Hawken HELP!!!

So I took my CVA Hawken out to shoot it today for the first time so I could sight it in. First shot at 40 yds was left, slight sight adjustment and the next 3 made a nice 1" group dead on. I took it to the 100 yd range. First shot was left, made an adjustment, next shot was 2" low but dead on left to right. The next shot didn't fire. I tried 4 times and nothing. Took the nipple off to try and clean the flash "path" and after 4 more tries, nothing. I know there is powder in there and it's not a dry ball. I tried to pull the bullet with a puller and it stripped out. I'm taking it to my gunsmith tomorrow as I was already going and he's going to get the bullet out for me.

Of the 6 shots that worked, no more than half of them actually went off the first try. The others took 2 caps. This would make hunting pretty tough.

I cleaned the barrel between each shot with a spit patch and a dry patch. I was using the right sized lubed patches and std lead balls.

Is there something I'm doing wrong to cause so many misfires? The brand caps I'm using are Remington in no.11.

Any and all advice will be helpful. My hunt starts on the 24th.

A New Inline should take care of most of your Problems!

I'd take the nipple out and add a grain of powder at a time until it was nearly full!

Then screw the Nipple back in!

Grind some powder up real fine & Fill the Nipple & Fire it & see what Happens?

What kind of Old/JUNK Powder are you using?

I Built a Pulling Rod out of 3/8" Spring Steel & Welded a Grade 8 Lag on the End of it to Pull Round Balls out of Hawkins!

Next Time make sure you put the Powder in it while Loading!




Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

What happened is you most likely wet the patch to much and it ran down the bore into the bolster and when you poured the charge down, that wetness soaked the powder and prevented it from flowing under the nipple. Or it pushed a bunch of fouling into the powder channel, blocking it.

When this happens, you just remove the nipple, dribble some powder in, replace nipple and fire.

The sub powders suck up any moisture like a sponge and then turn to a pasty goo.

>So I took my CVA Hawken
>out to shoot it today
>for the first time so
>I could sight it in.
> First shot at 40
>yds was left, slight sight
>adjustment and the next 3
>made a nice 1" group
>dead on. I took
>it to the 100 yd
>range. First shot was
>left, made an adjustment, next
>shot was 2" low but
>dead on left to right.
> The next shot didn't
>fire. I tried 4
>times and nothing. Took
>the nipple off to try
>and clean the flash "path"
>and after 4 more tries,
>nothing. I know there
>is powder in there and
>it's not a dry ball.
> I tried to pull
>the bullet with a puller
>and it stripped out.
>I'm taking it to my
>gunsmith tomorrow as I was
>already going and he's going
>to get the bullet out
>for me.
>
>Of the 6 shots that worked,
>no more than half of
>them actually went off the
>first try. The others
>took 2 caps. This
>would make hunting pretty tough.
>
>
>I cleaned the barrel between each
>shot with a spit patch
>and a dry patch.
>I was using the right
>sized lubed patches and std
>lead balls.
>
>Is there something I'm doing wrong
>to cause so many misfires?
> The brand caps I'm
>using are Remington in no.11.
>
>
>Any and all advice will be
>helpful. My hunt starts
>on the 24th.


www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com

A few of my observations. I shoot a TC .54 Hawken and a custom percussion Hawken.
Recently I tested dry firing a brand new Remington #11 cap and a #11 CCI Magnum cap. the Remington went off on the first snap as did the CCI. However the Remington cap did not split much and had to be pulled off the nipple. The CCI Mag cap split wide open and fell off as soon as the hammer was lifted off the nipple. The bang was noticeably louder with the CCI.

(Cap fit on the nipple is important. If the nipple is to big to allow the cap to fit with the priming compound resting on the nipple or very close, then it could take two strikes of the hammer to fire it. But you don't want it so loose it falls of or allows moisture into the nipple.)

I am aware that some shooters love the Remington caps and don't care for the CCI brand. I will try the Remington caps at the range, but for now if going hunting it would be with RWS #1075 caps or CCI. One down side is that at the moment CCI Magnum caps seem to be really difficult to find.

Also before shooting I swab out as much of the flame channel and breech as possible with alcohol on a patch them dry, ad fire a couple or three caps before loading the first round. It not a bad idea to have a clean patch on the ramrod pushed all the way down to the breech when you do to make sure you are getting good park all the way to the patch, it will come out burned black if all is clear. If swabbing between shots, Windex on a patch works, just make sure it is barely damp and follow with a dry patch.
Good Luck, let us know how it turns out.

