Suddenly, it's 1861!

Is she not purty? Yeah she is. Took her out for the day on the state land, near my house, where either sex deer and elk are open. No didn't see no deer nor elk. Got up on a bull moose, who stood there and chewed his cud while I played "put the sights on the moose and pretend". !!! The '61 is my rainy day rifle, but I just wanted to get it out today, just because. My Jeager is my usual rifle.

However, my "deep thoughts" are that a heavy rifle like this really isn't that much of a chore to pack around all day if you carry it right, and change positions often. The most comfortable seems to be kind of an "at the ready" carry, but with my right hand around the balance point, ahead of the rear sight, and behind the last (first?) barrel band, with it resting on the belly band of my pack (actually the hip-band/belt, but I have a pistol belt on the hips) which takes some of the weight. And the butt kind of up under my right pit. ? Works for me. As the day wears on, it seems that it gets lighter when carrying it in one hand or the other, at my side. It does not seem to get heavier as time goes on. I think the cool factor makes it lighter maybe. ???

Anyone else hunting with heavy rifles?

Oh I like that Hawken. I did a lot of brass tack work on my Brown Bess. I think a rifle up to ten pounds is "doable", more than that, not so much. I think the '61 is either 9.5 or ten. My real "comfort zone" is 8.5 pounds, that's what my Jeager, and my Brown Bess (carbine version) weigh. Ooops. This pic of Bess is pre-tack.

One thing about packing the '61 around all day, is that when I switch back to my Jeager, which is 8.5#, it makes it feel more like a six pound rifle.

I'd love to have one of those. Also have always admired the Mississippi Rifle.

Armored farmer said:

I don't really know what my old Hawken weighs, its not too bad really.
I like to carry it slung.View attachment 958646

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The patch box on that there Hawken looks interesting. ?? I picked up a TC Hawken recently, for free, but the bore was totally trashed. I'm not sure what someone did to it. I got an ebay-special barrel for it, but haven't had a chance to shoot it much. I put a few Hornady "PA Conicals" through it, and it shot okay, but pretty far right for some reason. Have not tried round ball in it yet, have it loaded at the moment with a "Great Plains" bullet by Hornady...says: "1" Groups" on the box. We'll see. It's sitting on 80 grains. Was going to shoot it today....but didn't.

Wow!!