Ratdog68
Member
LOL BHPFan...
That's thar's phunny shtuff !!!
That's thar's phunny shtuff !!!
T/C Hawken: convince me to buy
- Thread starter Daizee
- Start date
- Status
Ratdog68
Member
Good for you Daizee...
Now... order yourself up a .50 cal barrel for the T/C and then ask yourself why you're keeping the Cabela's offering.
Now... order yourself up a .50 cal barrel for the T/C and then ask yourself why you're keeping the Cabela's offering.
BHP FAN
Member
It may be muzzle heavy,but so were the original Hawken's.It makes them darn near recoiless and superbly accurate.I didn't get my ol' dad's .45 TC when he died,but I got his Traditions .50 and his .58 caliber,brass scoped Hopkin and Allen underhammer.Wish I could shoot them with him.
arcticap
Member
Now that it's yours, you can tell us where you bought it.
Was it at Cabela's?
Was it at Cabela's?
Heh, no it wasn't at Cabela's. In fact, I didn't get my Cabela's at Cabela's, and I only paid $125 for that one.
There's an excellent little bait shop in my town in RI.
His new prices aren't fantastic, but when he buys used guns he prices 'em fairly, usually based on what he paid, not merely on what he can get for 'em.
-Daizee
There's an excellent little bait shop in my town in RI.
His new prices aren't fantastic, but when he buys used guns he prices 'em fairly, usually based on what he paid, not merely on what he can get for 'em.
-Daizee
Last night I polished up the brass with some flitz and pulled the lock off. It needed some cleaning and a little oil.
work done:
re-aligned the engagement parts and tightened the two screws on the inside of the lock that fasten the retaining plate.
lightly oiled the inside of the lock
shimmed the rear end of the lock plate up using a 1/8" x 1/4" piece of brass cut from a .22WMR case.
flitzed and oiled the barrel
installed the replacement rear sight (not thrilled with the glowey dots, but ok)
pulled the goofy homemade peep sight which was acting as a forward tang screw and emailed T/C about ordering a replacement
Regarding ammo for this 1:48 medium twist barrel, can someone confirm or refute my intuition (based on random reading):
round ball with moderate loads (low RPMs): ~80gr FFG
sabot with warm loads (higher RPMs): ~90-100gr FFG
90gr seems to be the most reported sweet spot for .50's and .54's.
I figure there has to be a rational pattern (within which there will obviously be individual variation).
-Daizee
work done:
re-aligned the engagement parts and tightened the two screws on the inside of the lock that fasten the retaining plate.
lightly oiled the inside of the lock
shimmed the rear end of the lock plate up using a 1/8" x 1/4" piece of brass cut from a .22WMR case.
flitzed and oiled the barrel
installed the replacement rear sight (not thrilled with the glowey dots, but ok)
pulled the goofy homemade peep sight which was acting as a forward tang screw and emailed T/C about ordering a replacement
Regarding ammo for this 1:48 medium twist barrel, can someone confirm or refute my intuition (based on random reading):
round ball with moderate loads (low RPMs): ~80gr FFG
sabot with warm loads (higher RPMs): ~90-100gr FFG
90gr seems to be the most reported sweet spot for .50's and .54's.
I figure there has to be a rational pattern (within which there will obviously be individual variation).
-Daizee
BHP FAN
Member
It's odd,but the most accurate load in my .50 is an .490 Hornady rb over sixty grains of 2f Goex.I use an old sheet to make my patches,and smear them with a little wonder lube or bore butter.Oh,and Remington #11 caps.
arcticap
Member
Here's the TC sidelock manual:
http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals/current/Shooting_TC_Side_Lock_Black_Powder_Guns.pdf
http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals/current/Shooting_TC_Side_Lock_Black_Powder_Guns.pdf
BHP FAN
Member
1/66.
Range Report!
I took it out today, side-by-side with the Cabela's model.
Truthfully, the Cabela's didn't get much shooting time.
I shot both with 80gr of FFG Triple-7 at first, then went to 70gr.
They both kick like mules from the bench, and the T/C doubly so because of that dang curved brass butt plate. I yelped pretty loud after the first shot with the T/C.
