PDA

View Full Version : New Ruger #1 toy


Harnic
07-11-2008, 08:42 PM
Greetings all! I'm new to the board, I found it thanks to Daryl. My last winter project is a Ruger #1 in 6mmBR w/ a heavy Hart barrel, 1 in 9 twist. I finished it March but haven't had time to shoot it a lot yet. Initial testing shows promise though... it really likes Hornady 87 gr HPBT bullets! I love that factory trigger! It's so easy to tune! Mine breaks cleanly at 1.75 pounds with no creep or over-travel. Here's a few pix:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/Harnic/Ruger1-1.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/Harnic/Ruger1-3.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/Harnic/6mm-Target-08-06-24001.jpg


http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/Harnic/6mmBR-08-06-12.jpg


I can hardly wait to see what it will do when I get time to really wring it out!

REM
07-11-2008, 09:44 PM
Welcome aboard.
It's good to see Daryl is keeping up on his mentoring.

I always liked those No. 1's but it seems I heard somewhere they just don't shoot.

It doesn't look like you are having any trouble in that department.
That is some good shooting on your part as well as for the rifle.

Nice looking rifle. Keep up the good work.

Richard

Harnic
07-11-2008, 10:12 PM
Welcome aboard.
It's good to see Daryl is keeping up on his mentoring.

I always liked those No. 1's but it seems I heard somewhere they just don't shoot.

It doesn't look like you are having any trouble in that department.
That is some good shooting on your part as well as for the rifle.

Nice looking rifle. Keep up the good work.

Richard

Thanks for the welcome & compliments Richard! Not sure about the mentoring part ;) , but Daryl is a very good friend. We'll be swapping stories over the campfire in a few weeks at the Heffley Creek Black Powder Rendezvous where I first met him in person.

The myth that Ruger #1s don't shoot well is my favourite pet peeve. I'll take on any bolt rifle with either of my Rugers & if not beat them, give them a VERY good run for their money. I have built dozens of rifles over the past 30+ years on #1 actions & all have shot very well (with a quality barrel of course). This #1 was a 300 Win Mag & I never fired it as such, so I can't speak to how it shot from the factory. My other #1 is on it's 6th barrel now & all but the original in 6mm Rem have been tack-drivers.

I had a 17 PeeWee on an M-1 Carbine years ago & am feeling like delving into small bore shooting again, so I suspect I'm in the right company now!

RickC
07-11-2008, 10:22 PM
But how do you get a #1 factory trigger to break a 1.75lbs and no creep??!! I have always found them very difficult and time consuming to work on. Your advice would be appreciated.

RickC

Gary in Illinois
07-11-2008, 10:24 PM
Harry,

Very nice rifle and fine shooting. Factory No 1 rifles can be difficult to shoot less than 1" without work but they are such fine examples of the rifle makers' work that they are worth the effort.

I have a Ruger #2 (#3 with #1 wood) with a Lilja barrel chambered for the 17PPC that will consistently place 5 shots into 1/2" or less at 100 yards. It does have a Kepplinger trigger so that is somewhat of a help.

Welcome aboard. Keep one hand on your wallet since these guys will help you spend any cash that isn't stapled to your underwear!!

Gary

Harnic
07-11-2008, 10:29 PM
But how do you get a #1 factory trigger to break a 1.75lbs and no creep??!! I have always found them very difficult and time consuming to work on. Your advice would be appreciated.

RickC

Hi Rick.

I drill a hole in the hammer about 1/8" down from the sear notch with a #31 carbide drill & drive a roll pin in. Then through trial & error & cut it to limit how far the sear drops into the notch. I then polish the sear & notch with a fine ceramic stone. Over travel is easily controlled using the adjustment screw in the factory trigger. With the action closed & the hammer dropped (fired position) adjust the screw til it contacts, then back off aprox. 1/8 turn so there's no drag. The whole process including dis-assembling & re-assembling takes less than an hour.

