My first bp rifle

TheBear · November 23, 2013, 08:13 AM

Im gonna get myself a bp rifle! After doing some research on the internet and talking to the old guys at the bp range ive made my decision, its going to be the Pedersoli rocky mountain hawken .54cal.
What do you guys think about this rifle? A good choice?
Can i only shoot round balls with this rifle or could i use minie balls, etc too? It has 7 grooves and a 1:65 twist, is this considered fast or slow for a bp rifle in .54cal?

eastbank · November 23, 2013, 08:31 AM

i have been shooting a rock lock pedersoli blue ridge rifle in .50 cal.,and i,m satisfied with it. eastbank.

freedom475 · November 23, 2013, 09:01 AM

This is a slow twist...more suited to RoundBall shooting. The Jaeger is a fast(er) 1:24 twist, more suited to bullet shooting.

That bing said....I'll bet you wil be very happy with the rifle

. At hawken distances I think you will still be able to shoot bullets/sabot's with satisfactory results. My Jaeger is suppose to be for bullets...but I shoot mostly RB's in it

Don't forget to post some pics of you shooting it

Not sure where you are shopping....but Cabela's has them on sale right now.

If your Hawken shoots like my Ped Jaeger.....your in for a long run of good times with her

Sure Shot Mc Gee · November 23, 2013, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Pedersoli rocky mountain hawken .54cal

Excellent choice. Handsome looking rifle too. Primarily a R.Ball shooter though. Since it appears you want to go the way of being a Traditional Shootist. Not that I want to change your already made decision. But, Have you given any thought towards looking at a Lyman brand. Pretty close to looking the same they both are. Pedersoli verses Lyman.
(take notice of their difference in pricing)

http://www.davide-pedersoli.com/sche...en-walnut.html

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Catego...LYMAN-GPR-54-P

FWIW: Who's ever rifle you choose. I'm sure you will enjoy. Being a Traditional Shooter you'll meet and greet many here of the same mind set. Keep us in the loop on how its going or if needing any advice as there are many knowledgeable individuals here on FLF. Good luck with that new rifle your about to purchase.

S/S

ocharry · November 23, 2013, 01:21 PM

hi bear

don't be taken in by all the "oh that is a round ball gun"

a 54 with a round ball will do anything you ask it to do,,,including elk

and you can eat right up to the hole

all you have to do is shoot the gun and be proficient with it

my 54 rb has killed plenty of deer,,,,no problem,,,,60gr ff will put a ball clear through a white tail at 100yrds

all you have to do is work up a load that the gun likes and then practice,,practice untill you can do it in your sleep

my .02

ocharry

Pahoo · November 23, 2013, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Pedersoli rocky mountain hawken .54cal.

WOW !!
You don't mess around in knowing what you want. On top of that, you were well advised by those Grey-Beards at the range. If I went after this one, I would not have anything but a slow twist.

Be Safe !!!

Hawg · November 23, 2013, 04:31 PM

It is a slow twist round ball barrel but being a .54 it may shoot minies well but not solid base conicals. My .54 has never had anything but round balls and it is a deer killer for sure. That rifle should do you proud.

Boomer58cal · November 23, 2013, 10:32 PM

That's a great choice!

You want 1 in 48 twist or faster for bullets. Stick with round ball and you'll do just fine. Like was said above it will go clean through dear.

The trick to accuracy with a muzzleloader is loading it exactly the same each time.

A word of warning, black powder is a highly addictive substance.

Enjoy and be safe.

Boomer

TheBear · November 24, 2013, 11:52 AM

thanks for all the answers.

its funny, when i started shooting i always said ill never get a bp rifle. i was totally into modern high powered rifles...

one more question:

what kind of accuracy can i expect from a .54 cal bp rifle shooting round balls at 50, 100 yards. the old guys at the range said 2 moa at least but i dont buy it, sounds to good to be true.

edit: the old guys said 2 moa at least

eastbank · November 24, 2013, 12:19 PM

3-4 inch groups with open sights for my rock lock pedersoli at 100yds. i have a TC .50 cap lock with a good peep sight that will half thoese groups at the same range and these are not target loads,but what i hunt with. eastbank.