HOWEVER: I raised the rest up a bit and slung a bag of #7 shot (range provides as rests) over my shoulder as a pad, and that worked great!
From offhand it's not bothersome at all (without the shot-bag-pad).
At 50yds I grouped maybe 3-4", with some variation due to me messing around. I'm not sure I can see much better than that with post & cup sights - give me a good set of competition peeps and it's another story. Offhand and bench were about the same, or close enough anyway.
I shot with oiled patches and bore-buttered patches, both around a .530 round ball.
The T/C is the hands-down winner for me, I'm keeping it. I figure I can shoot saboted .45acp bullets sometime if I want, but within all reasonable open-sight ranges, the ballistics are nearly identical to a 240gr .530 ball. I'd have to go to a big .45colt bullet to get an advantage and some thicker clothes...
So I guess the Cabela's carbine is up for sale.
Thanks for all the input, folks!
-Daizee
I took it out today, side-by-side with the Cabela's model.
Truthfully, the Cabela's didn't get much shooting time.
I shot both with 80gr of FFG Triple-7 at first, then went to 70gr.
They both kick like mules from the bench, and the T/C doubly so because of that dang curved brass butt plate. I yelped pretty loud after the first shot with the T/C.
HOWEVER: I raised the rest up a bit and slung a bag of #7 shot (range provides as rests) over my shoulder as a pad, and that worked great!
From offhand it's not bothersome at all (without the shot-bag-pad).
At 50yds I grouped maybe 3-4", with some variation due to me messing around. I'm not sure I can see much better than that with post & cup sights - give me a good set of competition peeps and it's another story. Offhand and bench were about the same, or close enough anyway.
I shot with oiled patches and bore-buttered patches, both around a .530 round ball.
The T/C is the hands-down winner for me, I'm keeping it. I figure I can shoot saboted .45acp bullets sometime if I want, but within all reasonable open-sight ranges, the ballistics are nearly identical to a 240gr .530 ball. I'd have to go to a big .45colt bullet to get an advantage and some thicker clothes...
So I guess the Cabela's carbine is up for sale.
Thanks for all the input, folks!
-Daizee
arcticap
Member
Plus 777 produces more felt recoil than other powders.
That's why the RO told me - that 777 runs 10% hotter or so than BP/Pyrodex.
If that's true, I don't feel like a *total* wimp.
I'll experiment with positioning the gun, but offhand it was really just fine.
It will be interesting to shoot some sabots in the gun later.
Are there ever problems with plastic fouling?
I stuck the breech end (ok, there's no breech) of the barrel in a bucket of soapy water and ran patches in and out to clean it up. Finished with a patch of MPro-7, then dry and bore butter. Seemed easy enough.
Yep, hooked.
-Daizee
If that's true, I don't feel like a *total* wimp.
I'll experiment with positioning the gun, but offhand it was really just fine.
It will be interesting to shoot some sabots in the gun later.
Are there ever problems with plastic fouling?
I stuck the breech end (ok, there's no breech) of the barrel in a bucket of soapy water and ran patches in and out to clean it up. Finished with a patch of MPro-7, then dry and bore butter. Seemed easy enough.
Yep, hooked.
-Daizee
arcticap
Member
Plastic fouling?
Some [older] brands do but that's not really a problem since the barrel needs to be swabbed every 1 - 3 shots when shooting sabots anyway, due to the loading difficulty that powder fouling causes.
I like to use the TC Break-O-Way sabots with a 240 grain .44 mag. (.430) bullet in the 1 in 48".
They're also made in .54 caliber which have a clear blue color, and are sold combined with Hornady XTP bullets or in bulk packs of sabots only.
Some [older] brands do but that's not really a problem since the barrel needs to be swabbed every 1 - 3 shots when shooting sabots anyway, due to the loading difficulty that powder fouling causes.
I like to use the TC Break-O-Way sabots with a 240 grain .44 mag. (.430) bullet in the 1 in 48".
They're also made in .54 caliber which have a clear blue color, and are sold combined with Hornady XTP bullets or in bulk packs of sabots only.
