Hawkin question

[trapperdan2061]

I am looking to buy a Hawkin and am wondering who makes the best one.

This will be used for hunting so needs to be accurate and reliable so it will be a caplock.

Can you help me makee the decision or atleast add needed info?

Thanks Dan

 

[Shelldrake]

The Lyman Great Plains Rifle would be a great choice.

 

[machingu]

I would say Thompson Center.

 

[vagrantviking]

You need to decide if you are going to be using round balls or maxi's/mini's/sabots. Different rifling twist rates apply.

For round balls you want something on the order of 1-60 or slower. About 1-48 is a comprimise twist that tends to like round balls with light charges and slugs with heavy charges. Faster twists aren't too common in traditional styled guns that I'm aware of. Mostly found on in-lines for use with sabotted pistol slugs.

Lymans always appealled to me more than TC's but I've generally shot custom guns for the last decade or more and don't know the stats on the commercial muzzle loaders.

 

[snowshoe]

It also depends on what you like for a rifle. I like the Lyman rifles and they come in in a nice short hunting rifle like the Deerstalker that weighs in at 7 lbs and has a 24" barrel. Then there is the Trade rifle that has a 28" barrel and weighs in at 8 lbs, and they both have a 1 in 48" twist for round balls or bullets. Finally there is the Great Plains rifle that has a 32" barrel and weighs in at 9 lbs, and has a 1 in 60" twist to shoot round balls. I like shooting round balls, but don't like a 9 lb rifle, so I have the Trade rifle in .54. It would be best to handle as many rifles as you can before you decide.