Harnic
07-11-2008, 10:33 PM
Harry,

Very nice rifle and fine shooting. Factory No 1 rifles can be difficult to shoot less than 1" without work but they are such fine examples of the rifle makers' work that they are worth the effort.

I have a Ruger #2 (#3 with #1 wood) with a Lilja barrel chambered for the 17PPC that will consistently place 5 shots into 1/2" or less at 100 yards. It does have a Kepplinger trigger so that is somewhat of a help.

Welcome aboard. Keep one hand on your wallet since these guys will help you spend any cash that isn't stapled to your underwear!!

Gary

Thanks for the welcome & the warning Gary! :D A very generous float on the barrel is key to decent accuracy with a #1 & your Kepplinger trigger is an asset too, they are a nice trigger.

Under half an inch is good in any calibre Gary, but to do it consistenly with a 17 is nice shooting for sure!

rick w.
07-12-2008, 02:39 AM
Hi Harry,

Those Hart barrels are something. I only have one Hart barrel on a 22/45, but I think a lot of it.

I was curious if the Ruger No.1 hammer was only surface hardened, hence the carbide to get thru the skin? Kinda looks like a cast piece, but was not for sure, and how it was hardened up at the factory.

Your trigger method you described is somewhat similar to such I saw done to a Marlin 39 some years ago, those methods still work just fine looks like.

The 6BR is a pretty decent case in its own right. I am fussing with a 17 A&M bee on a No.1 now and have a No.1 17 K-Hornet in parts as I write this. So there are a few No.1 shooters around.

Regards,

Rick W.

Harnic
07-12-2008, 03:22 AM
Hi Harry,

Those Hart barrels are something. I only have one Hart barrel on a 22/45, but I think a lot of it.

I was curious if the Ruger No.1 hammer was only surface hardened, hence the carbide to get thru the skin? Kinda looks like a cast piece, but was not for sure, and how it was hardened up at the factory.

Your trigger method you described is somewhat similar to such I saw done to a Marlin 39 some years ago, those methods still work just fine looks like.

The 6BR is a pretty decent case in its own right. I am fussing with a 17 A&M bee on a No.1 now and have a No.1 17 K-Hornet in parts as I write this. So there are a few No.1 shooters around.

Regards,

Rick W.

Hi Rick,

No arguments from me on Hart barrels! I have been a huge fan for well over 30 years.

To the best of my knowledge all steel parts in any Ruger except barrels, pins & springs are cast. I didn't notice the carbide drill break through a tough skin like case-hardening has, so I suspect the hammer is heat treated all the way through.

There are a lot of us who realize the potential of the Ruger #1 & ignore all the old wive's tales about their supposed lack of accuracy. They are a very solid, accurate action & very well built. If Ruger would float the barrels & use Hart barrels, they'd kill any mis-information about their performance! :cool:

17VLD
07-12-2008, 03:27 AM
I have a soft spot in my heart for #1's.
Not to mention 6mmBRs. Hard to believe you could do much better than those 87's. Some day though you should try the 95Bergers with that twist.
She is quite the shooter! You should be well pleased!:)
Matt

rick w.
07-12-2008, 12:16 PM
Harry,

Thanks for sharing a little practical experience on the No.1 hammer characteristics.

Seems like the early Ruger No.1's featured Douglas barrels for a while, then went to another outside outfit, with mixed reviews;might kinda be the luck of the draw with those later interim barrels.

I heard that Bill A. took over as the Ruger barrel guy. He made a nice cut rifled barrel on his own before that seems like. I have heard from new No.1owners(shooters) that some of the newer barrels seem to shoot ok. I have not bought a new No.1 for 25 years, so cannot comment directly on the newer rifles.

Twas good to hear someone working with these fine rifles.

regards,

Rick W.

GLWenzl
07-12-2008, 03:25 PM
Welcome to a great site Harry and thanks for sharing such a nice piece! I really like what you do to the #1s and really need to learn more about this!!