Hawg · November 24, 2013, 02:15 PM

2 inches is doable but it takes some doing to work up a powder/ball/patch combo. What works in someone else's rifle may not work in yours even tho it might be the same rifle.

Boomer58cal · November 24, 2013, 02:32 PM

Quote:

what kind of accuracy can i expect from a .54 cal bp rifle shooting round balls at 50, 100 yards. the old guys at the range said 2 moa at least but i dont buy it, sounds to good to be true.

If you do your job loading the rifle consistently it will out shoot you. First off you need to find a load the works best in your rifle. I don't just mean the powder charge. You'll need to find the diameter round ball and thickness of patch your rifle like, then be sure you seat the ball with the exact same amount of pressure each time.

Practice makes perfect.

I'd also recommend getting yourself a good flexirod with a T handle. If you ever get a ball stuck do to fouling you'll wish you had. They work way better as a ball puller than a wood rod.

Boomer

Captchee · November 25, 2013, 10:27 AM

Quote:

what kind of accuracy can i expect from a .54 cal bp rifle shooting round balls at 50, 100 yards. the old guys at the range said 2 moa at least but i dont buy it, sounds to good to be true.

Once you have worked up a proper load it in fact should be that or less at 100.
At 50 you should be able to hold a clover leaf group easy enough . Especially if shooting from a rest with open sights .
As others have said , it takes practice .. It also takes time in learning not only the rifle but also the complete load it like . IE powder patch , ball and lube combination .
it also means learning how to use open sights so as to group on targets that you may or maynot be able to see clearly
Once you get confident in your groups , move away from shooting at larger targets by progressively shooting at smaller and smaller targets .
I very seldom shoot from a rest as im more into off hand shooting with open sights

Here are a couple targets shot off hand with a 54 cal flintlock , 42 inch Iron barrel . 80 grains 3 F. . 530 ball , .015 ticking patch with spit as a lube

50 yards off hand .

off hand long distance 200 yards

eastbank · November 26, 2013, 08:00 AM

i know my bp rifles will shoot,the weak part of the rifle is ME!. one of my favorite rifles is a older navy arms cap lock .58 zouve repo with a 575213 hollow based mimi bullet with a heavy skirt(i modified the lyman molds base plug). and have a good set of peep sight mounted(2.5 inch sight stem) on it with a little trigger work. this rifle will shoot 4 inch groups at 200yds all day long from a rest.

fdf · November 26, 2013, 11:55 AM

A excellent rife, well made and great workmanship.

For me, personally, it's too heavy and has too much drop on the stock.

Mine was in the first container coming into the country, I could not handle the rifle prior to buying it. Had I handled and fondled it, I would not have bought it, it just does not fit me personally.

Really a nice rifle if it fits a person. No complaints on the quality of the rifle. The Tryon fits me fine.

November 23, 2013, 08:13 AM	#1
TheBear Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2011 Posts: 303	My first bp rifle Im gonna get myself a bp rifle! After doing some research on the internet and talking to the old guys at the bp range ive made my decision, its going to be the Pedersoli rocky mountain hawken .54cal. What do you guys think about this rifle? A good choice? Can i only shoot round balls with this rifle or could i use minie balls, etc too? It has 7 grooves and a 1:65 twist, is this considered fast or slow for a bp rifle in .54cal? __________________ I see stupid people

November 23, 2013, 09:01 AM	#3
freedom475 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2008 Location: Rocky Mountains of Montana Posts: 292	This is a slow twist...more suited to RoundBall shooting. The Jaeger is a fast(er) 1:24 twist, more suited to bullet shooting. That bing said....I'll bet you wil be very happy with the rifle. At hawken distances I think you will still be able to shoot bullets/sabot's with satisfactory results. My Jaeger is suppose to be for bullets...but I shoot mostly RB's in it Don't forget to post some pics of you shooting it Not sure where you are shopping....but Cabela's has them on sale right now. If your Hawken shoots like my Ped Jaeger.....your in for a long run of good times with her __________________ Maker of Horse Tack and Cowboy Gear. www.7xleather.com Mister, why do you carry a 45? "Cause Sam Colt don't make a 46." Last edited by freedom475; November 23, 2013 at 09:21 AM.