Powder can make a big difference. What are you using? When I use 777 in my sidelock, I went to fffg powder. When I load, I pour the powder in and while holding the rifle where the nipple is down, bump the rifle a few times to try and get some powder in the sidelock channel. Then load the bullet and shoot. That said, for hunting, I do as described above: pull the nipple and dribble a few grains of powder under and then replace the nipple.

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

Thanks everyone for the advice!! I just got back from the range. Some powder under the nipple and it shot out first try! I'm quite relieved. Do most of you guys do as txhunter recommends by putting a little bit under the nipple when hunting to help ensure a first time ignition?

Also, what's the best way to clean under the nipple and how often do you do that?

LAST EDITED ON Oct-02-15 AT 03:04PM (MST)[p]

I still clean my sidelock the old fashion way: remove barrel and put rear down in bucket of hot soapy water and crank up and down with a jag/patch. I then pour boiling water down the barrel and immediately (WITH OVEN MITTS ON) run a couple of dry patches down the barrel. Then when it is still slightly warm, run a lightly soaked oil patch down the barrel. I leave it horizontal and with the sidelock up for a few hours so no oil runs into the sidelock area.

Cleaning the sidelock area with some form of intsument can be a problem, but between pipe cleaners and small pieces of patches I usually feel like I get it pretty clean.

Before loading again, I run a couple of dry patches down and then pop a few caps off to remove any residual oil. Then load

txhunter58

venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)

>Thanks everyone for the advice!!
>I just got back from
>the range. Some powder
>under the nipple and it
>shot out first try!
>I'm quite relieved. Do
>most of you guys do
>as txhunter recommends by putting
>a little bit under the
>nipple when hunting to help
>ensure a first time ignition?

Not Till We have to!

It's just We've all had to learn the Damn HAWKIN Tricks over the years to keep them Shooting!

(((DAMN HAWKINS!!!)))

Buy an Inline & some BH209 Along with some decent Bullets & Get Rid of Most of your Problems!


>
>
>Also, what's the best way to
>clean under the nipple and
>how often do you do
>that?






Go Ahead!

Make Me take it down!

Trust me. I'd be using an inline if I could but this is a restricted muzz tag. Loose powder, ball ammo, iron sights, and no inline.

>>Thanks everyone for the advice!!
>>I just got back from
>>the range. Some powder
>>under the nipple and it
>>shot out first try!
>>I'm quite relieved. Do
>>most of you guys do
>>as txhunter recommends by putting
>>a little bit under the
>>nipple when hunting to help
>>ensure a first time ignition?
>
>Not Till We have to!
>
>It's just We've all had to
>learn the Damn HAWKIN Tricks
>over the years to keep
>them Shooting!
>
>(((DAMN HAWKINS!!!)))
>
>Buy an Inline & some BH209
>Along with some decent Bullets
>& Get Rid of Most
>of your Problems!
>
>
>>
>>
>>Also, what's the best way to
>>clean under the nipple and
>>how often do you do
>>that?
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> Go
>Ahead!
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>Make Me take it down!
>
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>
>

First, Life is to short to put a few grains under the nipple unless you misfire.

When you clean your gun after you have shot it, set it with the barrel down, so oil won't run to the nipple end. This completely eliminated a problem I was having with one gun. Also with a empty gun take the nipple out and see if you can see a burr or rough areas at the bottom of the drilled area. Use a mag flashlight to see better.

Blow down the barrel after each shot to clear the hole and make sure no sparks remain.

Black powder ignites better than the substitutes.

Keep your powder new and dry.

Good Luck - keep your powder dry and new.

I tried the remington caps and had way too many misfires, I now use the standard CCI caps and rarely have a problem. As has been mentioned you can fire a couple caps prior to loading to make sure that the path through the nipple to the powder is clear and for a time I did the same. Now, I store the rifle barrel down and run a dry patch down the barrel to clear out any residual oil. Then I run a pipe cleaner through the drum and nipple making sure it is all dry. Doing this I have not had a misfire while hunting or target shooting.

When you load, tap the barrel so that powder gets into the drum, there's no need to pull the nipple and manually feed powder into it.

I loaded my first "dry" ball this past spring after 7 years of shooting and hunting with my muzzleloader. I just removed the nipple and slowly tapped in powder until it was full then fired it out.