Traditions firearms diy kits

Brent · Oct 24, 2014

Anybody have experience with these or any other diy kits? I'm very interested in them. Thanks!!

-Brent

SRD · Oct 24, 2014

I did 2 T/C Hawkens back in the day.It was a lot of fun but time consuming (not laborious though).Wish they still made them.

44man · Oct 24, 2014

I did a hawkens years ago and had a blast doing it. I still shoot it and hunt with it sometimes. that brings back good memories. the fitting and finishing can be tricky depending on how you want it to look and how picky you are but they are well worth the effort in my opinion.

Brent · Oct 24, 2014

Hunting was no issue with it?

Boom Boom · Oct 24, 2014

My wife's cousin hunts with his. Gets the job done. He loves it. He's a woodworker so he customized the furniture with wood and metal inlays.

Brent · Oct 24, 2014

Anyone with ideas of max effective range?

wilcam47 · Oct 24, 2014

brentona said:
Anyone with ideas of max effective range?

Id shoot one out to 150 no problems...

SRD · Oct 24, 2014

brentona said:
Hunting was no issue with it?

wilcam47 said:
Id shoot one out to 150 no problems...

I hunt with mine,I couldn't believe the accuracy the first time I shot it (reason for getting a second one).I shoot 100 gr. FF and T/C maxi-hunters to 150 yds.

wilcam47 · Oct 24, 2014

SRD said:
I hunt with mine,I couldn't believe the accuracy the first time I shot it (reason for getting a second one).I shoot 100 gr. FF and T/C maxi-hunters to 150 yds.

The knock down power is what amazes me... :thumbsup:

SRD · Oct 24, 2014

350 gr. Will roll them whitetails.

Uncle Duke · Oct 24, 2014

I built a Thompson Center .50 caliber Hawken percussion rifle out of a kit 31 years ago. It was a time consuming process, but I enjoyed doing it. That was my introduction to black powder, and I built it initially as a way to extend deer season.

Ironic that over a lot of years of deer hunting primarily with shotguns and centerfire rifles, I killed the best buck I've ever shot with that kit gun. Lotta memories in that Hawken!

iH8DemLibz · Oct 24, 2014

They make a "decent" kit. Sometimes you will need a deep bag of tricks to fix what they phucked up at the factory.

If you are good with metal and wood, you should be fine.

I built a Traditions Kentucky rifle kit. Didn't matter what I used as a reference point to get all the whogits, holes, and thingamabobs to line up, I couldn't.

Finally had to throw away the brass spacer that separated the butt stock and fore end sections and fashioned a new spacer out of cherry. Then things started to fall into place.

I say get one and have fun.

Brent · Oct 24, 2014

Ok officially on my want list. Any pictures to be shared anyone??

Muggs · Oct 25, 2014

It may not be what you're after, but it is a Traditions kit. The Blunderbuss from Sportsmans Guide. It wasn't hard, it was mostly sanding.

I did have to do a little filing on the main spring, as it wanted to twist away from the lockplate when it was fired.

It fits in a Cricket case. I've thought about getting a "My First Blunderbuss" patch made to cover the Cricket logo on the case.

Its quite fun.

Brent · Oct 25, 2014

That's really cool!! What do you shoot out of it??

SRD · Oct 25, 2014

brentona said:
That's really cool!! What do you shoot out of it??

Everything and anything. :lol2:

Muggs · Oct 25, 2014

brentona said:
That's really cool!! What do you shoot out of it??

Just a .530 roundball, its a 54 caliber.

Brent · Oct 25, 2014

Those kits are real cool

Threeband · Oct 25, 2014

I wouldn't get anything from Traditions.

I would be embarrassed to be seen with one of those so-called Kentucky Rifles with the brass spacer and the two-piece stock mentioned in post #12.

I've just always seen those things as wall hangers, intended for people who really aren't serious about acquiring and mastering a Rifleman's Rifle. I think they are built to a (low) price point for a customer the maker assumes is just a Bubba who'll be happy to shoot it once and maybe hit a gallon jug 3 out of ten shots at 15 yards, before hanging it on the wall forever (uncleaned and probably still loaded).

Lyman is known for making good rifles at a good price. Check out Melnic's thread about the Lyman Great Plains Rifle he built from a kit, along with lots of range reports about how it shoots.

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=139322&highlight=Great+Plains

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=146815&highlight=Great+Plains

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=153792&highlight=Great+Plains

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=150721&highlight=Great+Plains

http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=155738&highlight=Great+Plains

He has lots of other posts and threads about load development in his various muzzle loaders. And yes, he got the Lyman kit from me.

iH8DemLibz · Oct 25, 2014

Made the possibles bag from a sheet of raw leather. The powder horn and measure too.

Sunburst studs and Indian beads are from Tandy Leather.

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