Let me tell you a lil something about that guy you have been palling around with. Daryl suckered me into buying one of them there #1s in a 218 Bee, you know they never shoot worth a darn…. I took Daryl’s word on it and ordered one up brand new and struggled first thing with eye relief. Being the lil titewad that I am, he told me the old Simmons 44 Mag would work and it did and was a nice scope for the price! Next, the darn thing would shoot a 5 shot 100 yard group of 1 ½” almost all vertical stringing with little windage issues. Daryl said something about the forearm but I first decided to try the Lilgun/Lee Factory Crimp Die deal he was talking about.

Here is one of my first targets using the Lilgun/LFCD when working up a load for pressure signs only with a factory riffle no mods of any kind and never been taken apart.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f388/glwenzl/IMG_0002.jpg

That is not too bad for a factory lawyer proof trigger using the 40 gr V-Max and just an ole farm kid pulling the trigger!

Not sure why the groups came together like they did but it seemed like the more lilgun I put in the better it shot up to a point. I ended up setting on a load just over 3700 fps because of the nice groups but pressure-wise it did ok up to 3800 fps.

Things even got a lil better after I installed a Kepplinger trigger. I have a nice piece of wood that I have been thinking about putting on (or maybe my 218 Bee Martini) and maybe turning it into a 20 caliber but almost afraid to mess with the #1 so have left it as it is…

That darn Daryl did good!!!

Thanks for the taking the time to post, I really enjoyed the reading!!!

Harnic
07-12-2008, 11:35 PM
Matt, Ruger #1s have been a favourite action of mine since they were first introduced. I've always been of the "One shot, one kill" school of thought. I am planning to try heavier bullets, I have a box of 105 gr Hornady V-Max to try, I just need a longer range. My local gun club is completely inadequate for anything other than short range rifle or pistol shooting, but it is close & with the cost of gas now... I tried some Hornady 75 gr hp left over from my 6mm CHeetah, but they aren't as impressive as the 87 hpbt holding around ½" at 100 yards.

Rick, any knowledge or experience we pick up along the way that's not shared is wasted in my way of thinking.

On the topic of Ruger barrels, I have never seen accuracy better than barely adequate from a factory rifle barrel. I suspect they have never used properly stress relieved steel in their manufacture. I have tried to tune dozens of #1s & M-77s with very mixed results, seldom anywhere near as good as I would have liked to see. But both actions are capable of fantastic accuracy with a decent barrel & trigger.

GLWenzl, thanks for the welcome to the board. I am on a muzzle-loading board with Daryl & his brother which has been a very rewarding & often entertaining few years. He mentioned this site often in our numerous conversations, so now that I got my 6BR up & running I thought I'd join up. Most of my shooting is big-bore cast bullet work, so hyper-accurate, no recoil shooting is a refreshing change of pace! Daryl can be very persuasive. He's a very knowledgeable shooter & has been known of a few occassions push one of his theories as fact... you have to stay on your toes with that guy! ;) The highlight of my summer is the 10-day rendezvous at Heffley Creek where Daryl, his brother Taylor, & several others from the longrifles forum all meet up & swap stories... it flies thick & fast over those sacred campfires! :eek:

Those targets are good, it always amazes me how very high speed, low bc bullets can reproduce their accuracy so well. My 17 PeeWee on an M-1 action was a perfect example: 3-shot groups in under half an inch all day long using the stock battle sights of the m-1 carbine! That was a fun rifle. I shot a 350 pound black bear & a couple Vancouver Island Black-tailed deer with it & all dropped with one shot from a Hornady 25 gr hp & 11.5 gr 4227!:D
I've never been entirely sure whether I load to shoot or shoot to reload... the experimenting to get that super tight group is definately a big part of the fun in our hobby!

Rbertalotto
08-06-2008, 10:59 AM
God knows I've tried to get Ruger #1 rifles to shoot. I've owned four of the "non-V" models and currently have 6 1V rifles. The 1V easily outshoots the A and S models. But the only 1V that is even close to accurate is the 220Swift I have. It will shoot a 5 shot group at 100 yds into 3/4" All the rest are 1" plus guns. I've tried everything imaginable. Cryo, bedding, $300 triggers, etc.......It helps, but I just think Ruger makes poor barrels.

