Kibler Longrifles - Hawken Kit 2025

[HighUintas]

In case there's any die hard Hawken enthusiasts here, below is a link to a video on the long awaited Kibler Hawken kit. It is expected to launch in 2025 and will likely be the finest Hawken kit available.

Will it be historically accurate? In some aspects yes, but it appears to be very much designed towards utility for today's traditional percussion hunter and Jim's preferences on aesthetics.

It 100% misses the mark on what I was hoping he would design, but it should be an awesome rifle nonetheless.

It will be available in 45-58 cal, target of 8-8.5 lbs, likely 32" barrel, and 13.6" LOP.

 

[ElDiablito]

Cool. TC is supposedly bringing back their Hawken as well.

 

[HighUintas]

Cool. TC is supposedly bringing back their Hawken as well.

Cool. Any links to information? I can't find anything

 

[2Stamp]

Cool. I have a Lyman GPR that I took a rasp to and reshaped the stock similar to those lines. Kibler makes great kits. It'll be interesting to see what the price point on this will be.

 

[HighUintas]

Cool. I have a Lyman GPR that I took a rasp to and reshaped the stock similar to those lines. Kibler makes great kits. It'll be interesting to see what the price point on this will be.

He said either in the video or in an ALR thread that the price point would be the same/similar to their existing kits.

 

[blkqi]

Ain't that Hatchet Jack's rifle?

 

[ElDiablito]

Cool. Any links to information? I can't find anything

At about 41:00, Gregg talks about his TC muzzleloader plans. He mentions that the Hawken and kits are being planned. In this rough order he says: Encore, Triumph, Hawken.

 

[Felix40]

I’m really hoping he does a conical appropriate twist rate.

 

[HighUintas]

I’m really hoping he does a conical appropriate twist rate.

I am hoping no faster than 1:48 on the 54 and 58 so that round balls still shoot with big charges. Even though 48 was typical of the originals, I'd rather have a 60-70 for 58 so I can load it hot

 

[Felix40]

I am hoping no faster than 1:48 on the 54 and 58 so that round balls still shoot with big charges. Even though 48 was typical of the originals, I'd rather have a 60-70 for 58 so I can load it hot

I did the round ball thing. I’m more interested in the accuracy and terminal performance of conicals now. I have a feeling he is going to lean more your direction though.

 

[Hawkeye29]

In case there's any die hard Hawken enthusiasts here, below is a link to a video on the long awaited Kibler Hawken kit. It is expected to launch in 2025 and will likely be the finest Hawken kit available.

Will it be historically accurate? In some aspects yes, but it appears to be very much designed towards utility for today's traditional percussion hunter and Jim's preferences on aesthetics.

It 100% misses the mark on what I was hoping he would design, but it should be an awesome rifle nonetheless.

It will be available in 45-58 cal, target of 8-8.5 lbs, likely 32" barrel, and 13.6" LOP.

How does it miss the mark in your mind? Looking to get a Hawken to go along with my TVM Poor Boy.

 

[HighUintas]

How does it miss the mark in your mind? Looking to get a Hawken to go along with my TVM Poor Boy.

Scroll guard and breech design are the exact same as the later S Hawken type so commonly seen, but is much lighter than most S Hawken, 32" barrel, forestock too short and buttstock too tall. I don't know if his website specs are fixed yet but he said 54cal is 8lbs. Much too light. I'd have preferred one that closely fit the characteristics of J&S Hawken. He thinks the original Hawkens were ugly, had no grace, not balanced, nothing special about them, etc. So he had to make his "better" than the originals by combining features from various periods and deviating entirely on a couple aspects.

Regardless of that, it's a good looking rifle and likely the highest quality production Hawken ever made, so that's neat. It's probably the most accurate representation out there after the GRRW Hawkens which were directly copied from Bridgers rifle. I do like that he added some finials to the entry pipe and trigger bar.

 

[FrontierGander]

Ti's a beauty!!

A great idea scaling it down in size so all those Gung ho old farts can handle them for off hand shooting. I remember ol mule, buying 8lb renegades, breaking his back or ribs, selling off his guns then 2 weeks later, literally buying the same gun and complaining about the weight

No one these days wants an original sized, weight, 10-13lb Hawken. Me included!

As for a tc hawken lol, no thanks.

 

[HighUintas]

Ti's a beauty!!

A great idea scaling it down in size so all those Gung ho old farts can handle them for off hand shooting. I remember ol mule, buying 8lb renegades, breaking his back or ribs, selling off his guns then 2 weeks later, literally buying the same gun and complaining about the weight

No one these days wants an original sized, weight, 10-13lb Hawken. Me included!

As for a tc hawken lol, no thanks.

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I also don't want a 10-13lber. But an extra pound would be nice for recoil reduction in a 54 and 58. Easily achieved with a 36-38" barrel. But I do understand the need for it to be marketable to all the old farts. They are the primary market. It would be a great rifle.

 

[Taco John]

That looks like a nice gun.

 

[Roughneck]

I am not a huge fan of the Hawken style but this one looks interesting as it seems slimmer and lighter, plus I bought 1000 caps and I don’t own a cap gun lol. I have owned several of Kiblers SMRs, Colonials and the Woodsrunner. The Woodsrunner is my favorite and have 3 of them. I only shoot patched round ball for all the deer and elk hunting I have done, works great. All 3 of my 54s like 90 grains of 3F. I also have shot them a lot in offhand matches and they are balanced very well.

 

[buffybr]

Before I left Colorado for Montana in 1975, I built this .54 Caliber Hawken from a Green River kit. I shot the buffalo a few years ago on Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch in Montana.

 

[HighUintas]

Before I left Colorado for Montana in 1975, I built this .54 Caliber Hawken from a Green River kit. I shot the buffalo a few years ago on Ted Turner's Flying D Ranch in Montana.

1 shot for the buff? Where did it hit? How long did he take to go down?

 

[ElPollo]

Wish Jim would make an accurate reproduction of a 1820-1840 era Lancaster or Philly flint long rifle that was common in the early western fur trade. You can find good stuff that is earlier and later, but few people have ever done a really good common trappers rifle from this period. Something from Henry, Deringer, the Dickert-Gill brothers or similar makers. Just never seems to get much traction. That said, Jim is making a beautiful Hawkenish gun.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Ti's a beauty!!

A great idea scaling it down in size so all those Gung ho old farts can handle them for off hand shooting. I remember ol mule, buying 8lb renegades, breaking his back or ribs, selling off his guns then 2 weeks later, literally buying the same gun and complaining about the weight

No one these days wants an original sized, weight, 10-13lb Hawken. Me included!

As for a tc hawken lol, no thanks.

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That is a great looking rifle! Is there any cast off on the stock? I am a lefty. A cheek piece on the “wrong” side doesn’t bother me much, but cast off does.