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Those are cute.
I won't worry about the plastic, then.
The packaged bullet/sabot combos are so dang expensive that I've vowed to avoid them in favor of buying MMP sleeves for my bulk-purchased pistol bullets. Typically I see them for about $1/round - and there's no powder, primer, brass, or assembly!
Are the T/C's more affordably priced than what I've seen locally? Usually I see only jacketed bullets - the ones in your picture look great.
I'm sure the XTP's are excellent at rifle velocities.
I emailed T/C and they are sending me a new tang screw to replace the one the previous owner tossed - for free. Great customer service from another American firearm company.
-Daizee
I won't worry about the plastic, then.
The packaged bullet/sabot combos are so dang expensive that I've vowed to avoid them in favor of buying MMP sleeves for my bulk-purchased pistol bullets. Typically I see them for about $1/round - and there's no powder, primer, brass, or assembly!
Are the T/C's more affordably priced than what I've seen locally? Usually I see only jacketed bullets - the ones in your picture look great.
I'm sure the XTP's are excellent at rifle velocities.
I emailed T/C and they are sending me a new tang screw to replace the one the previous owner tossed - for free. Great customer service from another American firearm company.
-Daizee
arcticap
Member
It's not as easy to find the bulk .54 Break-O-Way sabots for sale anymore, although they can still be found at some gunshops and online combined with XTP bullets.
The bulk sabots used to cost $6 - $8 for a plastic bag of 50, but then TC switched to newer packaging and their price went up.
There's plenty of other bulk sabots to try and something is bound to work.
The bulk sabots used to cost $6 - $8 for a plastic bag of 50, but then TC switched to newer packaging and their price went up.
There's plenty of other bulk sabots to try and something is bound to work.
Buckshooter
Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2009
- Messages
- 29
T/C Hawken
I used to work for Thompson/Center back in the days when Ken Thompson and Warren Center ran the business. Ken ran the investment casting and Warren ran the gun side. It was a great place to work and both the owners were hands on people who were thrilled to have you working for them as long as you worked and enjoyed what you were doing. I worked in the wood room where the stocks were carved and sanded. It was a great job. We used to build presentation rifles for visiting dignitaries. One of the stocks I worked on was given to Ronald Reagan about four years before he was elected President. He hung it over the fireplace at the West Coast White House. We made some beautiful guns back in the day. Everything was done by hand and nothing left the factory until it was just about perfect. I can walk into a gun shop these days (37 years later) and still feel a stock for defects if it has any. Most don't. Life time guarantee is one of the main sellers along with the knowledge that everything comes and is made here in America. The wood came from Arkansas at the time. That walnut was as hard as cement to sand, and it was beautiful when it was finished. I bought my first Hawken for $110.00 at the jobbers rate offered to workers. Killed my first deer and largest buck with it. I never bought anything else but T/C black powder rifles. My two sone own their own and are crack shots with them. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Hawken. They are both wonderfully made and functional.
I used to work for Thompson/Center back in the days when Ken Thompson and Warren Center ran the business. Ken ran the investment casting and Warren ran the gun side. It was a great place to work and both the owners were hands on people who were thrilled to have you working for them as long as you worked and enjoyed what you were doing. I worked in the wood room where the stocks were carved and sanded. It was a great job. We used to build presentation rifles for visiting dignitaries. One of the stocks I worked on was given to Ronald Reagan about four years before he was elected President. He hung it over the fireplace at the West Coast White House. We made some beautiful guns back in the day. Everything was done by hand and nothing left the factory until it was just about perfect. I can walk into a gun shop these days (37 years later) and still feel a stock for defects if it has any. Most don't. Life time guarantee is one of the main sellers along with the knowledge that everything comes and is made here in America. The wood came from Arkansas at the time. That walnut was as hard as cement to sand, and it was beautiful when it was finished. I bought my first Hawken for $110.00 at the jobbers rate offered to workers. Killed my first deer and largest buck with it. I never bought anything else but T/C black powder rifles. My two sone own their own and are crack shots with them. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Hawken. They are both wonderfully made and functional.
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