Therefore, who are you folks using for rebarrel work on the Model 1?

Harnic
08-06-2008, 02:06 PM
You've hit the nail square on the head Roy, Ruger does use very poor barrels. That's very unfortunate as everything else on the #1 is top notch! I do my own barrel work & when I was in the business, specialized in Ruger #1 accuracy work.

Yotecallr
08-07-2008, 02:41 AM
I must have been very lucky, as every Number 1 I've owned shot small groups, but I loaded the bullets as close to the lands as I could since they have very long throats. And I was able to load them hotter than a bolt action due to the long throat. A .338 Win Mag 1S was the most accurate of all the Number 1's I owned.

Charlie
08-15-2008, 12:39 AM
Harnic -- great looking and shooting No. 1 you have put together.

I have a No. 1 in 22 K Hornet and love it. I am thinking (a lot) of doing a 17 Ackley Hornet in a No. 1 and just saw an article in the August Precision Shooting, page 16, about a 20 cal wildcat No. 1 made up by Kevin Weaver in Colorado. That rifle had a free floated forearm like yours. Mine has the factory barrel , originally in 22 Hornet and now with the chamber recut to the K Hornet, and a tension device in the forearm to adjust. It shoots 5 shots within 1/2 inch at 100 yards, so I have felt no need to pursue free floating it. However, it looks like from you rifle and comments that free floating is the way to go -- is that your advice for making up a new No. 1 with a custom barrel?

I am a new member as well, found out about the site from Sid Goodling, a great gunsmith in Southern Pennsylvania.

Charlie

Harnic
08-15-2008, 01:53 AM
Hi Charlie! Nice to meet another "newbie". A #1 in 22 K-Hornet would be fun & ½" groups from a factory barrel is darned good! Keep the tension on it. For a quality barrel, like my Hart, fully floated is the best way to go. A properly made barrel will be negatively affected by any contact. It's basic physics, when a barrel is fired it heats up & if it touches anything the expansion from heat changes the pressure at the contact point thereby changing the point of impact. Fully floated, stress relieved barrels will keep them all in a nice tight group even if you shoot a couple too many & get the barrel hot.

Charlie
08-17-2008, 01:06 AM
Harry,

Thanks for the information.

It makes a lot of sense that no barrel contact is better than any kind of contact, no matter how well controlled. Although I am lucky that my No. 1 shoots very decently with a factory barrel, my experience has been that the tension device will cause the point of impact to shift somewhat. It has not been large, but is some. In mamy applications that is not a problem, such as shooting PDs out West where you have plenty of opportunity to zero in again, but can be a problem in the East. I live in northern Baltimore county, just below the Pennsylvania line. Pennsylvania has great Turkey hunting in the fall that you can use a rifle for. It is great, a lot like Deer hunting without having to worry about scent control. But, you need a rifle that will hold its zero precisely over a period of time and in temperature changes, as the area to shoot a Turkey and kill it instantly while not damaging any meat is quite small. The one I shot last fall was at 100 yds and you need to have total confidence in you rifle shooting to point of zero.

I would think that the way you set up your No. 1s gives a very stable point of zero. Has that been your experience?

Charlie

Harnic
08-17-2008, 04:07 PM
Charlie, I've found on any action a good quality, stress-relieved barrel fully floated (minimum 1/32" all around) will shoot very close to the same point of aim under a wide variety of weather extremes. This #1 I just built seems as consistent as any I have built in the past. My other #1 which is now in 45 Sharps caliber, was my main hunting rifle for almost 20 years with a Hart 7mm barrel in 7mm/08. I sighted it in the first year with a Hornady 154 gr Spire Point, it shot .2" groups all day long & continued to do so for 18 years. I had to make a small elevation change after year 10 (aprox) possibly due to bore wear but more likely due to a change in burning characteristics with IMR 4350. I hunted in 75°F temps in Sept right through to -15°F in Dec for a late Mule deer season & never had a point of impact shift. It always shot where I aimed. I have done the same with good bolt actions like Remington's 700 series too, my experience tells me to make sure to use a good, stress relieved barrel & don't let ANYTHING contact it ahead of the receiver ring.

