Author Topic: Looking for a new side lock .50cal (Read 5880 times)

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #30 on:** December 27, 2008, 01:26:42 PM »

I like your attitude JP..maybe that's the attitude I should have. I already know the quality of the Pedersoli and surely every worth of the cost. Nothing says I can't own just one stinky stick anyhow

. You know, maybe I just might hold off and wait till a little more cash comes my way and can buy what I really want instead of sticking with 2nd best and later dealing with the "coulda, shoulda, woulda" feeling. For everyones info, I just bought a CVA St. Louis Hawken (.50cal) that just could'nt pass up

but you know, honestly I really like the looks of the Pedersoli, and Swampman mentioned it already that, the Pedersoli Rocky Mountain Hawken is a nice one. In .54 as well.
I think I'll just sit on what cash I have now, wait and follow JP's attitude/comment, quote "I can't afford to buy one today, but I'll be able to get one sometime next year, I expect. I'd rather have "gratification" than "instant"
I think I feel better just now...typing all that

Buckskins & Black Powder · « **Reply #31 on:** December 27, 2008, 07:40:46 PM »

i got those pics of the hawken you bought. Ive never seen one that spotless!! Good find indeed.

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #32 on:** December 28, 2008, 01:14:26 PM »

Quote from: bigblock455 on December 27, 2008, 07:40:46 PM

i got those pics of the hawken you bought. Ive never seen one that spotless!! Good find indeed.

Well, after the positive comments you made and with your 1st hand experience with CVA I figured it was a good buy and just could'nt pass it up

I can't wait till it arrives

Thanks again

Buckskins & Black Powder · « **Reply #33 on:** December 28, 2008, 01:26:12 PM »

You'll enjoy it. For starters, try 40gr pyrodex P, cci #11 magnum cap, .015 patch. This shoots awesome in my brothers CVA Hawken.

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #34 on:** December 28, 2008, 05:23:07 PM »

On hand, all I have is Goex FFG, FFFG, Pyrodex RS, Triple 7, .018 patches, .490 & .495 rb, Lee Improved minie and Remington #11 primers. The weather for the next few days calls for snow flurries and highs
of -27 Clesius.

Buckskins & Black Powder · « **Reply #35 on:** December 28, 2008, 05:30:48 PM »

3f goex would be perfect! Heck, even 2f goex. + the .490 round ball.

the remington #11s may fall off the nipple so you should watch out for that. For some reason they seem to fit all of my nipples loose.

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #36 on:** December 29, 2008, 02:26:34 PM »

The Rem primers fit tight on my Pedersoli but then again I have nothing else to compare them too.
My Big Bro just put a musket cap nipple on his Hawken and swears by its efficiency, hotter ignition, faster ignition for more positive shooting. So I just might go that route.

nw_hunter · « **Reply #37 on:** December 30, 2008, 04:24:43 AM »

Quote from: Huntsman1 on December 18, 2008, 06:55:59 AM

Well I've narrowed down my choices, I just have'nt decided which would be a better front-stuffer to carry around on a hunt. I presently shoot a Pedersoli Frontier percussion and now want something a little shorter and bit more robust. So these are the ones I'm looking at;
1) T/C Hawken
2) Lyman GPR ; and
3) Pedersoli Missouri River Hawken

What would your decision be?

If your going after the big critters with Round ball, the 54 would be my choice.
(or BIGGER)

For entry level gun........T/C would be my choice, because it's American made, and has a lifetime warranty. I know several people that have tested the warranty, and T/C came through. In one case, they replaced the entire gun, and my friend had sent it back because of a barrel issue . The stock on the old gun had developed a small crack, and even tho he never mentioned it to T/C, they replaced everything.

The Great plains rifle is more like the orig. Hawken, if you want period!
"However" there are aftermarket stocks and other parts available to make the T/C Hawken look more traditional.

What ever your choice........Good luck hunting the BIG critters with a smoke pole!

nw_hunter · « **Reply #38 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:40:00 AM »

Quote from: buckskin billy on December 18, 2008, 01:27:28 PM

both are real fine guns. i own a t/c and a friend of mine has a lyman. if i had to do it over again i'd go with the lyman. not that there is nothing wrong with the t/c as its a fine gun. i'm a purist and a t/c looks too "modern" for me.

a side note, at one time you could get the lyman in either round ball barrel twist or conical barrel twist

There are some period stocks and parts out there, if you want the T/C Hawken to look more like a Hawken. What I like about the T/C's are.......They are American made, and the only ones with a lifetime warranty that's been tested and proven.

My next choice would be the Italian made (Invest Arms) GPR.

Last choice would be the Spanish made ML's (Traditions, and others)

j two dogs · « **Reply #39 on:** January 12, 2009, 03:16:07 AM »

Another opiton is to go with the Lyman GPR, more authentic, find a local barrel maker. We have two in the area. So you could go with the .50, and latter have a replacement barrel in a .62 or .72, guaranteed, to bust the float on anything that walks this old world!

j two dogs · « **Reply #40 on:** January 12, 2009, 08:55:32 AM »

It turns out that the .72 may be impractical, with the curved butt pad, and it may not fit to boot, but the .62 may work

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #41 on:** February 04, 2009, 06:05:26 PM »

Well after thinking it over I made my decision and ordere a Lyman .54cal percussion kit. It should arrive by March or April.
I'm really looking forward to my newest investment and can't wait to start building!!!
Thx again

lrrice · « **Reply #42 on:** February 05, 2009, 05:07:28 PM »

I'd choose the Lyman round ball, bigger is better. I have a TC in 54 and a CVA Mountain rifle in 50. The TC lives in the safe. The mountain rifle always goes out to play. Put a L&R flintlock on it to get rid of the cheap CVA lock. Built a .36 for it too. Want build a larger bore for it too. Oh, and back to the Lyman, I have one of their pistols and I must say the quality is top notch. As far as the REAL's go, I never had much luck getting them or any other conical to shoot accurately in a round ball bore.

