Gettin Ready!

[windini]

I've been trying to get settled into my TC Hawken 50 cal. for next weekend's Woodswalk at my local range.



Though not historically accurate (but neither is my T-shirt!), I experimented with some paper cartridges for speedier reloads:


The paper tubes I got as a throw-in on a trade; the paper is rather thick and has one-too-many wraps. The ide was to mimic the Pritchard cartridge: tear, pour, seat ball in lubed end of patch, tear again, and ram. I was able to load 2 of the .490 ball cartridges, but then had to do a major cleaning. As expected, the Great Plains bullet cartridges wouldn't even start. I know they're designed to be loaded w/o patching, but sometimes ya just gotta try anyway!

I'm back to measuring powder and patched balls.

I also got a refresher lesson in proper patch size - even for a "quick swab between shots!"



Fun fact: pliers + rod tip have a higher Brinell number than the human forehead.

The rifle is quite capable. I hope I can keep up with her on Saturday!

80 yard gong:

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Yes, the Great Plains bullet is quite large, requires a short starter as-is. !!! I make paper cartridges out of grocery bag paper, or sammich bag paper, depending on the fit I want. I dip the ball end in wax. So it's just tear-pour-ram. Don't have to reverse the cartridge after the powder goes down. Just tear off the end and ram the whole thing down. Faster than the Pritchett for sure. And very much easier to make. The ball need not be patched within the paper. The paper will act as the patch, how many wraps, or type of paper will provide the proper thickness. A good easy fit and the end dipped in wax will provide repeat shots.

By the way, the TC IS "historically correct". As Hawg pointed out, it is very close (or the same) to the Tryon rifle. Also, there were many half stock rifles of the day that did not mimic the Hawken, and didn't follow a standard pattern. The TC may not mimic the Hawken, but it is very typical of the half-stock plains type rifles. Or, "Santa Fe" rifles. Most men did not have a rifle made by the Hawken brothers. As far as paper cartridges, they certainly pre-date a percussion era rifle.

Okay have fun, wish I could go!

 

[hawg]

Yes, the Great Plains bullet is quite large, requires a short starter as-is. !!! I make paper cartridges out of grocery bag paper, or sammich bag paper, depending on the fit I want. I dip the ball end in wax. So it's just tear-pour-ram. Don't have to reverse the cartridge after the powder goes down. Just tear off the end and ram the whole thing down. Faster than the Pritchett for sure. And very much easier to make. The ball need not be patched within the paper. The paper will act as the patch, how many wraps, or type of paper will provide the proper thickness. A good easy fit and the end dipped in wax will provide repeat shots.

By the way, the TC IS "historically correct". As Hawg pointed out, it is very close (or the same) to the Tryon rifle. Also, there were many half stock rifles of the day that did not mimic the Hawken, and didn't follow a standard pattern. The TC may not mimic the Hawken, but it is very typical of the half-stock plains type rifles. Or, "Santa Fe" rifles. Most men did not have a rifle made by the Hawken brothers. As far as paper cartridges, they certainly pre-date a percussion era rifle.

Okay have fun, wish I could go!

Very few people owned Hawken rifles. There were only about 1000 made. Dimick, Dickert, Lancaster etc all made more rifles than the Hawken brothers did. The Hawken Brothers were blacksmiths who built guns. They repaired guns, traps etc.

 

[windini]

By the way, the TC IS "historically correct"

Yes, I was referring to making cartridges for it. Though someone undoubtedly did make some way back when, most of the history I've read doesn't specifically cover it (for that type of rifle at that time). Not arguing, just clarifying my post!

wish I could go!

Come on out! It ain't that far... Using "traditional transportation," you should be here in a few months.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Truth...I did hitch-hike the west coast twice...but didn't have a rifle with me. Did have a big duffle bag that would have held one. !!!! Okay...let me grab my duffle...

Yep, my bad, I realized after posting that you were referring to the cartridges, and not the rifle. Probably true that rifles weren't loaded often, or hardly ever with cartridges, but ya never know. Being a two or three hundred year old "technology" by that time, someone might have thunk of it. For close up follow up shots, they sure work good in my Jeager. I even shot a bear with one. !