Good luck this season Charlie! ;)

Charlie
08-18-2008, 01:35 AM
Harry,

Thanks, that is very good information for any project No. 1. I assume when you say a good stress relieved barrel that would be the case with any of the major high grade custom makers -- am I right on that?

I love No. 1s and was thinking hard of doing one soon in 17 Ackley Hornet. You have answered the question I was most concerned about in doing the project and have me more excited than ever about the project.

Since you have a lot of experience with large bores and No. 1s, here is a question for you. I would love to hunt deer with a No. 1 but we can only use shotguns or muzzleloaders in Baltimore county Maryland. Actually that is not a handicap, as its all woods hunting and shots are never beyond 75 yards for me. I am using a Savage Model 10 muzzleloader and AA5744 to drive a 300 gr Hornady XTP about 2100 fps, which is equal to a warm 45-70 load. It is a real show stopper for deer. You could get about the same terminal effect if you did a No. 1 in a 20 gauge rifled barrel. The current 20 gauge slug loads (ie, Winchester Supreme, Federal with Barnes Expander) are driving a 260 gr. class bullet at 1900 fps. That would be a great rig in the deer woods around here and give a guy the ability to use a "rifle" in these parts. Do you know of anyone who has done that? Since it would be about a 50 cal barrel, it would seem feasible given that Ruger does 45 cal chamberings, but I don't know if you run into any particular problems matching barrel to receiver if you go beyond 45 cal in bore size.

Thanks for any insight or experience you have on this Harry.


Charlie

Harnic
08-18-2008, 02:56 AM
Charlie, I've been thinking about another 17 cal one day too. I built a 17 Pee Wee (17/30 Carbine) 30 years ago on an M-1 carbine action & had a lot of fun with it. It had amazing killing power for such a small bullet. I shot 2 blacktail deer & one mid sized black bear with it, all 3 were one shot kills, not quite instantaneous, but within 30 seconds of impact. I hadn't considered a Ruger #1 action for that, but why not? I would be a very cool action to build a nice 17 on.

I have done a lot of big bore work on #1s, but not as big as you're suggesting! 20 ga would be a 62 caliber! I see no reason why not, but you'd best check with the local wildlife folks to check the regs on that. I'm pretty sure it would be classed a rifle in these parts. I've shot a lot of .715" round balls from my 12 ga shotgun & it's certainly accurate enough even with a smooth bore for in close hunting. I can consistently hit a gallon paint can with it at 40 yards & for raw power & penetration, that ball is tough to beat! You might try that instead of those expensive bullet/sabot loads. A pure lead ball is very deadly. As far as fitting a 62 cal barrel to the #1 action, the chamber walls would be thick enough for safety at the operating pressures of a 20 ga shotgun shell with a large margin of safety. They operate well below 15,000 psi. I don't have my #1 in front of me, but the only possible problem might be the block not dropping far enough to clear the rim on a 20 ga shell, my 45 Sharps clears with room to spare, but not a lot. Interesting idea though my friend!

Charlie
08-18-2008, 06:28 PM
Harry -- You concerns about the rim clearance and it not being a rifle in the view of the Dept of Natural Resourses are very helpful. That my be too complicated a project.

You comments about the 12 gauge are quite right, I have used 1oz slugs and at the ranges we have they are fine and hit hard. I just like to have something that is more like a rifle. The Savage Model 10 muzzleloader is awesome but it tough to load on stand when you get another shot opportunity right after the first shot. We have a lot of deer and having a single shot you can load quickly (quick relative to the muzzleloader) is an advantage. I think I will try a H&R Ultra Slug gun in 20 gauge, its relatively inexpensive and has the reputation of shooting well and use my No. 1 funds to concentrate on small caliberss where the 26" barrel (or longer) is great.

