58 Cal Hawken

[Gunner500]

Thank You Kurt and Don, it was my pleasure for sure, I hunted and shot all those bucks from the ground with that Hawken, when you can work the wind and use natural cover to get it done it's just that much more satisfying.
Even the young 8pt in the Arkansas clearcut, getting that close in the fog and light misting rain is what it's all about, I carry that rifle in the rain/mist with either right or left thumb over the rear sight, a quick swipe of the back of the front sight blade during shouldering kept the sights clean and sharp for shooting, do the same with my Sharps rifles.
The big 8pt here at the house and the Kansas bruiser were the only two shot in dry conditions, so yes, two for two.
Old Buddy measured the Kansas buck, he has a 20" inside spread, 5 and 6 inch eye guards, with 12 and 12.5 inch G2's, he said he'd go better than 160 for whatever that's worth.
Hope the good Lord grants me another year on this spinning rock we're stuck too, another fall hunting with that 58 will be more fun indeed.

[Rowdy Rick]

Nice deer Gunner! All the better when taken with a ML !
I have a .50 Hawkens with a 1-66 twist that shoots patched balls very well. Have taken a lot of deer and one buff with it. Bought it after watching Jeremiah Johnson

Rick

[seahawk]

Nice deer Gunner! All the better when taken with a ML !
I have a .50 Hawkens with a 1-66 twist that shoots patched balls very well. Have taken a lot of deer and one buff with it. Bought it after watching Jeremiah Johnson

Rick

thats funny,..i think ol' jeremiah got alot of us started!

[Hiwall55]

And Quigley sold alot of Sharps.

[Gunner500]

Nice deer Gunner! All the better when taken with a ML !
I have a .50 Hawkens with a 1-66 twist that shoots patched balls very well. Have taken a lot of deer and one buff with it. Bought it after watching Jeremiah Johnson

Rick

Thank you Rick, it was a lot of hard work but well worth it, interesting that You killed a buffalo with a 50 cal round ball, mind sharing a few details? shot placement, alloy, range, etc?

I need to watch more tv, never saw Jeremiah Johnson, but did see Quigley back when I had hair and red whiskers.

[Rowdy Rick]

Nice deer Gunner! All the better when taken with a ML !
I have a .50 Hawkens with a 1-66 twist that shoots patched balls very well. Have taken a lot of deer and one buff with it. Bought it after watching Jeremiah Johnson

Rick

Thank you Rick, it was a lot of hard work but well worth it, interesting that You killed a buffalo with a 50 cal round ball, mind sharing a few details? shot placement, alloy, range, etc?

I need to watch more tv, never saw Jeremiah Johnson, but did see Quigley back when I had hair and red whiskers.

Gunner,

I was using 90 grains of GoEx2F, a Hornady .490 round ball with lubed .010 patch. The gun is one of Cabelas first Hawkens that had the slow twist yet for round balls. They are an Italian gun but it is a great shooter. I had an article in the last "American Sharps Shooters" that detailed shooting that buffalo with my Hawkens. The title was from Field to Freezer I believe. You can also see the shot placement in the article.
Buffalo: from Field to Freezer
I would not generally recommend hunting buffalo with round balls and ML's. Somewhere I have some pics of recovered balls from buffs here.

Rick

[Gunner500]

Good deal, Thanks Rick, glad to know pure lead at moderate velocities got it done, I used to shoot 110 grains 3F in my 50 cal, and thanks for the link, just got in from filling hay rings, have to grab a bite then go drive little Wife around to look at Christmas lights I'll check that reading out tomorrow.

[Rowdy Rick]

Good deal, Thanks Rick, glad to know pure lead at moderate velocities got it done, I used to shoot 110 grains 3F in my 50 cal, and thanks for the link, just got in from filling hay rings, have to grab a bite then go drive little Wife around to look at Christmas lights I'll check that reading out tomorrow.

My Christmas acquiescence to my wife is watching a Hallmark Christmas movie

The buff shot was a brain shot at just a few yards shy of 100 yards. The article explains why I was carrying the Hawkens. I was most worried about a glance from not hitting the skull flat on. They will skip if angled enough, even a modern rifle and cartridges can glance on skulls. A spec op I know said a .308 can glance on a human skull............

Rick

[Gunner500]

LOL, yes, I suffer the hallmark Christmas shows as well as tiny tim and the scrooge, funny the stuff we do for our Chickens ; ]

Good shooting to drill that Buff head on like that, 10-4 of the deflectors too, I have even heard/watched large bore rifles deflecting solids off African Cape Buffalo skulls, watching video and reading anything I could get my hands on in preparation for a Safari has lots of good learning points in that big B curve.