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Posted By: MarkFed Traditions - Fox River Fifty - 09/13/09
I was given a "new" Traditions Fox River Fifty a while back and I never even really looked it over. It has a nice wood stock and blued metal. The barrel is 24" I think and it is a nice Hex barrel. I was bored today between all of my NFL madness and decided to take it down and look it over. Now this thing has been leaning in a corner of my basement for years so there was a light bit of rust starting to develop in a couple spots. I cleaned all of that off and it looks new. I took the muzzleloader comlpletely apart down to the last little parts then lubed and reassembled. It seems to me that it was never fired at all.

When it was given to me it was only the rifle, no manual of any kind. I can not find one online either. I assume that it uses #11 caps and that I can use any kind of .50 cal projectile I choose (or a .45 cal in a .50 cal plastic sabot like many people use in the modern inlines). I would also assume that a powder charge between 50 and 100 grains would suit this rifle the best. Just trying to find out if my assumptions are correct before trying anything. Let me know if you guys/gals have any info that would be helpful whether it is info from the manual on this rifle or just personal suggestions. Thanks!!!

P.S. I searched the net for a manual and info and came up with only suggestions, no hard facts. Also this is one of the Fox River Fifties that was produced in Spain and imported by Traditions when they were located in Old Saybrook, CT.
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Your assessment should be right ,, on charges . You should be able to go as low as 25 grains though . And normally the top for the traditions recommendations is 100 -110 ball park

Projectiles would be 50 cal or if RB . 490 or .495. Depending on the actual bore size patches would be .010-.018
as to if it will shoot sabots well . that will depend on the rate of twist . it should be marked on your barrel with a 1 in 48 or 1 in 60

If the rifle is stock and nothings changed then your caps will be #11.

As for the loading Manual . Like CVA the traditions manuals are not to gun specific so basically you will have the same manual as a traditions hawkens , Kentucky , Pennsylvania so on and so forth .
I would shout an email to traditions and ask for one .
If your new to muzzleloading then IMO you would be far better served by getting on E-bay and buying one of the old Sam Fedella loading manuals.. Most are just on basics . However there are a couple that are full 75% load data
It is a 1 in 48 twist....where does that lead me in the bullet vs accuracy department?

I am not new to muzzleloading but I have only dealt with T/C inlines previously and figured these were a more toned down thing than the very modern inlines. So basically I know what I am doing I just need the right info. Thanks for the help.
1 in 48 is a little fast for Round ball, but should be fine for conicals and bullet/sabots. You just gotta try some different loads.

BTW, the Fox River 50 was made exclusively for Gander Mountain back in the late 80's and early 90's.
I have some bullets and sabots around so I will probably try them and work my way up from 50 grains.
1 in 48 is not to fast for RB . that is a myth
spend the time to work up a load and it will give 1 to 2 inch groups out to 100 yards .
when the hawkens bros left St louis , the 1 in 48 was the only twist the continued to use .

1 in 48 is also not to slow for conicals . again you just have to work a load and chose the right conical . many original long range rifle were rifled in twists as slow as 1 in 110 and still held sub 2 inch groups at 40 rods .

i have an original Stutzer at has a twist rate of i in 90 and it shoots conicals ver well . infact it was designed for it .

you may find that for sabots though you need a faster twist and not so deep rifling .
My Traditions Shenandoah with 1:60 twist shoots Maxi-Balls very accurately.

Aqualung
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