November 23, 2013, 01:21 PM	#5
ocharry Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2006 Posts: 685	hi bear don't be taken in by all the "oh that is a round ball gun" a 54 with a round ball will do anything you ask it to do,,,including elk and you can eat right up to the hole all you have to do is shoot the gun and be proficient with it my 54 rb has killed plenty of deer,,,,no problem,,,,60gr ff will put a ball clear through a white tail at 100yrds all you have to do is work up a load that the gun likes and then practice,,practice untill you can do it in your sleep my .02 ocharry __________________ The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge nor jury. Therefore what he must be taught to fear is his victim." - Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, USMC

November 23, 2013, 10:32 PM	#8
Boomer58cal Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2013 Location: closer than you think Posts: 967	That's a great choice! You want 1 in 48 twist or faster for bullets. Stick with round ball and you'll do just fine. Like was said above it will go clean through dear. The trick to accuracy with a muzzleloader is loading it exactly the same each time. A word of warning, black powder is a highly addictive substance. Enjoy and be safe. Boomer __________________ The number one cause of death in the 20th century. 290,000,000 citizens were first disarmed and then murdered by their own governments. This number does not include those killed in war. We're from the government, we're here to help

November 24, 2013, 11:52 AM	#9
TheBear Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2011 Posts: 303	thanks for all the answers. its funny, when i started shooting i always said ill never get a bp rifle. i was totally into modern high powered rifles... one more question: what kind of accuracy can i expect from a .54 cal bp rifle shooting round balls at 50, 100 yards. the old guys at the range said 2 moa at least but i dont buy it, sounds to good to be true. edit: the old guys said 2 moa at least __________________ I see stupid people Last edited by TheBear; November 24, 2013 at 12:48 PM.

November 23, 2013, 08:31 AM	#2
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	i have been shooting a rock lock pedersoli blue ridge rifle in .50 cal.,and i,m satisfied with it. eastbank.

November 23, 2013, 04:31 PM	#7
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	It is a slow twist round ball barrel but being a .54 it may shoot minies well but not solid base conicals. My .54 has never had anything but round balls and it is a deer killer for sure. That rifle should do you proud.

November 24, 2013, 12:19 PM	#10
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	3-4 inch groups with open sights for my rock lock pedersoli at 100yds. i have a TC .50 cap lock with a good peep sight that will half thoese groups at the same range and these are not target loads,but what i hunt with. eastbank.

November 24, 2013, 02:15 PM	#11
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	2 inches is doable but it takes some doing to work up a powder/ball/patch combo. What works in someone else's rifle may not work in yours even tho it might be the same rifle.

November 26, 2013, 08:00 AM	#14
eastbank Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2008 Location: pa. Posts: 2,450	i know my bp rifles will shoot,the weak part of the rifle is ME!. one of my favorite rifles is a older navy arms cap lock .58 zouve repo with a 575213 hollow based mimi bullet with a heavy skirt(i modified the lyman molds base plug). and have a good set of peep sight mounted(2.5 inch sight stem) on it with a little trigger work. this rifle will shoot 4 inch groups at 200yds all day long from a rest.

November 26, 2013, 11:55 AM	#15
fdf Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2013 Posts: 117	A excellent rife, well made and great workmanship. For me, personally, it's too heavy and has too much drop on the stock. Mine was in the first container coming into the country, I could not handle the rifle prior to buying it. Had I handled and fondled it, I would not have bought it, it just does not fit me personally. Really a nice rifle if it fits a person. No complaints on the quality of the rifle. The Tryon fits me fine.