Jeremiah Johnson Movie question

[Grey Hawk]

In the beginning scenes, JJ's rifle wasn't hitting anything at first..don't know what caliber but the end of the barrel looked like atleast a 50 maybe bigger.

The rifle used by Hatchet Jack was called a 50cal Hawken...he called it his Bear gun which killed the bear which kilt him. JJ was exited to get it out of his frozen hands and then started hitting everything he aimed at. That aside and not getting into the did he load it right crowd....at least not yet, were they percussion or flint...I did not see any flash at the lock so I think it was a cap...

any opinions?

 

[PaulN/KS]

Watchin it here in the Op shack at work and it's a caplock. Another "oops" for the movie is when he surprises that settler at the cabin. You see him turn and hear his gun go off but there's no smoke in the cabin... :hmm:
Oh well, it's a good enough movie and a classic for us folks who enjoy this sort of stuff.

 

[Grey Hawk]

yep, thanks for the info...I just couldn't catch a close up and never saw him cap a nipple...just cock and shoot. It is a good movie and tries to catch the spirit of the Mountain Man. It held my wife's entrest.

Watch your Top Knot

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

They're Italian or Spanish caplocks. It looks like they added a little brass here and there and made them look even less like real Hawkens. They look to be about .50 caliber.

 

[pab1]

Grey Hawk, I always thought his missing shots early in the movie was partly due to his inexperience (sort of like his fishing). As he became a little more seasoned, his shooting skill improved and he was more successful.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

But he was a soldier in the war against Mexico, so he should have had some experience with firearms. Never forget that this is a Hollywood film, not a documentary! For example think of the scene where he first fires Hatchet Jack's rifle. It's supposed to be a .50 caliber "Hawken" and when he fires it it bounces him around like it was a 4 bore elephant gun. Not likely.

 

[jethro224]

Pay attention at the beginning when JJ is gettin' supplies. He wanted a .50 caliber Hawken, had to settle for a .30 tho. He wasn't missing, just using too small of a gun. :haha:

 

[blueridger]

But what kind of gun did Bear Claw Chriss Lapp have?

 

[MikeChapin]

Pay attention at the beginning when JJ is gettin' supplies. He wanted a .50 caliber Hawken, had to settle for a .30 tho. He wasn't missing, just using too small of a gun. :haha:

This is a typical hollywood screwup. The Hawken brothers did not make a .30 except for their squirrel rifles, which looked like a typical eastern long rifle. Their rifles typically were .53 or .54 caliber. Someone misinterpreted 30 to the pound, which is about 50 caliber, to mean caliber.

Did you see the $5,000.00 elk? It was the one he shot when he was hunting with Bear Claw. It was shot without a tag and the State of Wyoming nailed them.

 

[Grey Hawk]

No kidding, thats great they got em on it....well not to beat up the movie...tooo much. I have been in Colorado when the weather conditions were liken to the fishing scene.....water cold....very cold...can I describe it any better just cold. Not good for a swim.

Oh well I got my answers...thanks to all

Grey Hawk

 

[pab1]

But he was a soldier in the war against Mexico, so he should have had some experience with firearms. Never forget that this is a Hollywood film, not a documentary!

Being a soldier would not necessarily make him a marksmen. At my previous job, I shot with quite a few people with military experience that were barely able to qualify. I don't look at it as a documentary, I just always figured as he gained experience he got better. The shot fired early in the film seemed more like a desparate "shoot him before he gets away" type shot many first time hunters take. Later his shots seemed more disciplined. I didn't know that about the elk.

 

[Enfield1]

I enjoy the movie as much as anybody, especially since we as a group of muzzleloading enthusiasts don't have much in the way of movies to pick from, anyway. It is fun to poke fun and point out things that we notice. For instance, Jerimiah found Hatchet Jack and the .50 Hawken. That was great. I guess that we are led to assume that he also found frozen to Hatchet Jack a nice .490 bag mould and the correct pillow ticking for a good ball and patch combination? I guess that he did because the next frame of film shows him touching off a load.

 

[Pigman]

For extra credit!

Who was the blond girl - the settlers daughter?

 

[Grey Hawk]

I dug and dug and found out......isn't that funny. I wonder how many will to dig to get the answer......good challenge for extra credit.


Good Job

Grey Hawk

 

[Grey Hawk]

ok what was the settlers last name?


Shalllllllange

GH

 

[davemcg]

HA! HA! Now that is a surprise! Seen the movie several times but it never dawned on me before.


p.s. got the last name too!

 

[R.M.]

Well, I'll be........
Didn't know that.

 

[uncrichie]

I often wondered why Hatchet Jack wasn't found half or totally eaten by critters? Oh, thats right "G" rated movie.

 

[Jumpshot]

It's supposed to be a .50 caliber "Hawken" and when he fires it it bounces him around like it was a 4 bore elephant gun. Not likely.

And later, when he fired the same rifle over the saddle at the elk, the rifle was so still you could balance a nickel on the barrel.

Most folks unfamiliar with the science of ballistics simply don't realize that deer produce a lot more recoil than elk. :grin:

 

[Mulebrain]

Looks like he was using some heavy charges in Hatchets gun, which is a caplock.

Question:

Where is that gun today?