Lyman's states:

Our maximum loadings for the .50 caliber rifles;
.495 RB 110 grains of FFg or 90 grains of FFFg
240 grain sabot 100 grains FFg or 90 grains FFFg
335 grain sabot 100 grains FFg or 80 grains FFFg
420 grain Maxi 100 grains FFg or 80 grains FFFg

What types of powder charges have you found work well (target and hunting) in your Lyman's Deerstalker/Trade Rifle/Great Plains Hunter? And do you have any muzzle velocity #s for that?

If an accurate load is well below max it seems the load would be very anemic. I'm guessing in the vicinity of 65 grns 3F behind a conical, and 55 grns if it's 777 (3F). Is that about right?

I found that a RB for 44 cap n ball guns has a BC of .064. Does this number stay the same despite caliber? Anyone know what the BC of RB is for a .490-.495 in a rifle?

Here are some BC's that you can use in G1 table. For a free and good ballistics program, go to www.huntingnut.com and download Point Blank.
Caliber BC
.570 .066
.535 .062
.530 .061
.495 .057
.490 .056
.457 .053
.454 .052
.451 .052
.445 .051
.440 .051
.433 .050
.375 .043
.350 .040

Here's a simple easy to use round ball calculator that you don't have to download.

http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_...allistics.html

Is a Deerstalker/Deerhunter/Country Hunter just a chopped version of a Hawken? Can this GM barrel be used?

Is Lyman's Trade Rifle a Hawken?

I see Dixie Gun Works sells a Pedersoli Country Hunter which has a 1:32-34" twist and seems be a Deerstalker. Is this a better rifle than the Lyman's?

Which twist (34 or 48") will stabilize a heavy conical better?

I have been using the online ballistics calculator from big game info.com as I'm wary of downloading stuff (had several problems without visiting nefarious sites or downloading). For some reason I couldn't view ct muzzleloaders site.

Is a Deerstalker/Deerhunter/Country Hunter just a chopped version of a Hawken? Can this GM barrel be used? Don't think of a Hawkins as a particular rifle. Instead them of them as a style of rifle. Much like the Kentucky, or the Pennsylvania, Poor Boy, Southern Mountain Rifles, etc. So are those a version of a Hawken.. somewhat. Are all Hawken rifles alike.. NO.

Is Lyman's Trade Rifle a Hawken? Yes the Trade Rifle is a version of the Hawken Rifle.

I see Dixie Gun Works sells a Pedersoli Country Hunter which has a 1:32-34" twist and seems be a Deerstalker. Is this a better rifle than the Lyman's? Pedersoli makes a great rifle. Are they better the a Lyman? Hard to say. With the 1-32 twist it might be a much better conical shooter then the Deerstalker. The 1-32 twist is made for shooting conical and sabots.

Which twist (34 or 48") will stabilize a heavy conical better?In a perfect world, the 1-34 should be a better conical shooter.

I have been using the online ballistics calculator from big game info.com as I'm wary of downloading stuff (had several problems without visiting nefarious sites or downloading). For some reason I couldn't view ct muzzleloaders site.

Green Mountain makes a 15/16" replacement hunting barrel for a Hawken that is 28" long with 1:28" rifling. Would it work on the stock of a Deerstalker/Country Hunter?

cayugad: You say that not all Hawkens are alike, that it's a style. Are there parameters or something? What makes a rifle a Hawken or not?

The name "Hawken" originated with rifles made by Samuel and Jacob Hawken in St. Louis during the first half of the 17th. century for use by trappers in the Rocky Mountains. (Oops! Make that the 19th. century.) They were long heavy barrel rifles, usually with large bores.

Rifles such as the TC Hawken are a somewhat "loose interpretation" of a Hawken rifle. The Lyman Great Plains rifle is a fairly close representation of the Hawken rifle. The Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken and Missouri River Hawken are even closer.

The Lyman Deerstalker and other carbine style sidelocks are nowhere near a Hawken in design, and are not referred to as Hawken style rifles by the manufacturers.

17th century??

Make that the 19th. century. (I've got fumble fingers. :s3: Seven - nine? Close enough anyway - only two centuries off. What's two digits between friends?)