German Jaeger/Target Rifle!

[German Jäger]

Who can tell more more Detail like how old what Kind of Bullet(PRB or Maxiball) ich buy this old Rifle today its in best Condition and a .50 Caliber! Need more infos please..Hunting or Target use?!

 

[desi23]

With those large sights I would suspect intended as a target rifle. Most likely using patched round ball though some target shooters did use various types of pointed bullets.

 

[rmark]

It's really going to depend on the rifling twist as to whether a round ball or a bullet is the better choice. Also, I really like the style of that rifle.

 

[Relic shooter]

The muzzle photo of your rifle makes it appear that the barrel may have been re-lined, this is not a detraction if your an active shooter.

I state this because if you closely examine the photo you can see minor period erosion around the outer edges of the metal surface the muzzle , the surface then transforms to a uniform smooth border. This surface transition is often visable & typical with relined barrels. .
Your rifle's superb condition with it's target sights are typically seen on Jaeger style rifles I've owned or examined of the period & indicates it likley belonged to a series of serious target competitors & at some point had the barrel re-lined.
It's a great rifle you can be proud of & has obviously had several previous caretakers who have taken excellent care of it.
Relic shooter

 

[German Jäger]

Hello Friends, today i try the Rifle at the Range i use a .457 Roundball with 0.18 Pillow Thicking Patch and Lube i load 50 grs of Swiss No.3 an it shooting great Distance 50 Meter from Rest.

 

[Relic shooter]

Hello Friends, today i try the Rifle at the Range i use a .457 Roundball with 0.18 Pillow Thicking Patch and Lube i load 50 grs of Swiss No.3 an it shooting great Distance 50 Meter from Rest.

If you can fire a 5 shot group that tight you have an ideal load to start shooting competition or go boar hunting

 

[Firewalker]

Very nice rifle! I always liked the Jaeger style rifles. I owned one myself many years ago and it was the finest shooting rifle I ever owned.
I see yours shoots well too.

 

[Relic shooter]

Very nice rifle! I always liked the Jaeger style rifles. I owned one myself many years ago and it was the finest shooting rifle I ever owned.
I see yours shoots well too.

For hunting big game Idaho's mountains it's hard to beat the light weight, balance, accuracy & knock down power of a quality built Jaeger. This Danish built Jaeger by I.C Haugarrd in Kiobenhagen I've run across. Curator to the arms museum in Copenhagen states he is on record as a gun maker for the Crown.

Seems a bit unfair that this 180+ year old firearm remains in such great condition but my 80 year old carcass has not held-up as well so cannot use it anymore.
Nice that some were good enough performers to be treated so well by it's previous caretakers so we can enjoy them. Would be nice if our historical firearms could talk of their travels !
Relic shooter

 

[52Bore]

Looks like it started life as a Hawken/Plains rifle.
Rear sight base has been added as it’s not intergal with the tang. Most likely post 1850’s (mid-1900’s) as those who promoted the work they made, signed their work.

 

[German Jäger]

Ok nice idea it has belgian proof marks but no manufacturer only the 86 on the steel parts lock and barrel. Its very handy and light.

 

[German Jäger]

Ok there are a belgian proofmark elg but no manufactuer!

 

[Brazos John]

The exact type of Liege proofmark can be dated to within a range of years.

I hope you can find your proofmark.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Wow, what a beautiful rifle!

Judging from the depth and configuration of the grooves, I am pretty sure it would need a patched round ball. It would be good to know the rate of twist, but I understand that a lot of the Continental rifles had faster twist rates than American rifles of the period. If this is the case with your rifle, modest powder charges may be indicated rather than heavy loads.

@Relic shooter has a good eye. As he pointed out in post #4, the barrel may have been lined. If the entire bore looks as good as the muzzle, it ought to be a good shooter. Lining the barrel would decrease the collector value, but if you want to shoot it, lining the barrel may be the best way to restore a rifle to shooting condition.

I would very respectfully disagree with the suggestion that it started as a Hawken or "plains" rifle. In using the scrolled trigger guard finial on their rifles, the Hawken brothers were following a trend rather than setting one. You see trigger guards similar to this one on a lot of old English and German rifles of the mid-19th century. The "shotgun" buttplate on the subject rifle, as well as its overall architecture would be atypical of American plains rifles. I don't know of any original Hawken rifles that used back-action locks, although these were very popular with some builders of percussion rifles, such as the Wurffleins of Philadelphia.

A lot of the German hunting rifles you see are very ornate, with extensive carving and engraving. This one is very plain, in comparison. It looks like a rifle of excellent quality but built for utilitarian purposes.

Thank you for showing it!

Notchy Bob

 

[German Jäger]

The Proofmark was the Number 2 single ELG. Yes all parts of the Backlock was blued and the Barrel was bedding in stock with a kind of old Paper and Glue?! All fits pefect and the SetcTrigger is like Glas! Original is Original ist say

 

[SOLANCO]

Who can tell more more Detail like how old what Kind of Bullet(PRB or Maxiball) ich buy this old Rifle today its in best Condition and a .50 Caliber! Need more infos please..Hunting or Target use?!

The peep sight along with the absence of an alternative rear sight on the barrel strongly suggest target shooting.

 

[Relic shooter]

The ELG proof mark confirms that the barrel on your target rifle was proofed in Belgium.
Once you obtain the barrel's rate of twist & rifling depth you will have the data to determine the correct diameter for a round ball & patch thickness combination.
Obtaining bore dimensions & spending time at the range will determine how well your rifle will perform with slugs/maxiballs.

It's been my personal experience with shooting projectiles in vintage rifles that had deeper rifling & fast twist barrels that I've obtained tighter groups results by using a felt wad under the projectile & also using a cloth patch for a tight fit.
Relic shooter