Load for 50 hawkensT/c

[d.thomson]

Hi every one im just getting in to ml and have been reading the forms. My wife has gotten me a used great con 50 hawkens T/C and was wondering what other people are using for shooting prb I plan to start around 50-60 g of ffg but I was reading that people are using fffg. I got the manual from T/C on the net and they say fffg is only for pisols and creat to much of a presure spike. Oh by the way it is cap gun .could some one clarify this for me abit. becase I like to try differen loads but dont want to ruin the rest of my life, I like my digits right where they are thanks for any feed back Dave.

 

[750k2]

3f is fine and will take less.
Keep an eye om your patches if your blowin them go back to 2f or
a sturdier patch.

 

[roundball]

Hi every one im just getting in to ml and have been reading the forms. My wife has gotten me a used great con 50 hawkens T/C and was wondering what other people are using for shooting prb I plan to start around 50-60 g of ffg but I was reading that people are using fffg. I got the manual from T/C on the net and they say fffg is only for pisols and creat to much of a presure spike. Oh by the way it is cap gun .could some one clarify this for me abit. becase I like to try differen loads but dont want to ruin the rest of my life, I like my digits right where they are thanks for any feed back Dave.

The TC Hawken loads I settled on are:

TARGETS
50grns Goex 3F
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady .490 balls

DEER HUNTING
90grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke wonderwad
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking
Hornady .490 balls

Old school thinking about 3F vs. 2F being tied strictly to caliber, has been replaced with an industry rule of thumb that 3F can easily be substituted for 2F, just reduce the 3F powder charge 10-15% to stay in the same pressure range as the 2F...this was confirmed to me by TC themselves...ie: if you would normally plan to use 100grns 2F, just use 85grns 3F instead.

TC's manual lists the max .50cal round ball load at 110grns 2F, I settled on 90grns 3F...a 19% reduction...and I use Goex 3F in .45/.50/.54/.62 caliber Flintlocks, excellent accuracy, less fouling than 2F.

 

[d.thomson]

Thanks guys for the quik responces I gess T/C puts their loads like that to keep their leagle dept happy.

 

[boar]

I shoot 100grs 2ff and max-hunter in mine. My buddy talked me into shooting 3ff, he said to use 85grs and I did, it was alright at 50yrds but when I went back to 100yrds it hit the dirt at bottom of target. I went to house got the 2ff and 100grs put it in the target, never tried it since. I use 3fff up to 50cal then,then 2ff for 50 and up. Your gun might like the 3fff you will have to try it and see. Some says it shoots cleaner, but all the Goex i have shot is always dirty no matter which grade I shoot. Dilly

 

[roundball]

I shoot 100grs 2ff and max-hunter in mine. My buddy talked me into shooting 3ff, he said to use 85grs and I did, it was alright at 50yrds but when I went back to 100yrds it hit the dirt at bottom of target. I went to house got the 2ff and 100grs put it in the target, never tried it since. I use 3fff up to 50cal then,then 2ff for 50 and up. Your gun might like the 3fff you will have to try it and see. Some says it shoots cleaner, but all the Goex i have shot is always dirty no matter which grade I shoot. Dilly

Curious what kind of lube you might use...I shoot 50 shot range sessions on the weekends using Goex 3F and never have to wipe beteen shots

 

[paulvallandigham]

Boar- dilly, there is absolutely no way that a ball or bullet is going to drop that much at 100 yds- unless your target is sitting on the ground, and is only 4 inches tall!- With any kind of load approaching 85 grains, and a properly sized conical. If the bullet hits the ground, it was not the correct size for the barrel, or was not sealed properly in the gun. All that powder sent gases around it, and it went tumbling through the air towards the target at pretty slow speeds.

I would suggest that any time you try a different bullet, or ball, or patch combination, you return to short yardage- even 25 yds can be too long- to test fire the load before moving back to more standard ranges. If a gun shoots well at 50 yds with one projectile, but the next one fails to make it to a 100 yd. target, there is something very wrong with the load combination, and not the shooter, normally, or the gun. I assume you do these test fires off a bench rest, to eliminate the effect of flinching, or shooter error.

 

[boar]

I was using same max-hunters on both shots. Lubed with max-lube. The target was not tall, it was a block of fire wood,maybe 24 inces tall. The target was in middle,a 3lb coffee can lid. I was using a standing rest on both shots. Dilly

 

[boar]

I meant all black powder is dirty, we shot some Pioneer powder last week and it had a light brown residue, said it didn't have any sufur. Iam using deer tallow on patched RB. I still have a little of the max-lube left. I haven't shot any max-hunters for a while. Beeen using RB. Dilly

 

[HardBall]

Hi every one im just getting in to ml and have been reading the forms. My wife has gotten me a used great con 50 hawkens T/C and was wondering what other people are using for shooting prb I plan to start around 50-60 g of ffg but I was reading that people are using fffg. I got the manual from T/C on the net and they say fffg is only for pisols and creat to much of a presure spike.

Congratulations of your new rifle and supportive wife!

I come from the school of Dr. Sam Fadala... He suggests 3f for lighter loads in 45+ calibers and 2f for heavier, hunting loads in .45+ caliber patched ball rifles.

Indeed, my personal experience has been that; 3f is easier to find accurate loads at lighter charges and 2f is easier to find accurate charges with heavier loads.

 

[Cmabie]

I use 70 gr. of FFg black powder with a patched 49 caliber ball in my TC Hawken. The patch is made of pillow ticking lubed with a 3 part mixture of water, Murpy's Oil Soap, and miscible oil. It shoots very accurately with this load.
:hatsoff: