Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact
NitroExpress.com: Hawken Loads

View recent messages : 24 hours | 48 hours | 7 days | 14 days | 30 days | 60 days | More Smilies


*** Enjoy NitroExpress.com? Participate and join in. ***
You are not logged in. [Login] Main Index · Search · Active Topics
New user · Who's Online · FAQ · Calendar

Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Muzzleloaders & Blackpowder
Previous topic Previous   View all topics Index   Next topic Next   Threaded Mode Threaded  

Pages: 1
blackbearhunter
.333 member


Reged: 15/06/04
Posts: 273
Loc: swamp
Hawken Loads
      #18211 - 20/08/04 02:15 AM

I have a thompson/center hawken thats 50cal.I shoot 80gr.pyrodex to 90gr. with a 350gr.thompson/center maxi bullet with the lube in the groves.Is this a resonable powder charge and how high of a powder charge can i go?I shot one 6point buck with it at 40 yards,perfect behind the shoulder hit,and the buck ran for 125 yards like nothing ever happened?Is this normal?I got total penetration but sure had to track & drag a long ways up a mountain......How much powder do you guys load for 50caliber?

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
bonanza
.400 member


Reged: 17/05/04
Posts: 2335
Loc: South Carolina
Re: Hawken Loads [Re: blackbearhunter]
      #18218 - 20/08/04 04:07 AM

That is a perfect load for that gun. 125 yards is still a good kill for blackpowder. Whitetail can be blown in half and still run for hundreds of yards. I broke both front shoulders, got a lung, and the windpipe on one and tracked it for a mile!

--------------------


"Speak Precisely" G. Gordon Liddy.

"Life is absurd, chaotic and we must define its purpose with our actions" Abert Camus

"I''m the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude."

"Yo! Mr. White"

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
buckeyeshooter
.275 member


Reged: 04/02/04
Posts: 54
Loc: ohio, USA
Re: Hawken Loads [Re: blackbearhunter]
      #18489 - 27/08/04 09:20 AM

Blackbearhunter,
I grabbed my old manual that came with my .54 cal New Englander---has all the loading info from TC in it.
For the .50 cal maxi ball (370 gr) or maxi hunter (355 gr) the manual lists 80 grains as start 1271fps
90 grains 1344fps
100 grains max 1418fps
Hope this info helps!

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
blackbearhunter
.333 member


Reged: 15/06/04
Posts: 273
Loc: swamp
Re: Hawken Loads [Re: buckeyeshooter]
      #18705 - 31/08/04 11:34 AM

Thanks buckeye for your help,I have shot the 80& 90 grain loads so long I just didnt know what was recommended.Muzzle loader season is just around the corner.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DarylSModerator
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26998
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Hawken Loads [Re: blackbearhunter]
      #49269 - 06/02/06 06:46 AM

That result is common with the lousey pointy maxiball that collapses rather than expanding. Any slug at a pokey 1,300fps muzzle velocity is inferior to a patched round ball at 2,000fps for deer, moose and elk.
: A normal round ball, if patched properly will anchor deer much faster than any slug in that rifle. It is also much preferred for Moose and Elk.
: If you must shoot a slug, get the short Lee REAL bullet.
: Round balls are superior game projectiles - from 48" or slower twist rifles.


--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

Edited by Daryl_S (07/02/06 04:35 AM)

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Dphariss
.300 member


Reged: 18/04/06
Posts: 130
Loc: Montana
Re: Hawken Loads [Re: blackbearhunter]
      #69096 - 08/01/07 04:42 PM

Quote:

I have a thompson/center hawken thats 50cal.I shoot 80gr.pyrodex to 90gr. with a 350gr.thompson/center maxi bullet with the lube in the groves.Is this a resonable powder charge and how high of a powder charge can i go?I shot one 6point buck with it at 40 yards,perfect behind the shoulder hit,and the buck ran for 125 yards like nothing ever happened?Is this normal?I got total penetration but sure had to track & drag a long ways up a mountain......How much powder do you guys load for 50caliber?



The conicals are not going to greatly increase your killing power on deer sized animals. I have seen deer run this far or farther lung shot with a 7mm mag. Sometimes they don't know they are dead.
In your case the superior velocity of the RB using 90 grains or so of powder may have actually worked better. While this may sound like heresy to some, the 50-54 RB is much better hunting projectile than most modern gun writers will admit out to 100-120 yards.
I have killed a number of deer sized animals to 140 or so yards with a 50 with a 490 rb and 90 gr of FFFG and most only traveled about 40 yards, some less, some farther.
54 works better as would be expected.

Dan

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
DarylSModerator
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26998
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: Hawken Loads [Re: blackbearhunter]
      #69448 - 14/01/07 06:12 AM

Quote:

I have a thompson/center hawken thats 50cal.I shoot 80gr.pyrodex to 90gr. with a 350gr.thompson/center maxi bullet with the lube in the groves.Is this a resonable powder charge and how high of a powder charge can i go?I shot one 6point buck with it at 40 yards,perfect behind the shoulder hit,and the buck ran for 125 yards like nothing ever happened?Is this normal?I got total penetration but sure had to track & drag a long ways up a mountain......How much powder do you guys load for 50caliber?


: Due to the pointy shape of the maxiball and the wide deep grooves, it tends to collapse instead of expand on game. Too, it is actually too long for the 48" twist barrels.
; With a snug patch .020" to .015" and .490" or .495" round ball your .50 will do a better job on deer. The higher velocity flattens trajectories and hits harder.
: If you insist on using a slug, get the shortest slug mould you can find, due to that slow twist. It is actually a round ball twist, not a slug twist. TC advertises it as a slug or round ball twist just to sell more stuff. GOOD slug twists normally start at 36" in .50 calibre and get faster, not slower form there. 32" up to 24" is even better.
: Of 7 deer shot with a .50 TC Hawken and .495" round balls, denim patches & 80gr. 2F in the Queen Charlotte Islands of B.C. back in the 1970's, they all dressed out over 100 pounds(small deer) but every one dropped at the shot or took no more than 2 steps before dropping. When Maxiballs were tested on them, they ran 60 yards or further, same was when shot with a .30/30. Due to sometimes running onto muskeg, my bro went back to round balls as they killed faster, much faster. This was good enough information for me to use only round balls from then on.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Pages: 1


Previous topic Previous   View all topics Index   Next topic Next   Threaded Mode Threaded  

Extra information
0 registered and 25 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator:  DarylS 

Print Topic

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Rating:
Topic views: 3954

Rate this topic

Jump to

Contact Us NitroExpress.com

Powered by UBB.threads™ 6.5.5


Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact


Copyright 2003 to 2011 - all rights reserved