A friend just finished a "Bridger-style" 1 1/8" Colerain barreled .58 halfstock Hawken for me and I have been very impressed with how well it shoots--this is my first Colerain rifle barrel but will not be my last. I bought the barrel from Track and left it at 36" to get the front sight out where I can focus on it better with my "older" eyes. This makes for a 12 lb rifle, which is awful heavy, but it is a pleasure to shoot and rock solid on the bench or off crossed sticks. It has a Davis lock and triggers and the furniture and adjustable sight came from Track.
I was not really planning to build a gun this heavy but we got a great deal on a super piece of wood when a stock carver friend messed up and cut the barrel channel back at the breech end just a hair wide. It was not a terrible mistake, but it was not perfect either and the carver sold me the "mistake" for only $100. Normally wood like this pre-carved would be pushing $250 to $300, I think. Anyway, my builder friend filled in the left side of the breech area with a little glass--shown in one of the pics--and built the rifle. I think it turned out very nice, and its weight makes it a pleasure to shoot. I would not want to carry it on foot up and down mountains deer hunting all day, but for sitting at the edge of a corn field in Iowa or PA with a pair of crossed sticks waiting for a deer to come out it should be pretty good.
I have been experimenting with loads and it seems to like 80 to 90 grains of Goex 3F, Ox Yoke .020 Wonder Lube patches, and Hornady .570 balls. I had a little "Christmas shoot" today and was very pleased with 100 yard group it fired. Like I said, this Colerain barrel shoots, and their round bottom rifling cleans up very easily. I have about 70 shots through it and am enjoying it.
I was not really planning to build a gun this heavy but we got a great deal on a super piece of wood when a stock carver friend messed up and cut the barrel channel back at the breech end just a hair wide. It was not a terrible mistake, but it was not perfect either and the carver sold me the "mistake" for only $100. Normally wood like this pre-carved would be pushing $250 to $300, I think. Anyway, my builder friend filled in the left side of the breech area with a little glass--shown in one of the pics--and built the rifle. I think it turned out very nice, and its weight makes it a pleasure to shoot. I would not want to carry it on foot up and down mountains deer hunting all day, but for sitting at the edge of a corn field in Iowa or PA with a pair of crossed sticks waiting for a deer to come out it should be pretty good.
I have been experimenting with loads and it seems to like 80 to 90 grains of Goex 3F, Ox Yoke .020 Wonder Lube patches, and Hornady .570 balls. I had a little "Christmas shoot" today and was very pleased with 100 yard group it fired. Like I said, this Colerain barrel shoots, and their round bottom rifling cleans up very easily. I have about 70 shots through it and am enjoying it.
