Paul Niskanen

Ok this sure seems strange to me. The new Traditions Hawken I got this week Kicks like HELL! The same gun I had last week (the one the nipple stripped out of) didn't have near the felt recoil this one does. As a matter of fact this gun kicks more than any other gun I own. I was shooting it with 50 to 70 grains T777 a 370 maxi ball and a 1075 cap. Same as I shoot in most of my other ML's with, and this thing hurts my teeth when it goes off! I ran 7 rounds though it and couldn't take anymore.

Now I'm wondering was last weeks gun letting some of the pressure out of the bore through the bad threads on the nipple/flash channel?

The gun loads quite nice, The bullet pushes down the barrel like it should, I'm not seating the bullet/powder charge with to much force, I seat it like I do in any other ML.

The gun is very accurate, groups are under one inch. I was only shooting at 25 yards, but none the less the groups are really tight.
I even went down to 50g t7 and it still punches back at ya pretty hard.

Everything on the gun is tight, that was the first thing I looked at. Where do I go next?

pluckit

It's that 370 grain projectile your pushing out of it. It will knock the heck out of a deer though.

Landngroove

In my T/C Hawken, I shoot 90 grains FFG Goex with a PRB. Very managable recoil. Same gun with 90 grains FFG Goex, with a 370 grain T/C Maxi-Ball, very noticable recoil. Same with all my ML's. A Maxi-Ball has that much more surface, and weight, to create more pressure. Also are you using FF, or FFF, T-7? T7 on a volume to volume basis creates more pressure than Goex. Especially FFF, T7. Although I did see that you were shooting what seems reduced loads. I would try a PRB with 60 grains FFG, and work up.

Paul Niskanen

I fully understand that shooting a large grain conical with create more pressure. I shoot this same load in my 2 other precussion guns and my inline. This gun KICKS LIKE HELL! It kicks the same with pyrodex RS as it does with FFFG Triple Seven. I bought some T7 FFG today to try next time at the range.

I was not kidding when I said it made my teeth hurt. I'm no small guy, 6 foot, 285lbs. and this gun rocks me back! There was another guy at the range that came over after watching me shoot a couple of shots. He was woundering how much powder I was pouring down the barrel,(he is a muzzy shooter to). I said 70g...He said he was just wondering because he had never seen a guy get punched back like that before shooting a normal load! I have a buddy with a 325 wsm, that gun has something like 40lbs of felt recoil, that is about what this ML fells like.

builder459

I used to shoot 85 gr pyrodex from my T/C .54 cal with a 430 gr maxi, kicked like a mule, i had a slip on pad i used at the range to tame it some.

Pglasgow

Not knowing the weight of your rifle I wouldn't know for sure ... but assuming a 7 lb rifle, 28" barrel, my best estimate is that the maxiball is being propelled to roughly 1440 fps with that load (70 gr T7 FFg) and that the recoil is roughly 24.5 ft. lbs.

For a given recoil energy, a lighter rifle moves with greater velocity and so it can feel like more recoil than a heavier rifle with the same recoil energy.

If you really want to shoot conicals and want the recoil to feel better, there are a couple of remedies. One is to buy a rifle designed for loads with similar recoil while the other is to modify your rifle.

I shoot 80 grain loads behind the 420 UC Short. I can shoot 20 to 30 rounds with absolutely no discomfort. But then it wasn't always that way. The recoil pad on my rifle had a hard plastic crescent beneath the soft surface where the screw goes through. The rifle bruised me regularly until I notice the crescent cut through the rubber. It was like the recoil being borne by a dowel. I built a new butt plate for this rifle and purchased a limbsaver slip on.

Additionally I added weight to the stock. I increased the rifle's weight by 1 and 3/4 lbs and moved the center of gravity right in front of the trigger guard. This BTW significantly lowered the POI because the additional weight resisted the barrel lift moment of the rifle. I love my rifle even more now. Today, I shot a few BS 620s w/ 70 grains FFg Goex and while there is recoil ... there is no discomfort.

I gave quite a lot of consideration to the modifications I made before doing them and I think if you do anything like adding weight ... do give it lots of consideration before starting and be sure a heavier rifle is what you want. As for butt mods, they can be temporary in nature. A larger surface for the butt plate and a good pad will go a long way to making the recoil manageable.

Paul Niskanen

Pglasgow, Now thats some good thinking. I completely forgot about adding wieght to the gun. I did that to the fore end of my triumph, about 1/2 a pound. It did make quite a difference. The gun really does shoot and load well. the trigger is great, maybe I should build a stock that fits me better. And yes we have to shoot conicals here in Co. It doesn't have to be a 370g, but for Elk it sure would be a nice bullet for them.

You said you put wieght infront of the trigger and that it lowered the POI. A guy would think that would make the gun push backward more, but evadently the extra wieght helped that problem. It would not be hard to hang wieght on the gun to see what it would do for the recoil.

I just wonder why the two rifles shot for different? Maybe the threads weren't the problem on the original gun, hell I don't know.

cayugad

I have two of them rifles and neither of them kick all that bad. I normally shoot 85 grains of 3f Goex and patched roundballs.

Paul Niskanen

Cayugad, That is what I'm saying. Why does this one kick so damm hard? the original one I bought did not kick like this.

Chasam60

Paul,My Omega kicked the snot out of me on the range.Of course you never notice it in the woods.I put a Limbsaver pad on,and it made a world of difference.

Charlie