up and I have three 50's - 2 have 1/48 twist one has 1/28 -> these sidelocks are the ones that I use - they are extremly versitile shooting conicals and sabots. I recently have been shooting a 1/48 Renegade with 460 grain slip fit conicals (either Bullshop or NE's) I am amazed at how well those bullets perform from the 50 1/48 twist and believe me they will drop and Elk dead...I am shooting posted clay pigeons @ 100 yards with them - I am amazed how well they perform... they are not flat but they are not that bad...

I would vote 50 for versitility.... but get a good one

Sabotloader actually has too many rifles but hates to admit it.

Another reason for the .54 caliber is, if this is a Thompson Center then it is 1" on the flats. If you wish to get a Green Mountain IBS drop in barrel you have a much larger selection of barrels for the rifle. If you choose to go with some brand other then Thompson Center or a .50 caliber (other then the Renegade I belive is still 1" on the flats), it will probably have a 15/16th on the flats. There are still many different barrel options out there. A good one for conicals might be a Green Mountain with a 1-28 twist later down the line.

How far can the range be with a 1:48 twist using a conical and a full charge? What is a full charge? 100?

Fire away, OK, here goes.
1) I would stay with a .50 cal, since bullet selection is better and cheaper.I would use a SabreTooth 300g bullet for colorado:
http://www.harvesterbullets.com/sabertooth.htm

2) Gun---- The 50 is the minimum for elk in colorado. You can buy a used side lockat Williams Gunsight Company for $149 (the two renegades are double trigger side locks, I called about them, you can keep them 3 days and shoot them and return them in the condition they were in if you don't want them--if they were FL I would have bought one) .
http://www.williamsgunsight.com/gunsights/813usedblkpowderguns.htm


3) Sights---As for open sights some are using the Ghost site from Williams (Frontier gander is I believe), I am using this one from RMC Sports:



Best wishes on putting your gear together. It is fun.
Chap Gleason Va.

I would reccomend the 54cal. That little extra powder is good. I live in CO and shoot a 54cal Renegade. You will have no trouble finding 54cal supplies. Do not buy the 50cal because some guys say you can find bullets easier. You can always order off of the internet but I dout you will need to. I love my 54cal! Good luck and have fun!!!

EJ...Most people go about muzzleloaders backwards...First you need to determine what projectile you are going to shoot, then decide which companies make the proper barrel to get the best accuracy from that projectile...

I prefer a .54 in a round ball gun, prefer the slower 1-66 or 1-72 twist with deep cut rifling, this type barrel is very forgiving, you can shoot 50 grain charges or 120 grain charges with no change in group size...

As mentioned, if you are going to shoot mainly conicals and possibly roundballs a 1-48 button rifled barrel will do fine, it might take more load development than a round ball barrel, but it will work...

A .54 round ball with 110-120 grains of powder will take elk and even grizzly...Don't worry about finding supplies because you need to buy a ball mold and make your own, you can buy pillow ticking from WalMart for about $3.75 a yard...Add powder, caps and lube and you are good to go...