45 hawken new style bullet that work

[brassbullets12]

i have a 30yr old T/C 45 CAL HAWKEN, it shoots ball/patch perfectly. anybody had any luck with sabots, or new style bullets.?. i thinks its 1/48 not really made for the new style bullets , just wondering if anybody has had any luck.. i have tried some , nothing even comes close to ball/patch, it shoots , groups are all over paper, ball and patch is only thing i have found anything to trust to hunt with,
just wondering if anybody has same gun,and tried other bullets
thanks

 

[Bill from NJ]

brass,

I too have had the same rifle for more than 30 some odd years.

Try using the T/C Maxi-ball in .45 cal it was made for this rifle.(1:48 twist)

Personally I do not use any of the "new" stuff sold.

I stick with what works.

regards,

Bill from NJ

 

[brassbullets12]

Yeah, thats what i have found out.. I have shot some impressive 75 yd. Groups with a patch and ball, i had some maxi balls they shot good, but they were homemade, and run out of that style, everthing since then hasn't been the same. I will get some t/c maxi ball

thanks for info

 

[rifle]

The Lee Improved Minni hollow based bullet would be a good bet. I've got good results with them. One of the most important things is to load the bullets straight. If they are hard to get in they don't go in straight or shoot straight. That's the idea of the TC QLA reamed muzzles. Bullets supported so it loads straight.The1-48 twist can be a good twist for conicals if the bullets loaded right and there's the right amount of powder behind it. Skip the sabots and stick with the lead slugs.

 

[arcticap]

Have you tried the 250 grain REAL .45's that are cast from a Lee mold?

http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1255760587.3313=/html/catalog/blackpow.html

 

[frontiergander]

try out the powerbelts. ive always had great luck with the 225 or 275 aerotip with around 90gr Pyrodex in the 45s ive owned.

 

[rifle]

Those Real Bullets by Lee are hard to load straight. Hard to shoot straight.
I got a little press from Rapine Bullet Moulds. They make them. They sell any sizer in increments of .001 inch for the little press. Made to size lead slugs like Lee Minnies and any others.
If you size about a coupla .001's over the land diameter of the barrel the bullerts go in straight. Bump em up at the bottom on the powder to make sure they stay down if hunting.
It's surprising how amny lead bullets shoot well when they are,first and foremost loaded straight.
Problem to over come is the rifling grooves in "Ball" type rifles is too deep for conical bullets. That means a stout powder load is needed in hopes of obtuating(bump up upon firing) the bullet to fill the grooves and seal the gases so the rifle doesn't shoot like it has a bad muzzle crown.
Anyway....lead slugs can work well in the 1-48 twist if you use common shooting basics and load straight and overcome the deep rifling grooves problem.
My old Hawken can shoot the balls real well but can also shoot any lead conical I've loaded in it well if I load it straight. The old gun can shoot those conicals out to 200 yards with a 4-5 inch group with more of the rounds in a smaller group. Talkin like 10-15 shoots fired into a group so there's a good percentage in a group more like 2-4 inches.
I use at least 80gr. FFg in the old gun. Using FFFg with the heavy lead slugs can bulge those barrels. I've seen a long list of rifle barrels that failed and bulged or burst. Most were loaded with the heavy lead slugs and short started but plenty were loaded right but with the heavy bullet and FFFg powder. Loaded with 100gr. or more FFFg powder.
I never use FFFg and the heavy bullets after reading that report. I've used over 80gr. of powder with the heavy lead slugs in some rifles I knew were higher quality barrels like Pedersoli. I have the octagon barrel Pedersoli Remington Rolling Block Muzzleloader. I've used up to 100gr. FFg in it with a 28 inch barrel. Shoots those big lead slugs out to even 400 with accuracy. It's the shallow grooves and faster twist in that rifle that does that.
Anyway.....for hunting a ball is real good but....in certain calibers like the 45's with the balls you gotta keep it close to kill ethically. Tops about 75 yards but 50 is better with a 45 ball. With the conicals if you have the accuracy it's 100 to 125 yards range for hunting ifin you shoot good. The 100 yards is a long shot actually but the conicals shoot with authority at that range.
Anyway.....the Lee REAL BULLETS are hard to load straight but if you size them to go in easy they go straight and shoot straight relatively speaking.
One reason the MAXI BALLS shoot well is they are tapered to load straighter.
Thing is...the base of the bullet is important and when the base doesn't fill the grooves there can be inconsistancy. It's better to try to use a lead slug that has a base that's the same as the reat of the bullet and find a way to load straight. Those sizers and the sizer press Rapine Bullet Moulds sells is the secret. I use a bullet that's .002-3 more diameter than the lands of the rifle barrel. The bullet stays down but goes down easy and straight.
Sabots can work but they cost to much and can blow gas by the plastic and shoot irregularly. It's a toss up whether they will shoot well in certain guns. Working with the lead slugs and a bullet mould that makes the bullets large enough to size down to a good diameter for your particular rifle is the secret to finding the winning combo to shooting conicals good from a 1-48 twist rifle with grooves that are too deep.

 

[brassbullets12]

thanks very much for all the info

 

[Perfesser]

Try 230 gr round nose, .452 dia (made for 45ACP). I got good accuracy with 70-90 gr of Pyrodex RS. The bevel base loads straight.