Shooting the Hot Rod Hawken

[idahoron]

Today I got a chance to do some range work with my Hot Rod Hawken. The last time I shot was back in March. I was shooting 6" low at 150 yards that time. I wanted to shoot it at 150 and get that sight in perfect. The first shot was again 6" low. SO I adjusted the sight and shot again. This time I was a little over 3" high. I adjusted it and shot again. It wasn't a bullseye but close enough for me.

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Muzzleloaders/7-7-12B.jpg

On this next target I started out with the last shot on the target above. My second shot after getting the sight perfect was good enough for me. So for shot number 3 on this target I moved up to 100 yards to check my 100 yard sight in. That one is close enough for a bullseye for me.

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Muzzleloaders/7-7-12A.jpg

By this time the wind was starting to pick up. It wasn't real bad but enough to push my bullets off the paper. I went out to 200 and 250 yards to check for elevation. Both of them were good but they were off to the left just off the paper. I went out to 300 and shot a couple times there. I wasn't worried about windage just height. I was about 6" low. I will have to try to get that finished on my next trip.
One thing that the long yardage shows me is how much the wind comes into play with long shots. My max distance I will shoot at game is 150 yards on the first shot. I always have my guns sighted in out to 250 or 300 yards. That is just in case something went wrong with the first shot and I have a wounded animal. If that happens I know where to set my sights on a longer shot if I have to take that on a wounded animal.
Just about ready for the hunting season. Ron

[Good Cheer]

Tell again Ron, what was the twist and barrel length on that Hot Rod?

[AR-15 Cowboy]

No excuses now if you don't use your tags.

[idahoron]

GC, the barrel is a Green Mountain 28" 1-30 twist.

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Muzzleloaders/HawkenwithRecoilpad1.jpg

AR-Cowboy, I wish I had the tags. My son has a buck tag and a Antelope tag. Ron

[izzyjoe]

that's a slick hawken ron, i was wanting to get a GM 1-70, but i changed my mind. i did'nt know they made them in SS.

[Chamfered]

Yes that is a sweet Hawken. I bet the peeps make it shoot like a house on fire, which your targets show. Now I can feel the black itch comin on..... just what I needed, I gotta set up to shoot some this week.

[Hiwall55]

SWEET,I've got 1 like it with a G-M .54 round ball twist, Mine even has the same sight set-up Good luck hunting

[Fly]

Idahorn, that is one sweet rifle.I would love to do the same, but with
a Lyman great plains rifle.I like the exstra stock drop.But thats me.I love
your gun.
Fly

[HARRYMPOPE]

will accuracy hold up for 5 shots? Not that it matters for a hunting gun but i am just curious.My 1-32 Lyman .50 will sometimes shoot 1"-1.25" at 100 and 3" at 200 for three but almost always opens up to double that if i try for 5 shots groups.This is with a Lyman 395g GP bullet.

George

[idahoron]

It will stay sub 2" at 100 yards with 3 shots no cleaning. I normally shoot a 5 shot groups but I didn't bother with this bullet. This group was with a different bullet. Ron

http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd294/idahoron/Muzzleloaders/316grMinie100yardsinfoadded.jpg

[Good Cheer]

Ron, how much will the Lee sizer let you size down a paper patched .45? Will a straight lead cast 45-70 bullet patched with 25% rag onion skin (got plenty!) size down OK in a Lee .457 or .458 sizer? How much are you successfully reducing them in diameter?

I'd like to try the paper in my .458 bore TC NE but haven't got my O2it yet. And, I'm still threatening to get Hoyt to rebore a 38" long GM barrel to be a .458 bore longer range piece.

[idahoron]

The .454 will do it but they are tight. I had better luck with my .458 sizing them to .451 but since this rifle has been shooting so well I haven't shot my .458 in a long time. Ron

[Good Cheer]

Ron, I don't think I'm straight yet on what you're doing with the Lee sizer.
The Lee sizer is letting you take a .458, paper patch it and then size it down to .451?

[idahoron]

If you wrapped a .458 bullet and sent it through the .451 sizer it will strip the paper right off.
When I was shooting the .458 rifle I was using the Lee 405 HB. I shot them naked by sizing them to .457 or. I would size them naked to .452 then I would wrap the paper on. Then I would run them through the .451 sizer. I used the .452 because I didn't want lead in the .451 die. Sizing .458's down to .451 is not that good of a deal. I have had some luck now and then but they were not consistent like the RCBS has been in this rifle.
I think the .458 rifle needs a little harder lead. When I get around to making bullets again I will be bumping them up a lot in hardness.
In short sizing a .458 bullet to .451 is tough on the bullet and smears the bands. Ron

[Good Cheer]

My same experience with the Lyman type dies. How much diameter reduction of paper patched bullets have you seen to be successful using the Lee dies? With Lyman dies I haven't had much joy going more than two to three thou from as wrapped to sized. And, as always, that too depends on the alloy spring back. Dead lead being easiest. The lube holes in the dies can be the big pain.

[Good Cheer]

While I was grubbing around yesterday looking for the .350" sizer for my flinter rabbit pistol I found the .318 sizer die that I was using in 1977 to pre-size with for 8x57. Was using built up wraps of cigarette paper. That thin stuff wanted to skin off on the holes something terrible.
Cigarette paper had the advantage of being thin and tough so you got laminate construction but it required a mastic instead of just spit. When asked how well it worked I'd say that sometimes they zig zagged.

[idahoron]

On these bullets they come out at .446 after I wrap them and size them with a lee sizer they are at .447 right now. I wrapped them and sized them on Sunday. Ron