Your experience with the 17 Pee Wee of 2 deer and 1 Black Bear is extraordinary. I understand that was the kind of stuff done with the 17 Mach 4 when it first came out. I am sure you know that James Calhoon necked down the 30 carbine to 19 caliber, I think he calls it the 19
Badger. It looks to me as if it has similar case capacity to the 17 Mach 4 or 17 Rem Fire Ball, so what you did with the 17 Pee Wee is probably very close to the 17 Rem FB in case capacity and velocity.

Harry -- thanks for your comments on my big bore project thoughts, I can see it would be very much in the deep end of the pool.


Charlie

Harnic
08-20-2008, 02:10 AM
Charlie, glad to help out. I had a quick look at one of my #1s this afternoon & I was correct, the 20 ga. rim diameter would be too great to clear the breach block.

My little 17 Pee Wee was a lot of fun. Those deer & the bear were taken in 1983. I chronographed the load & was getting in the order of 3,650 fps as memory serves. The killing power was entirely the result of fragmentation. All 3 were shot through the heart, the bullet blew up severely on striking the blood filled hearts, tearing an awful hole out the off side & destroying the far lungs. Nothing exited the chest cavity & finding the entry hole was impossible until skinning the carcass. Pretty amazing performance for a 25 grain hollow point (Hornady).

Keep dreaming & experimenting! That's what keeps this game fun! :D

Charlie
08-20-2008, 04:13 PM
Harry -- Thanks for checking on the 20 gauge rim clearance, the lack of clearance is a real show stopper for that idea. I suppose that is why I have not seen any of those around.:)

I have no experience with the 17 caliber, which is why I want to do a 17 A Hornet soon. I have read that the 25 gr Hornady is a somewhat hard bullet, so I can see how you would get the pentration you did to get into the chest cavity. At 3,600+ fps you were enough below the 17 Rem velocities the bullet was designed for that it was probably a very hard bullet.

The experminting is neat stuff, a lot of fun and is also a good way to stay off the Forbes 400 most wealthy people in the world list and all the problems that would bring.

One last question about your No. 1 -- the scope mount base you have is not the Ruger base. What base do you use, it looks like your base solves the eye relief problem that you can have with the Ruger base.


Charlie

Tom
08-21-2008, 01:11 AM
Harry, I have a question for you. I read your post on using a roll-pin to restrict how far the sear goes in the notch in the hammer, but why not just cut down the notch on the hammer?

Tom

Harnic
08-21-2008, 03:30 AM
Charlie, I made the mount base for that exact reason, to get the scope back further. It's a Burris gunsmith blank I had in a junk drawer for years, a bit on the blocky side, but very ridged! I soldered 2 Parker-Hale target front sight bases under it to fit the barrel contour. there is a train of thought against Ruger's idea of a one-piece base in contact with the barrel full length that suggests the base can warp or twist as it heats up. Makes sense to me so I have always made bases for the #1 on 2 "posts" like this one to allow air flow under the base.

Tom, replacing a roll pin is a lot cheaper than a hammer if the first attempt goes wrong. ;)

Charlie
08-21-2008, 10:33 AM
Harry -- The idea of using two posts to mount the base on the No. 1 makes a lot of sense and that is what I am going to do on ones I build in the future. I was impressed with your base, it looked very rigid, like the one piece base on a tactical rifle rigid.

Too bad you are a distance away and can't come to the shoot Jim Saubier is having on Saturday, would enjoy meeting you and seeing your rifle first hand. Will do the next best thing and let you know how it goes.

All the best,


Charlie

Harnic
08-22-2008, 03:30 AM
Charlie, I too would enjoy the privilege of meeting you & shooting with the merry bunch at one of Jim's shoots, but as you point out it's a fair drive from here... I will enjoy your stories of the event & if you have the technology at your diposal, a few pictures would be nice too! ;) Have fun!

ray h
08-22-2008, 01:32 PM
Harnic, one thing for sure you'd be a lock-in for the long distance award.

