Go Back  HuntingNet.com Forums > Firearms Forum > Black Powder
Hawkins help please >

Hawkins help please

Black Powder Ask opinions of other hunters on new technology, gear, and the methods of blackpowder hunting.

Hawkins help please

Old 08-18-2012, 05:31 AM
  #1  
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 330
Default Hawkins help please

I planned last year to break out the old T/C Hawkins and start shooting it some and never seemed to find the time. It has probably been 15 years or more since I shot it last. The gun is spotless and in great condition and i would love to finally kill a deer with it. I've been shootng inlines and BH209 for a while now and have forgot a lot about the more traditional rifles. I asked a lot of questions on here last year and have narrowed my load down to using 70-100 gr of Pyrodex RS and a T/C 370gr. Maxiball. My question is, how do you guys prep your barrel before the first shot and after each shot. Please spell out the steps you take to get the barrell ready to shoot. For example, do I need to swab with a wet (water/windex) patch between shots. Please don't leave anything out. I feel like I am starting all over with this rifle it's been so long. Not new to muzzleloader by any means but it has been a long time since I've shot the T/C Hawkins. Thanks for your help.

Any tips on the cleaning process would also be greatly appreciated.
SHulion is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 07:05 AM
  #2  
Boone & Crockett
 
Semisane's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
Default

My barrel prep for hunting is the same for caplocks, in-lines, and flintlocks. My guns are sighted in for hunting with a clean dry bore. So there's no fouling shot involved.

There's oil in the bore from the last cleaning that I want removed, and I want the flash hole, flame channel, and nipple oil free and dry. To get tha I wet a patch (very wet) with 91% Isopropyl alcohol and also squirt a bit down the bore. Then I pump the bore vigorously with the patch, forcing a mist of alcohol out of the nipple. I follow that with a dry patch or two, also pumping vigorously to move air through the nipple/flame channel. Then I load.

On some guns, I wipe the bore with a very light oil patch followed by a dry patch after the load is in the bore. On some guns I do not do that. It depends on what I've found the gun likes for first shot/clean barrel accuracy.

If I take a hunting shot and want to reload, I clean the bore with two or three alcohol patches. It's not perfectly clean, but close enough.

Last edited by Semisane; 08-18-2012 at 07:07 AM.
Semisane is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 07:05 AM
  #3  
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 330
Default

Here she is.

Hawkins help please-hawkens-3.jpg

Hawkins help please-hawkens-1.jpg

Hawkins help please-hawkens-2.jpg
SHulion is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 08:32 AM
  #4  
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Boncarbo,Colorado
Posts: 9,186
Default

I always putt my nipple and MAKE SURE there is powder under there.

Last edited by MountainDevil54; 08-18-2012 at 08:58 AM.
MountainDevil54 is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 09:51 AM
  #5  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,181
Default

Here is my procedure to load.
MAKE SURE IT IS UNLOADED!!!
I get to the range with a gun that has oil in the barrel.
I use a jag and push a dry patch down and pull it out.
I turn it over and push it down again and leave it there.
I use #11 mag caps. Put one on and fire it into the patch. I do this 2 or 3 times.
I pull the patch out and make sure it is burnt good.
It is ready to load. I pour the powder down and lean the rifle over with the lock down. I tap the rifle on the butt of the stock to get the grains of powder to settle into the nipple area. Then I finish loading.

OK between shots I clean the rifle.
I squirt some windex on a patch but not too much. I swab it, and repeat if I have to.
Then I put a dry one down and pull it out. Turn it over and push down again.
NOW!!! I Fire 2 or 3 caps again with the patch on the jag. Check to be sure the patch is burnt. If so load again, if not fire a couple more caps. I have seen sticky black thick stuff stuck on the bottom of the patch that would have fouled up the load if the patch had not caught it. I think firing caps into the patch makes a huge difference.

A lot of guys just fire a cap to clear the crud. All that does is push the crud down the barrel. The new powder can stick to the wet crud and contaminate it. Here are some pictures.

Here is what the jag caught when I was firing caps into the patch.




This patch is one that has a fouled nipple.



Here is one that has a clear nipple. Ron

idahoron is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 10:06 AM
  #6  
Dominant Buck
 
cayugad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Default

My question is, how do you guys prep your barrel before the first shot and after each shot. Please spell out the steps you take to get the barrell ready to shoot. For example, do I need to swab with a wet (water/windex) patch between shots. Please don't leave anything out. I feel like I am starting all over with this rifle it's been so long.
Here is my method. Others have different ways and I am NOT saying mine is the best way or the only way. I hunt in snow, rain, humidity, and just cold nasty weather. So I like to be sure the rifle will fire.

Take the gun off the rack and set the hammer to half cock. Drop the ramrod down the barrel and make sure it all but disappears. This tells me it is not loaded. Then to double check, I cover the muzzle with my mouth, blow down the barrel and listen for air to pass through the breech, nipple, vent holes, etc.. this tells me the rifle is unloaded. And the nipple is clear.

Now I take a patch and add isopropyl alcohol on the patch. Not to saturate the patch, just to dampen it. I then swab the bore of the rifle with that alcohol patch. This will remove dust, grunge, dirt, and especially the oil for putting it up. Swab both sides of the patch. Check that patch! Is there rust or brown on it? The brown can be dirt. But if there is rust that is something I will address after I shoot it.

