Well I have shot both and I guess the dividing line is the jump from percussion caps to shotgun primers. At first I thought what a great idea. Now not so much. Oddly the bigger blast of shotgun primers causes problems with some subs like 777 and Pyrodex. Shooters World MPB does it but not as bad, easy to remove with one wet patch. The famous crud ring. Never had this problem in either of my traditional Hawkins style rifles or my FireHawk. Plus with a capper putting a percussion cap on a nipple is far easier than getting a shotgun primer in it's hole. With the Hawkins and the FireHawk I don't have to remove and clean the breechblock or it's threads either. This said the two rifles I have that use shotgun primers are both accurate reliable rifles. In fact before Covid and the percussion cap shortage I had no real reason to get a ML that used shotgun primers but had a 50 caliber Encore barrel anyway. Now my Grandson uses his for all his hunting even though he has access to many modern rifles. This year I am using my percussion capped fired rifles until my #11's run out again.
Early inlines vs modern inlines
- Thread starter Rickt300
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My Traditions in line uses either musket caps or #11 caps with just a quick change of the nipple. Accuracy is about the same for both. Never had a hang fire for either one.
Just started using 209s in my Encore barrel. That too is quite accurate. I am on the fence about switching over to small rifle primer system for this gun. Not because I don't like 209s , it's just I have more small rifle primers than 209s.
Just started using 209s in my Encore barrel. That too is quite accurate. I am on the fence about switching over to small rifle primer system for this gun. Not because I don't like 209s , it's just I have more small rifle primers than 209s.
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My Firehawk is one solid rifle. Had her going on 5 year now and she's done all I've asked.
And then some.
I've had a lot of different inlines. Had an Omega, or three, couple Black Diamonds, .45 and .50. Several Knights too. And a Traditions Tracker that I started with, but is now Baby Girl's.
Just have my Firehawk, Calico, now.
No better inline rifle. For me. If I could only have one rifle, breech or muzzleloader, it'd be my Firehawk. NO contest.
And then some.
I've had a lot of different inlines. Had an Omega, or three, couple Black Diamonds, .45 and .50. Several Knights too. And a Traditions Tracker that I started with, but is now Baby Girl's.
Just have my Firehawk, Calico, now.
No better inline rifle. For me. If I could only have one rifle, breech or muzzleloader, it'd be my Firehawk. NO contest.
What do you like about it over the other options?
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She handles like a dream, scary accurate, absolutely reliable, fixed breechplug, legal everywhere, full length rammer and if I want to, she can use #11s, muskets and even 209s.
She is rather light at juuust a hair over 7 pounds.
By scary accurate I mean she's given me the largest collection of inch or less three round 100 yard groups than ANY rifle I've ever owned. Breech or muzzleloader, scoped or non-optical sights. Smallest group, last three rounds fired that day, was 5/16ths. She wears a Savage #10 aperture rear sight and factory bead front.
I believe one of the reasons for this level of accuracy is the 1-38 twist. 230-300 grain .45 caliber XTPs and home cast Lyman Plains 400 grain .50s are all superb. The powder charge for all is 70 grains of 3f Swiss. Believe it or not, no load requires any change to the zero out to 100 yards.
This barrel does not have the QLA muzzle. Another reason is the Firehawk also has superior bedding compared to the Black Diamond. The BD stock bolts were the triggerguard bolts. The Firehawk has one that threads into the recoil block. The front guard bolt is just a wood screw.
The Firehawk method gives more rigidity in bedding the receiver area cut away for priming.
To me, a removable breech plug is a solution in search of a problem. My Firehawk is actually easier to clean than my Black Diamonds were. I call her " Calico" because of her combo of blued/ stainless and walnut. When I bought her, the blued barrel was not too good. Shot quite well, but got rougher as shooting progressed. So I found a n.o.s. stainless 24 inch .50 caliber barrel for $150 and swapped the necessary parts.
The Savage #10 sight I bought 20 year ago for $85. It's drawn blood on four different rifles over the years. But Calico is its permanent home.
If you can find one of these rifles, in good shape, I doubt you'd be disappointed.
She is rather light at juuust a hair over 7 pounds.
By scary accurate I mean she's given me the largest collection of inch or less three round 100 yard groups than ANY rifle I've ever owned. Breech or muzzleloader, scoped or non-optical sights. Smallest group, last three rounds fired that day, was 5/16ths. She wears a Savage #10 aperture rear sight and factory bead front.
I believe one of the reasons for this level of accuracy is the 1-38 twist. 230-300 grain .45 caliber XTPs and home cast Lyman Plains 400 grain .50s are all superb. The powder charge for all is 70 grains of 3f Swiss. Believe it or not, no load requires any change to the zero out to 100 yards.
This barrel does not have the QLA muzzle. Another reason is the Firehawk also has superior bedding compared to the Black Diamond. The BD stock bolts were the triggerguard bolts. The Firehawk has one that threads into the recoil block. The front guard bolt is just a wood screw.
The Firehawk method gives more rigidity in bedding the receiver area cut away for priming.
To me, a removable breech plug is a solution in search of a problem. My Firehawk is actually easier to clean than my Black Diamonds were. I call her " Calico" because of her combo of blued/ stainless and walnut. When I bought her, the blued barrel was not too good. Shot quite well, but got rougher as shooting progressed. So I found a n.o.s. stainless 24 inch .50 caliber barrel for $150 and swapped the necessary parts.
The Savage #10 sight I bought 20 year ago for $85. It's drawn blood on four different rifles over the years. But Calico is its permanent home.
If you can find one of these rifles, in good shape, I doubt you'd be disappointed.
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I own only one in-line rifle, a 60 year old underhammer percussion. It's now retired but has taken deer, bobcats and small game. The gain-twist barrel is as accurate as anything I've ever fired with black powder. It's an H&A that I used for many years.
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How is that an inline? I don’t know much about under hammer guns.I own only one in-line rifle, a 60 year old underhammer percussion. It's now retired but has taken deer, bobcats and small game. The gain-twist barrel is as accurate as anything I've ever fired with black powder. It's an H&A that I used for many years.
