Last year, I bought two older, used CVA Hawkens percussion cap rifles, both in .50 caliber.
The first one I bought for $25 has a 28" barrel and is called a "Gamester Hawken" (Serial #717xxx). It was cheap 'cause it had really rough looking surface rust all over the blued barrel and looked pretty bad, but using an old gunsmith's "trick", I rubbed the barrel with 0000 steel wool wet down with WD40 and all the rust came off leaving the bluing bright and clean. Then I cleaned the caked-on "crud" off the wood which exposed a fine looking, nicely-grained walnut stock. Of course, I checked the bore which was still in excellent condition... the poor ol' thing just needed some TLC to give it "new" life.
Both rifles are pure "utility" rifles with no fancy brass, no patch-box and all the metal appears to be painted black... and the 28-inch barreled rifle is just a plain-Jane 7½ lb rifle, but fairly accurate.
I have been working up target loads for it and found it shot inter-locking ½-inch, 3-shot "cloverleafs" at 25 yards off-the-bench last year using 47 grains of FFFg Swiss powder, a .490 ball and a .016" denim patch.
However, I've changed lubes now and added vegetable fiber over-the-powder wads to my loads so I must re-work-up my "target" accuracy load again.
I call my new lube "Bee Lube"... (a bee's wax & salad oil mixture) plus I'm now using a pair of .060 vegetable fiber over-the-powder wads... this combination has shot some very tight groups so far and leaves the patches such good condition that they could easily be re-used. But I need to determine if that 47 grain load is still as accurate as it was prior to the changes I've made in my "target load".
Unfortunately, it's been so darned hot here (SW Ohio) this year that I haven't done much shooting the past few months. But I feel confident this old CVA Hawken will become my "target rifle" for our Club's monthly muzzle-loader shoots once I'm capable of shooting up to the rifle's standards.
The other CVA Hawken I bought & and paid $100 for is a CVA "Hunter Hawken Carbine" (serial #91-771xxx) which was in like-new condition, weighing just 6½ lbs with a 26-inch barrel. I purchased this rifle strictly as my deer hunting rifle and it should be handy in the woods & hills of south-eastern Ohio, but haven't even attempted to work-up any loads for it so far... something I need to do soon.
Both rifles have the following attributes: .50 caliber, double-set triggers, percussion cap ignition system with drum, rear sight adjustable for both elevation and deflection, nice wood and bright, clean bores with blued barrels.
I believe both rifles have 1:48 twist barrels, but haven't really checked that out as yet. However, since I already purchased 1,000 Hornady .50 caliber swaged rifle balls together with 1,000 standard CCI percussion caps, I plan on using ONLY round, patched, swagged lead balls in both rifles... if they're 1:48, 1:60 or 1:66, I could care less since I will work-up accuracy
target loads for the 28" Hawken and accuracy deer
hunting loads for the Hawken Carbine.
All-in-all, the older CVA Hawkens seem to be decent rifles. At least, I'm satisfied with mine (so far).
Strength & Honor...
Ron T.