 

[windini]

We had a great time at our woodswalk yesterday! Beautiful Fall weather, good people, lots of fun and plenty of smoke.

I managed 11 hits out of 15 targets ranging from 15yds to 128yds; I was one of 2 who nailed the 128-yarder!












We're already planning the next one...

 

[Pat Riot]

80 yard gong:

I find it very odd that every time I shoot a target like this I always seem to put my rounds right through that little square hole.

Your woods walk competition sounds like fun.

 

[windini]

seem to put my rounds right through that little square hole

I just missed it that time!

 

[dave951]

For a speedy reload, you really, really need to be shooting minies. Here's a minie I derived from an original Enfield design for work in 50cal camp rifles with the Scouts. It uses the same type of plastic tube as N-SSA musket rounds and can be very quick to reload. It seems to be fairly accurate in most guns.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Wow I like it. Bet that would shoot good in my .50" Plains Pistol barrel. What do it weigh? What diameter does it come out of the mold at?

 

[dave951]

Wow I like it. Bet that would shoot good in my .50" Plains Pistol barrel. What do it weigh? What diameter does it come out of the mold at?

It drops from the mold at .498 with pure lead. The base plug is adjustable so I can alter the weight for the optimum for a given twist. I've found that right about 325gr works pretty well for most rifles we've encountered. While my CVA sewerpipe on a stick loves 37gr 3f, most camp rifles seem to shoot better with 42gr 3f. We make up our cartridges using the plastic tubes. Put the powder charge in the tube, plug the tube with the bullet nose first up to the large groove. Dip lube the exposed part into beeswax/lard. Go have fun. No wiping, just shoot.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

That bullet looks a lot like the old Buffalo Ball-et from long ago. Where did you get the mold?

 

[hawg]

That bullet looks a lot like the old Buffalo Ball-et from long ago. Where did you get the mold?

Really? The ones I had were short stubby bullets with a thick skirted hollow base and were knurled instead of having lube grooves.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

Yup, that's the one, said it was similar.

 

[hawg]

Yup, that's the one, said it was similar.

I'm sorry but I don't see anything similar about it. I also don't see any semblance to an Enfield bullet.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Like-same but different.

 

[hawg]

Like-same but different.

I don't see it.

 

[AntiqueSledMan]

I agree, my brother used the Buffalo Ballettes in his Zuove and loved them.

AntiqueSledMan.

 

[dave951]

Here's the link to the guys who made the mold-

nosepour

custom bullet moulds, steve brooks, tru-bore moulds, bullet molds

brooksmoulds.com

Note in the hollow base bullets the .474 Enfield pistol bullet. That's the one we upsized to .495 and had an adjustable base plug made.

 

[hawg]

Here's the link to the guys who made the mold-

nosepour

custom bullet moulds, steve brooks, tru-bore moulds, bullet molds

brooksmoulds.com

Note in the hollow base bullets the .474 Enfield pistol bullet. That's the one we upsized to .495 and had an adjustable base plug made.

Ok I had rifle on my mind.

 

[dave951]

Ok I had rifle on my mind.

Yup, but we do shoot them out of rifles. The bullet was bumped up to .498 and the adjustable plug allows much heavier weight than a handgun.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

I agree, my brother used the Buffalo Ballettes in his Zuove and loved them.

AntiqueSledMan.

The Hornady version of that is the "PA Conical", which shoots very well out of my .50" Plains Pistol. (I got a .54" barrel for it, now the .50" barrel is kind of gathering dust) In my TC rifle barrel, not so great. However, the rifle shoots the 385 grain "Great Plains" bullet very nicely, making it a ".50-80-385", which ain't chopped liver. !!!! Whereas I would not want to shoot Grizz with a .50" round-ball, I think that 385 grain slug will get his (or her's) attention.

 

[hawg]

(I got a .54" barrel for it, now the .50" barrel is kind of gathering dust)

I've got a .50 caliber muzzleloader. I already had my .54 when I got it. I fired it one time to unload it and it's been gathering dust ever since. A .50 just feels lame after a .54.