Harnic
08-22-2008, 04:38 PM
No shooters from Alaska or Hawaii Ray? ;)

ray h
08-23-2008, 02:33 AM
Harry , no replies as of yet but sure would be welcomed.

Harnic
08-23-2008, 03:13 AM
You folks are decades ahead of us. Trap, some IPSC, & to a lesser extent, muzzle loaders are really the only organised shooting sports in this province & outside the major centers, only informal trap exists. I just shoot for fun, but I suspect I'd participate if there were some rifle disciplines active here. I don't hunt any more & never did embrace killing "varmints" so informal target shooting & a lot of plinking keeps me happy. My winter hobbies are building new "toys" & bullet casting. I have a Martini cadet rifle in 30-30 AI I built 25 years ago that I am going to rebarrel this winter. :) Hope the shoot this weekend goes well!

Best wishes,
Harry

Charlie
08-25-2008, 12:49 AM
Harry -- Ray (who is a great guy with a lot [read lot again] of nice varmint rifles, I met him at the shoot) is right, you would have taken the door prize for longest travel hands down.:) The next guy in line traveled about 2.5 hours. I traveled 2 hours, so I would have been a Bronze medal guy at best.

It was great fun to meet and talk with people, see a lot of nice rifles, and look at a lot of wildcat cartridges I had read about but never seen or shot. I shot several eggs at 200 yds with Ray's 17 Squirrel. That little cartridge packs a punch all out of proportion to its size.

I will send some photos tomorrow.


Charlie

Harnic
08-25-2008, 04:47 AM
Sounds like you had a great time Charlie! I look forward to the pix! I'll be packing the truck tomorrow, I'm heading out to the Heffley Creek black powder rendezvous first thing Tuesday for a few days. It's a 10 day shoot, but I can't sleep on a cot that long anymore. 4-5 days is my limit now...

ray h
08-25-2008, 12:31 PM
Harry is that the same shoot Daryl and his brother Taylor go to? The pictures of Taylors muzzleloaders show fantastic workmanship. Good luck at the shoot. I sure wish I could see open sights still, I have a custom 54 cal Hawkens thats 12 yrs old and never shot.

Harnic
08-25-2008, 03:44 PM
Yes Ray, that is where I first met Daryl & Taylor, although I knew of Taylor years ago, he apprenticed for a fellow up north that I used to buy pre-carved rifle stocks from when I gunsmithed for a living. Taylor is an amazing artisan! His guns are "AWESOME" as the kids these days say... ;) I'm leaving first thing tomorrow. I have the same trouble with open sights too Ray & I found a fix!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/Harnic/Basic/newsights.jpg

There was a closed buckhorn sight back in the days of Hawken & this is my aproximation of one. I just opened up the rear notch with a chainsaw file & soldered a slice of a 22 barrel liner in. Works like a charm & so far I haven't had any trouble with the Booshways at any shoot I've been to complaining that it's not period correct. You can get a blank rear sight like mine from Track of the Wolf. I built their fullstock flint Hawken 3 years ago & LOVE it!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y220/Harnic/Basic/finished.jpg

....sorry Jim, I got a bit off topic here!

ray h
08-25-2008, 04:25 PM
Thanks for the tip Harry, I didn't want something that looked out of place. Your fix looks good, I even have a few rear sights which I'll check for height. Thanks again, Ray H

Harnic
08-25-2008, 09:42 PM
Glad to help out Ray, I hope it works for you too.

Tom
09-03-2008, 02:34 AM
Harnic, just a personal opinion here, but I don't think you can get a #1 trigger down to 1.75 lbs the way you explained it. :-)

Tom

Harnic
09-03-2008, 03:15 AM
Well Tom, if you're ever up this way you're welcome to test it. I don't have a very accurate guage, just the RCBS spring guage that looks like a fish scale, so I'm sure I'm off by an ounce or two, but it's for sure under 2 pounds. What can I say? What makes you say it can't be done? I have reduced the sear contact by at least 80% & polished the sear & notch surfaces. It breaks very cleanly & light.