Hawken is all finished up

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

My dad and I were thinking what to get my brother for Christmas and I came up with the idea. Lets rebuild his old CVA Hawken.

In the end, He got a new stock and a new .54cal 1:48 twist 28" barrel. I did all the work as usual on the rifle. Fully bedded tang, forearm, trigger plate. Browned the barrel with LMF browning solution, Knight red hot #11 nipple and then blacked out the brass with bras black. Let it rub off naturally in the heavy use areas and it will look like nicely aged brass.

Truoil finish and the stain used was Dixies antique gun stain. I think I did 2 or 3 coats of the dixie stain and then followed up with 1 or 2 coats of birchwood casey walnut to tame the red down. I really like the way it came out. My brother says hes going to hate hunting with it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Very nice! Well done....
Swapping out the rear sight for a more traditional one, would have been the "cherry on top". :hatsoff:

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

been there done that on about 13 other hawken rifles. This one is more about accuracy in the field.

Bought some of those hawken buckhorn sites on TOW and they suck badly. By the time you file down the front sight to get it dead on at 100 yards, the sight height is seriously the thickness of a nickel.

 

[coloradoclyde]

:hmm: How tall is a front sight supposed to be?

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Depends. Most of the CVA Hawken rifles I build use the high blade sight from TOW so you have plenty of room to work with once you start working with the elevator rear sight I use.

Rear sights I install the marlin elevator so you can fine tune out to 150 and 175 yards.

My personal .58cal CVA Hawken runs a marlin 336 elevator rear sight which looks different than this one. Its the folding sight.

I did that TOW buckhorn resight before and like I said, with that front sight being so low to the barrel, heat waves was a big issue with that rifle.

These sights are extremely nice and having the ability to make some adjustments in the field for longer shots where you know you are dialed in for, make for a solid hunting rig. Most times however, I don't even need to adjustment off my 100 yard setting. Very clean lines too.

 

[Obi-Wan Cannoli]

Nice job. I particularly like the job you did finishing the stock, gave it a really classy look. Were you able to keep it a secret from your brother?

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

No, I made sure my dad and I gave it to him for Christmas. He opened the box with the barrel and was like what the heck? Then we told him what we were going to do and how the stock I had bought for him was damaged and I had to send it back for another kit stock. He's watched the whole process since it started. He said he'd like the reddish brown stain I used on a couple of the other rifles I've rebuilt and so I did that and then just knocked it down a bit with some walnut to cut the red down. Its a heck of a shooter. He shot it while it was still all in the white lol.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I like this sight much better than the one in the first picture.... :thumbsup:

 

[rfisher]

Looks real nice. I'm sure he will treasure it for many years to come. :thumbsup:

 

[Grumpa]

You did a great job. That's a rifle your brother can be especially proud of.

 

[MSW]

looks great - congrats on a job well done! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[Spikebuck]

Great job! :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

Always amazing the difference between a hand-finished stock and whatever it is they do at a factory.

 

[SgtErv]

You did a fine job. I love the color on the stock, and the Brad's blacking was a nice touch!

(whoops, replied to wrong post, but CC's is purdy too haha)

 

[Rifleman1776]

Good brother. :applause:
He will love hunting with it.
I do agree with the rear sight comment, however.

 

[Cowboy]

Depends. Most of the CVA Hawken rifles I build use the high blade sight from TOW so you have plenty of room to work with once you start working with the elevator rear sight I use.

Rear sights I install the marlin elevator so you can fine tune out to 150 and 175 yards.

My personal .58cal CVA Hawken runs a marlin 336 elevator rear sight which looks different than this one. Its the folding sight.

I did that TOW buckhorn resight before and like I said, with that front sight being so low to the barrel, heat waves was a big issue with that rifle.

These sights are extremely nice and having the ability to make some adjustments in the field for longer shots where you know you are dialed in for, make for a solid hunting rig. Most times however, I don't even need to adjustment off my 100 yard setting. Very clean lines too.

Beautiful job on the CVA Hawken. You really have a knack of making them into something very special!

Respectfully, Cowboy :thumbsup:

 

[spudnut]

I'm getting back the second rifle kit I ever did a CVA Hawken in 54 ,A friend passed away recently and has had it all these years ,probably 35 years old or so.

 

[Crewdawg445]

been there done that on about 13 other hawken rifles. This one is more about accuracy in the field.

Bought some of those hawken buckhorn sites on TOW and they suck badly.

All of my Hawken rifles have traditional styled sights and are very accurate. No offense but allot of people have issues using a traditional sight, it's a learning curve. Accuracy is largely dependent upon the efforts of the shooter.

Since you posted the pictures, you know we will critique. How's your metal to wood fitment? Looks like your slotted oval inlays for your wedge keys are not inlayed.

Your lock panel retains the typical bulkeness these kits come with from the factory. Allot of wood could be removed truing the area up and helping it flow better around the lock panel.

Also the wrist area could also be slimmed down substantially. Good thing about these kits, they offer allot of wood to play with.

Very nice job though!

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Thick wrist huh? Isn't that what Hawken rifles are know for? Built tough to stand up. Its not a thin wrist kentucky :haha:

And as for the wedge key plates, some cva's were inletted, others were not. This was not one of them. In fact, In all the rifles i've done, including factory finished, only 1 was ever inletted.

I leave just enough of an edge on the wood for at least 1 good refinish just in case someone drops it and needs to refinish it.

And for you view of the lock panel being left to look like a kit, i suggest you see some factory made cva hawkens and you will see, its just exactly the way its done at their factory.

Heres an old model hawken with the pointy lock panel shape.

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[Crewdawg445]

Hey, if you like it's all that matters! I'm the proud owner of several original Ohio halfstock rifles, while not hawkers they obviously mimic the schooling. Both wrist areas are thin, your thought is correct, thinner wrist, weaker area. In general with the CVA kits I've delt with, slimming the overabundance of wood hasn't hindered their durability, just added to the visual appeal.

Overall, in reality I guess that's the joy of these kits, work them how you want! I do like what you've got going on here, expecially the coloration and wood finish. Certainly leaps and bounds over any production model in their offering.

 

[FrontierMuzzleloading]

Who says those 1:48 twist barrels can't shoot PRB!!

My brother and I did some shooting the other day and this was the first time out at 100 yards with his new Hawken.

90gr 2fg Goex
.020" patch cut the muzzle and lubed with anti rust and patch lube.
.530" round balls
Swabbed between shots.

Orange bulls eye is 3" diameter.

She's ready for deer season!

We're going to try .018" pillow tick and then go back to the original patch material but use 80gr 2fg goex just for giggles. 90gr is kind of overkill for deer.