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #43 on:** February 06, 2009, 03:48:18 PM »

Yeah, I'll probably stick to round balls for the 1st couple of kills

Swampman · « **Reply #44 on:** February 07, 2009, 12:29:17 AM »

Quote from: lrrice on February 05, 2009, 05:07:28 PM

Put a L&R flintlock on it to get rid of the cheap CVA lock.

The L&R lock is not easy to install.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #45 on:** February 07, 2009, 02:43:22 AM »

Swampy!

Why do you say that? $:-\$ Not being a smart butt here, but I use L&R's and really am curious.

Swampman · « **Reply #46 on:** February 07, 2009, 02:45:35 AM »

On my T/C, I had to remove a lot of wood. The locks are nice looking & work well. Folks should know they don't just drop in.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #47 on:** February 07, 2009, 02:59:13 AM »

Ah so! See, I knew you had a reason for saying that!

And I think that properly inletting a lock is the most difficult part of building a ML!

lrrice · « **Reply #48 on:** February 07, 2009, 03:28:34 PM »

I'm a slow learner, I tried to get off cheap by installing a Dixie lock then went to the L&R so bigger was good to cover the hole I made for the Dixie. Point being that cheap locks (CVA, not Lyman or T/C) are the worst nightmare I have faced in muzzle loading. My post was a bit cryptic. Upon rereading it would seem that was what I was suggesting lock replacement but I was merely relating my experience. I tend to ramble away from my original intent on occasion.

Buckskins & Black Powder · « **Reply #49 on:** February 08, 2009, 04:58:56 PM »

smoothest lock i have is on my cva. Took 15 minutes to polish the internals and sideplate. What exactly is wrong with a cva lock?

Swampman · « **Reply #50 on:** February 08, 2009, 11:40:58 PM »

The lock parts are soft and gritty.

lrrice · « **Reply #51 on:** February 09, 2009, 04:50:10 PM »

I had a cva caplock that got so weak that you had to hit a cap several times to set it off. Changed it to a CVA flint lock and things got worse. Changed that to a dixie flint and it got a little better. Finally broke down and spent the money on a l&r and have never been disappointed.

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #52 on:** March 30, 2009, 07:14:26 PM »

Well finally after a short month & a bit (almost 2 months) wait I finally received my new Lyman GPR 54 cal kit.
I have'nt decided whether or not I'll blue or brown her??? But at any rate I am very happy that it finally arrived!!
Thank-you all for sharing your views and helping me decide on my new sidelock,

Huntsman1

Buckskins & Black Powder · « **Reply #53 on:** March 30, 2009, 09:32:13 PM »

antique brown?

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #54 on:** March 31, 2009, 04:26:01 AM »

Quote from: bigblock455 on March 30, 2009, 09:32:13 PM

antique brown?

Exactly

But I'm still not sure if I want that or nice deep, rich Oxpho-Blue?
My Pedersoli is "browned" or antique brown which looks purdy good. But I also like the blue

What was the original Hawken style rifle?

Swampman · « **Reply #55 on:** March 31, 2009, 02:09:23 PM »

Original Hawkens were blued. I'd go with the Oxpho-Blue

Forestclimber · « **Reply #56 on:** April 01, 2009, 01:35:37 PM »

T/C Renegade 54 is the way to go. Also, you can get a really slick aftermarket trigger from Trackofthewolf.com. that drops right in. Sell the old trigger.

JPShelton · « **Reply #57 on:** April 07, 2009, 09:58:22 PM »

Quote from: Huntsman1 on March 30, 2009, 07:14:26 PM

Well finally after a short month & a bit (almost 2 months) wait I finally received my new Lyman GPR 54 cal kit.
I have'nt decided whether or not I'll blue or brown her??? But at any rate I am very happy that it finally arrived!!
Thank-you all for sharing your views and helping me decide on my new sidelock,

Huntsman1

I'd brown it, rather than blue it, if it were mine.

My old GPR came blued, of course. It still looks virtually new. If I ever wear the bluing enough to warrant a re-finish, I'll be browning it, rather than bluing it.

To me, a browned caplock, half-stock rifle screams "tradition" in a way that the same rifle with a blued finish doesn't.

-JP

petemi · « **Reply #58 on:** April 08, 2009, 05:03:55 AM »

I put a L&R RPL on a Cabelas .50 Hawken that I had to get rid of the slow coil spring. It was virtually a drop in and turned that rifle into a real shooter.

Pete

Huntsman1 · « **Reply #59 on:** May 16, 2009, 03:51:27 PM »

I really did it this time.......I could'nt pass this one up...so now I have two .54 cal muzzleloaders. A Lyman (kit) and a new TC Hawken......what on earth am I gonna do

I saw the add for the Thompson Center Hawken and well....I had a few extra dollars burning a hole in my pocket so I went for it

It's a sickness I tell you..a sickness!!!