345 MAX-HP
Traditions St.Louis Hawken 50cal, 1:48 twist.
Traditions St.Louis Hawken 50cal, 1:48 twist.
70gr 3fg Gearhart-Owen
1,403 FPS
Now you ask... Why are you using concials?
Due to Colorado Parks and Wildlife outlawing the .50cal patched round ball for elk and moose in 2018, we now have to switch to conicals or update to a .54cal ( the new minimum ) for elk & moose. Seeing as I like Traditions, finding a .54cal barrel for this model is pretty much impossible. Swapping over to conical isn't a huge deal for me as the rifle shoots both, round ball and conicals very well. I just hate the extra recoil!
The St.Louis Hawken has shallow .004" rifling which makes for a very good seal with solid base conicals, as I was shooting today. I am still currently working with this load, trying different style of wads, powder granulation/charges, but today, This would be my go to elk load if hunting season opened in a week.
Reloading with the 345 MAX is very easily done, even after 12+ shots. The .503" diameter bullet loads like a hot knife through butter yet has enough resistance to hold it in the bore, safely.
I cast the bullets from pure lead, But do plan on making a few with a harder alloy of around 7.5Bhn to see if the 1:48 shallow twist rifle, reacts in a positive way, to the harder lead.
I will also be testing the 250gr REAL and the 395gr Plainsman next so I can compare accuracy, ease of loading, before I head out to the mountains in September for my cow elk hunt.
Now you ask... Why are you using concials?
Due to Colorado Parks and Wildlife outlawing the .50cal patched round ball for elk and moose in 2018, we now have to switch to conicals or update to a .54cal ( the new minimum ) for elk & moose. Seeing as I like Traditions, finding a .54cal barrel for this model is pretty much impossible. Swapping over to conical isn't a huge deal for me as the rifle shoots both, round ball and conicals very well. I just hate the extra recoil!
The St.Louis Hawken has shallow .004" rifling which makes for a very good seal with solid base conicals, as I was shooting today. I am still currently working with this load, trying different style of wads, powder granulation/charges, but today, This would be my go to elk load if hunting season opened in a week.
Reloading with the 345 MAX is very easily done, even after 12+ shots. The .503" diameter bullet loads like a hot knife through butter yet has enough resistance to hold it in the bore, safely.
I cast the bullets from pure lead, But do plan on making a few with a harder alloy of around 7.5Bhn to see if the 1:48 shallow twist rifle, reacts in a positive way, to the harder lead.
I will also be testing the 250gr REAL and the 395gr Plainsman next so I can compare accuracy, ease of loading, before I head out to the mountains in September for my cow elk hunt.
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