Great deer - congratulations.

Nice deer and a very nice looking Hawken. I just got into muzzleloading about 5 years ago and have basically given up on slug guns. I own three inlines but after seeing your Hawken I'm thinking I should be checking into a sidelock. Way to go. My season starts in about two weeks and I can't wait.

Thanks guys.

My hawkens in my baby. I have 4 black powder rifles in the gun cabinet. 2 old style plunger inline .50, a bolt style .45 inline and my Hawkens which is my dedicated hunting rifle. I have never shot a deer with anything other than blackpowder or bow.

My Hawkens took lots of time to make perfect.

16 hours of hand sanding the stock, cutting, shaving to make the cheek pad and flutes on top of the stock. Also took over a 1/4" out of the stock bottom to make the butt plate fit perfect and flush. Believe the stock was rough cut (and I mean rough) on a monday morning from all the burn marks.

Brass was terrible. Started with a Dremal to remove casting marks, then started 5 hours of sanding with 180 grit and worked my way up 2000 grit wet sanding. Then polishing started. Several hours of polishing easy.

Barrel was given a light blueing 3 times and then polished with 0000 steel wool in between coats, this blues it but its not just dark black and allows you to see the steel grain.

Every screw was replaced with actual brass hardware and not the cheap blacken steel

Floral side lock plate was trashed and rainbowed from heat. Wet sanding, polishing and then painting the floral inlay to make it show off.

Stock has around 25 coats of tru oil with a buffing of 0000 steel wool between coats.

Ramrod brass was also done and the wood recieved 5 or 6 coats of tru oil itself.

my eye sight isn't what it use to be so I used a small carbide bit to drill a 3/32 hole in the front blade and a small piece of fiber optic was installed. Sits nice and flush with blade.

Leather sling was bought but its made for a Kentucky Long Rifle. I shortened the sling to the length I wanted, punched holes and rivited the leather together.

Lots of work, but took my time and worked on it on days off when work cut hours back a few yrs ago.

Congrats on the nice buck.

Nice looking rifle and buck, congratulations.

Nice job on the gun. I have a feeling you're more proud of it than the deer.

That's a beautiful buck. Virginia gives up some nice ones from what I've seen. What brand Hawkins is that?

Its one of the kits you get from cabelas. Buddy bought with the idea of doing it. Well it sat in the box for almost 2 yrs under his bed. Sold it to me and went to town on it.

I love my hawkens and love the deer I was able to harvest with it. When he walked up onto me yesterday I went straight into holy $hit mode as I have trail came pics of him and he was no. 1 on my hit bow hit list. After the shot I was in awe and to watch him drop with in 30 yards I knew I finally got him. Walking up to him I was finally calmed down enough and gave many thanks to him.

All the meat taken from him was given away today to a family in need. A single mother with two young kids who truely needs its after her husband found a girlfriend and left a yr ago.

Nice Job! I do the same. The guy I hunt on/with has a older man down the road whose wife left him, all his kids have moved on and left a few of their kids with him to raise. On top of that he is a out of work mechanic living in a mobile home and doing some side work. He only has a lean to shed to work in. The first deer I take every year goes to him and his grand kids. And sometimes thats the only deer I've had a chance to harvest.

That's a great deer and outstanding work on the gun. Very nice.