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cabelas 58cal perc hawken

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A .58 caliber patched ball is very good for killing elk, moose, and bison with hunting loads of BP.

If the bore is good, then you will want to buy that rifle. As for shooting, the crescent butt is meant to be used on the upper arm, above the bicep. Move your elbow up or down to get your cheek weld on the buttstock.
DO NOT set a crescent butt into your shoulder like a modern rifle butt.

yup! I figured that out with my 1886 ,so I do place the crescent correctly. After 20 shots at the bench, it still has me sore even though I do have a pretty high pain tolerance. I'm a pretty skinny guy, so maybe that's it. A 405gr bullet at 1400fps does create some recoil!
 
I have the same rifle and mine has a chrome bore. it is funny to hear guys say if the barrel flats are not one inch and are 15/16" you cant shoot heavy loads. just think that means only 1/32" more metal on each flat. how in gods name could that make the one inch barrel so much stronger?
Good question. Might want to ask the folks that make and/or rebore barrels why they won’t take 15/16” barrels out to a rifled 58 caliber or 1” barrels past a rifled 58 caliber. Folks like Bobby Hoyt. Likely answer will be because of depth of dovetails and screw holes. And a 7/8 barrel is just another 1/32 thinner on the flat……
 
I have a Cabeles 58. I recently went years back through the forum researching them. Everyone who has one likes it. Only one nervous Nelly advised against anything other than the lightest loads as he thought a 58 15/16ths barrel was a potential bomb. Others have loaded as much as 110 grains with no problems other than recoil. I'm the second owner of mine the original owner put a fixed or primitive rear sight on it a zeroed it for an 80 grain charge. That seems to be about an optimal load. I haven't measured my barrel but some old posts suggest the Cabelas barrel is actually a bit more than 15/16ths across the flats.
 
I have a Cabeles 58. I recently went years back through the forum researching them. Everyone who has one likes it. Only one nervous Nelly advised against anything other than the lightest loads as he thought a 58 15/16ths barrel was a potential bomb. Others have loaded as much as 110 grains with no problems other than recoil. I'm the second owner of mine the original owner put a fixed or primitive rear sight on it a zeroed it for an 80 grain charge. That seems to be about an optimal load. I haven't measured my barrel but some old posts suggest the Cabelas barrel is actually a bit more than 15/16ths across the flats.
I just measured mine (not .58) and it measures 31/32" (0.969ish)
If they had sprung for the extra 1/32" dia. the lawyers wouldn't have freaked and they would still be making the .58cal bbls or some barrel maker would list a drop-in.
 
I just measured mine (not .58) and it measures 31/32" (0.969ish)
If they had sprung for the extra 1/32" dia. the lawyers wouldn't have freaked and they would still be making the .58cal bbls or some barrel maker would list a drop-in.

Interesting. What year is yours from? I wonder if they made slight variations through the years, such as the chrome bore. This guy says it isn't chromed and I would think that's fairly easy to see. He is also the original owner from the late 80's, so I would think he is correct. It doesn't look lined in the picture he sent me

1642107956970.png
 
i own i believe 10 58s now and i also own the exact model you are speaking of, i love mine it is nice and light 15/16 barrel much lighter than my tc 50 caliber i dont push mine real hard i found 80 grains of either 2F real black or pyrodex rs to give decent performance and i use .570 rb /018 patch
 
Massive loads of powder will hurt you more than they will add to effectiveness on game. I have several Investarm Hawkens, all in .54 caliber. My go to load is 75 grains of powder behind a PRB. Anything more than that adds precious little to velocity, but greatly reduces accuracy and punishes the shooter. In a .58, I might go 90 grains as a max load, not for safety (other than my cheek and shoulder), but because it probably will lose accuracy, and add nothing as far a game killing power. Been doing this since 1977, and have shot many thousands of rounds over a chronograph. Big charges don't result in correspondingly higher velocities, especially in the relatively short barrel of an Investarms Hawken. Great Rifles, I'd get it!
 
Massive loads of powder will hurt you more than they will add to effectiveness on game. I have several Investarm Hawkens, all in .54 caliber. My go to load is 75 grains of powder behind a PRB. Anything more than that adds precious little to velocity, but greatly reduces accuracy and punishes the shooter. In a .58, I might go 90 grains as a max load, not for safety (other than my cheek and shoulder), but because it probably will lose accuracy, and add nothing as far a game killing power. Been doing this since 1977, and have shot many thousands of rounds over a chronograph. Big charges don't result in correspondingly higher velocities, especially in the relatively short barrel of an Investarms Hawken. Great Rifles, I'd get it!
I am not suggesting overloading but if the load punishes the shooter that means you are getting a good increase in velocity. the more it goes forward the more it pushes back
 
I have the same rifle and mine has a chrome bore. it is funny to hear guys say if the barrel flats are not one inch and are 15/16" you cant shoot heavy loads. just think that means only 1/32" more metal on each flat. how in gods name could that make the one inch barrel so much stronger?
Not a question of strength but of weight and recoil with the heavier 1" barrel helps to tame.
 
Not a question of strength but of weight and recoil with the heavier 1" barrel helps to tame.
lol how much weight could 1/32 on each flat add up to? weight does matter for recoil but to me that difference would not do much
 
Sighted in a .58 long rifle in Nov.. Colerain T/F 42" . Using 85 gr. FFG. ....Sweet power , low recoil , accurate , too. This gun had a tang mounted peep sight . A doe walked out across the range at about 150 yards. I had total confidence with the peep sight , I could have put the top of the front sight on the top of her front shoulder , and dropped her where she stood , from the bench. I like big bores , and if I were younger , I'd want to have one of these.........oldwood
 
lol how much weight could 1/32 on each flat add up to? weight does matter for recoil but to me that difference would not do much
Surprised you consider .89 pounds insignificant, the weight difference between a 15/16” vs 1” octagon barrel 30” long. I know I find nearly a pound difference significant in the felt recoil with a gun. Are physics that different wherever you are when compared to North Carolina?
 
I have a couple of these rifles in 58 caliber, one flint one percussion. They both like 70 gr of FFF behind a 570 ball. A nice light and accurate hunting gun.
 
Surprised you consider .89 pounds insignificant, the weight difference between a 15/16” vs 1” octagon barrel 30” long. I know I find nearly a pound difference significant in the felt recoil with a gun. Are physics that different wherever you are when compared to North Carolina?
I do not believe your stats. if you cant take recoil without an extra .89 of a lb why do you want to shoot max loads in a .58. wouldnt a .32 squirrel rifle be better for you? with my ultra light .58 rifle with only a fragile 15/16 barrel has in its patch box around 4- .58 cal balls in it. so I figure I will not break my shoulder when I fire it
 
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