Wondering if any of you are into or know anything about Muzzleloading Rifles, the traditional ones. We are very interested in black powder traditional rifles but not sure about the details of buying one. Any info would be grateful:)

-- Jim (jphammock@msn.com), July 19, 2000

Answers

To add to my question also I see hawkens kits that you have to put together and I see hawkens that are ready to go. Are the kits worth the lower price, are they as good as one already to go. The price difference between a kit and a ready gun are pretty large(kit-179.00 area and Ready Gun 420.00). I dont want to get a bad one:) Thanks for any info

-- Jim (jphammock@msn.com), July 19, 2000.

Jim,

Hubby has a Hawkens that he made from a kit somewhere around '77 he thinks. He used to shoot it a lot, but hasn't for years. He says that it was a lot of fun to shoot and accurate - lots of noise, smoke and sparks. Says he doesn't remember a lot about putting it together, but doesn't recall it being too difficult. Says keeping the barrel clean is a pain. Tells me it is a 50 caliber, he's never hunted with it, but says you could use it for deer. Says to get a book or go with someone who is experienced, because they can be dangerous if they aren't loaded exactly right - ball not tamped down securely, too much powder etc..

Good luck! Polly and John

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), July 19, 2000.

First the powder than the ball! There is a wide selection to chose from I would suggest that you check out a couple of gun shows to see whats available in your area. If you have not shot blackpowder guns before it would be best to start with something in the 45 to 54 cal. range as these are the most popular and you should be able to find something used at a reasonable price.

Dixie Gun Works out of Union City Tn. has a very comprehensive catalog, their # is 1-800-238-6785 for orders.

As far as building a muzzleloader yourself the finished product depends on your ability I have seen some real fine rifles and some that were little better junk from the same kit............JAY

-- JAY (jay@TOWNSQR.COM), July 19, 2000.

Hubby has a Hawken 50 cal. that he built from a kit in 76. It is really beautiful, but he is a real stickler for perfection, so like the last person said, it depends on how careful you are when you put it together and finish it. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), July 19, 2000.

Jim! There are several good blackpowder rifles on the market. It depends what you want to use it for. For deer etc-not smaller than a .45 cal. Squirrels--.36 cal. I prefer the Thompson Center Hawken in .50 cal. CVA also makes a nice .45 Kentucky Rifle. In my opinion, the Thompson Center is the "caddilac" of the endloaders. Unless you're handy with woodworking it would be better to buy it already built. Some inletting and barrel/lock fitting is required on all I've seen. Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), July 19, 2000.

Ditto for Dixie Gun Works.......for a beginner, I would recommend percussion VS flint..perhaps a small caliber Pennsylvania rifle for target shooting,fun type things....Hawkens are heavy with alot of recoil for someone not used to them..I would not recommend buying a kit unless you are a very detail-oriented person,,there is not that much savings there if you do not already have all of the right tools.For example, it is $495 for a kit to build a Tennessee Mountain Rifle,and $575 for the completed rifle (Dixie gun Works).Pennsylvania rifle kit is $395 and the finished product sells for $450,Hawkens kits are $220,and the completed rifles are $250. BTW,Hi everybody,I'm Lesley's husband...feel like I know you all, she talks about this forum incessantly!!!!!

-- Neil (martchas@gateway.net), July 19, 2000.

I know a bit since I've been shooting them for years, but your best bet would be from any local buckskinners in your area. These folks have frequent weekend rendenevous and are almost always open to the public. I suggest you try a search in your area or online. The NRA has a muzzle-loading counterpart, the NMLRA. I've yet to encounter a more honest and open group of folks. They have their own "code" and getting others involved is at the top.

For the record, my favorite is a Lyman's Great Plains rifle in .50 cal and a browned (not blued) barrel.

-- Chris Stogdill (cstogdill@rmci.net), July 19, 2000.

My experience in this area is very limited. I have a .45 cal. flintlock that was built from a kit. I bought it already put together and it was finished a bit roughly. As I had no information about this rifle I looked in the Dixie Gun Works catalog, which is a wealth of information, and found what I needed to know as far as powder charge and so forth. In any event it turned out to be a fine shooter, very accurate. Although I've never hunted with it, I wouldn't hesitate to use it hunting. From this experience I would say a kit is a good economical way to go to get into blackpowder muzzle loaders. I think if you get one from a reputable dealer you'll be way ahead of the game.

-- Bob Johnson (backwoods_bob_2000@yahoo.com), July 20, 2000.

Can't give you advice, but did you know there's a muzzleloading contest in Friendship In. twice a year. June and September. It's known as "the Shoot" I used to work at the state park and a lot of people camp there from the shoot. There are some very interesting characters and the shooter love to talk about their mmuzzleloaders. They have their own flea market and there's a huge flea market next to the shoot. I'm sure there's someone in Friendship that could give you advice.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), July 20, 2000.

If you can put things together and do a little woodwork you can make a kit gun. They're really simple. The Dixie Hawken mentioned is the best on the market, in my opinion. Shoots good and is nice to handle. The guns you see that are already assembled were made from kits unless it's an original and there arent' many of those around and if it is you'll sure notice a difference in the price. I recommend a Dixie Hawken kit in .50 caliber. Great fun.

-- Joe Cole (jcole@apha.com), July 20, 2000.

Jim, I am a FFL holder, and I just happen to have some muzzleloaders I bought at very good prices. Fortunately, even the administration of Despicable Bill has not made it illegal for us to ship these ancient technology arms to someone in another state. I'm also an afficianado of good old bad-smelling black powder. Have gotten 2 deer with them in last 3 years. e-mail direct, and I think I can beat anyone's prices, but will give honest info should you want something other than the couple I have. There is a lot of stuff out there, most good, some garbage, and a very wide market if you consider value. And welcome to the black powder fraternity! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), July 20, 2000.

Dixie Gun Works is the guru. The kits arn't difficult. I helped an old gentleman assemble two of em during a 10 day hunt when I was 15, it took us 4 days to assemble them, working a couple hours at night. I believe Guns and Ammo has a black powder magazine available.

-- Jay Blair (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 26, 2000.