Now knowing the rifle is empty and the oil has been patched out of the bore, I send down a dry patch. I again do this to make sure any dirt the alcohol patch missed is removed, also to make sure I have all the alcohol out of the bore. I want a dry clean bore before I go hunting. If you check that patch you might actually find some moisture on it. Its alcohol. So we are going to remove that right now.

Push a second dry clean white patch to the bottom of the breech. If it is a cap lock, put a cap on the nipple and fire the cap. Now pull the patch. Check the patch for moisture which there should be none, and of course a large burn mark. If the burn mark does not look large or cover the end of the jag size .. push an new clean patch down the bore and repeat the popping of another cap. Pull that patch and check for burn marks. What we want to see is.. are the caps pushing fire, through the nipple, then through the bolster or depending on the make of the rifle, the drum, into the breech area where the main powder charge will be. The burn mark on the patch tells us this. So check the second patch for a good black burn mark. Lets say.. it has a pretty good burn mark. So with an empty barrel, put a third cap on the nipple. Hold the muzzle at something on the floor ... perhaps an old patch. Pop that cap and see if the item on the floor.. leaf, dirty, old patch, what ever.. moves. This tells me the nipple is clear, the bolster/drum is clear, and that things are moving through the rifle and the bore is dry.

Here is the point where you have to know whether you like to hunt on a fouled bore or a clean bore. Some rifles I hunt with need to be fouled. Others not. Lets say for sake of argument you like a fouled bore. This is where you would dump twenty grains of the powder you intend to hunt with, down the bore. Then take a clean patch and push that down the bore onto the powder charge. This is called a squib load. Go outside, cap the rifle and fire that into the air. Its normally a harmless charge but could hurt living things at close range. So don't aim at anything living. Although if your in the city, you might want to wait until you are in a place where doing this will not get you arrested.

Once the barrel is fouled. We now know from the squib load that the rifle WILL fire. So dump your normal powder charge down the bore and your projectile. You have a loaded rifle now. All you need do is cap it.

If you hunt on a clean barrel.. bypass the squib load thing. Just load the rifle.

As mentioned.. take your nipple wrench with you. This is a time when many remove the nipple. Be careful not to drop and loose it. Take a spare. Now drizzle a little powder into the nipple port and replace the nipple. You are almost 100% certain this rifle will fire, when you cap it and need to shoot it.. IF YOU KEEP IT DRY THE REST OF THE DAY.

Now you can go hunting, knowing you have a fresh charge, and a primed rifle that will fire. I once fell into a creek with my Renegade, loaded just like this. Poured the water out of the barrel and fired the rifle off. No problem. You need to do this fast though, before the powder can soak any water. Like.. rifle up out of the water, dump the water hold the barrel down... find a stump.. fire the rifle.

Lets now say your in the wood and have fired the rifle at something and want to reload. Many rifles can be loaded again without swabbing. But for the sake of argument lets say it was a clean miss.. you had buck fever .. too bad.

This is a good time to swab the bore. I take some alcohol wipes you purchase at the wal mart. They're paper. But they are impregnated with alcohol. I then lay that alcohol patch on top of the muzzle, and then a dry single layer patch. Or you can carry a small bottle of alcohol with you and not bother with the alcohol patches. Just some alcohol and patches.. This will allow you to swab the bore of the rifle clean and to wipe the nipple off. You then run a dry patch after the wet patch. Some times if I am concerned the patch was too wet.. put a cap on the empty rifle and aim at a leaf or snow. Fire it and see if the barrel is passing the flame. Then load. You might want to add powder under the nipple for your next shot but really.. that rifle will normally fire just fine.

At the end of the day, if you shot a squib load, fire off the rifle and clean it. If you loaded on a clean barrel you have to decide how well you can trust that rifle over night for not killing the charge. I shoot mine off, clean the rifle, and do it all over again in the morning.

I hope this helped
cayugad is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 12:18 PM
  #7  
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 330
Default

You guys are great. Thanks for taking the time to help.
SHulion is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 03:24 PM
  #8  
Typical Buck
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 921
Default

These guys are very meticulous. Which is great but if you're not so detailed:

I run a dry patch down to to clean the oil out from storage, pop a cap, then load and fire.

I never had a Failure to Fire. I shoot T7, Pyrodex and real BP in a Hawken, Renegade and a Traditions Lightning. They all go bang and if I do my part they hit the target.
Josmund is offline  
Old 08-18-2012, 06:07 PM
  #9  
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 330
Default

Thanks again guys for all the help. Anyone else.
SHulion is offline  
Old 08-21-2012, 05:07 AM
  #10  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 169
Default

I use a very similar method as CayuGad, except I use windex instead of alcohol. I take a ziplock bag and place my patch in the bag and saturate them with windex and carry them in my possibles bag. This way I can do a quick cleaning in the field. I very seldom ever load or reload any of my rifles without running a windex patch through them an a dry patch to ensure that it will fire and be accurate. I would rather take the time and do things right than cripple an animal because I was in a hurry and didn't want to do things the correct way. You need to find what routine works best for you and your rifle. Good luck.

V/R
Mike
Slow Burn is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.