The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
damp ones dont burn
seen a few smouldering patches on our club range but seems only when the gun tears em up in the barrel - if the patch comes out whole seems ok.
I used to heavy load a 54 CVA and couldnt get the calico patches to hold so I used a smaller calico patch as a backer patch on the powder first then loaded the patch ball - shot accurate if you loaded it carefully but that dry patch was a certain sure firelighter - not the smartest idea for hunting!
yeah I got over the hero loads eventually - straight stock used to belt my cheek bones somethin awful - barrel wore in some - eased the load a bit - damp moose milk patch of pillow ticking (instead of the calico) and she's good --
I made a jig for hot oil bending stocks - a walnut one and one we made from that black Brazillian pseudo walnut bent like putty - the cheap beechwood (or whatever) CVA stock was really tough - in the end I got it to drop half an inch - but a heckuva hard job - almost a waste of effort !!!
DGW Zip-Patch or make your own from 50/50 Mutton tallow and beeswax. I soak my BP shotgun fiber wads in this.
Spit is,what I use most often. Or just the barest amount of Eezox.
I really enjoy shooting the Hawken. A lot more time consuming than smokeless cartridge guns. Be prepared to spend several hours at the range, to fire a couple of dozen shots. Loading, and periodic swabbing the bore takes time. With all that extra effort, you are more inclined to make every shot count. I sort of find it a relaxing change of pace. The coal burners shoot better than many people outside this hobby realize. In shooting reactive targets, you often have to wait until the smoke clears, to see if you hit.
I had been using 55 gr of 3F powder with the RB. Some sources claim 2F should be used in the 45 caliber, but I found 3F shoots a lot cleaner. I don't load anywhere near maximum anyway.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |