New gun or new barrel?

[Amikee]

Hi boys and girls

What would you do- upgrade tc hawken with green mountain barrel or would you save up around 1K or more and go semi custom or custom? Thank you for all the info on other topics. Good shooting!

Michal

 

[Ken Cormier]

Do both you can never have too many guns.

 

[David W.]

T/C's are okay, but I like the more traditional look for my rifles.

 

[roundball]

What would you do- upgrade tc hawken with green mountain barrel or would you save up around 1K or more and go semi custom or custom? Thank you for all the info on other topics.

I'm only trying to help when I say this and ask a question...the two options don't strike me as being on the same plane, really two totally different undertakings.
Sort of like, should I buy a new tire...or...get a new car.
ie: upgrading a barrel to fix some sort of issue with that is a far cry from buying an entire new, expensive long gun.

The question I'd first wonder about is what is the issue that you're considering when you think about getting a Green Mountain barrel?

 

[Amikee]

Hehe. Good one. Thanks for reply. Actually I have a tc and investarms. Both 1:48, and shoot prb. So 1:60+ would be a little more accurate? So for now maybe get a GMB and then something fancy? Both tc and investarms are not so called "correct" or fancy, and I'd like something I can give leave to my kids and it won't be something with #888765544 production serial. Iike my rifles, don't get me wrong. I shoot them, hunt with them, work on them and take care of them as much as I can. But it's like having pair of Nike shoes. Many ppl have them. Once you get fancy, one of a kind boots from alligator, you wear them and wear them. You get the point. Thanks to all of you for responses made and ones in advance

 

[Semisane]

Well Amikee, a couple of years ago I had the same issue you're having. I had the hots for something like a TVM made rifle. Couldn't decide what style/model or caliber, but started selling off a few cartridge guns and in-lines to build up some cash.

In the meantime, I bought a GM .58 barrel for one of my Hawkens and then a .54 barrel for a Renegade, both 1:70 twist. Those suckers shot so well that after a while I realized that PC and style weren't that important to me and I already had what I wanted - a couple of extremely accurate round ball shooters. No way could a custom model shoot any better.

But that was clearly a personal decision. If you have a hankering for something really nice and fairly unique, custom is the way to go. An upgraded TC will leave you wanting. But if you're happy shooting an accurate, solid and practical muzzle loader that resembles guns of the 1800's you don't need to spend over a grand.

 

[BrownBear]

My impulse is certainly to do both. But there's another option. Why not buy the GM barrel, then spend the cost of a custom on the hunt you've always dreamed of taking? If the hunt will make you happier than another gun in the rack, that's your answer.

 

[Amikee]

Well, it's not like I have extra $ these days, like most ppl I guess, so I would have to save up for a while. I'm happy either my guns. Especially with investarms. My first and I refinished wood and brass like I wanted. Groups are ok for now, but I didn't put enough time into her yet. Still not enough practicing. but want to get something special. I dont know. I got lost in dreaming. My buddies think I'm nuts, since they all are ar15 style at that age (26). I only find range friends (no offense meant) around 60 years old who understand so I want to posses one of a kind, original, breath taking rifle. Or maybe you are right. It's just craving right now and it will go away.

 

[Amikee]

Brown bear my friend

I can't do no trips. I'm expecting a immediate-very-likely-male-descendant in about 7 months. So last chance to spend some gun money so it need to be a best decision.

 

[BrownBear]

Brown bear my friend

I can't do no trips. I'm expecting a immediate-very-likely-male-descendant in about 7 months. So last chance to spend some gun money so it need to be a best decision.

Just make sure the LOP is short enough for him! :rotf:

 

[Amikee]

:bow: :blah: I will make sure it is. Glad we got an understanding of what is going on. LOL. You know the feeling, huh?

 

[Tony Logan]

Congrats on the offspring. Yeah your like I was at one time. I would have been lucky to own any kind of barrel back when my girls were babies. If I had of had a nice gun back then, I would have probably had to sell it. Now 15 and 16, I need to spend a little now before the colleges take the rest. You have the rest of your life to save up. Take your time and enjoy the journey. It goes faster than you think.

 

[Amikee]

Thanks T.O. I will keep those wise words in memory. The words about saving and spending on guns. Women don't get that, huh? I know the pain. I guess no matter the age, they're the same. Although mine shoots .22 marlin like crazy. And 9 yo step daughter shoots along, so it's not that bad overall. "you got a deal, 50$ deal, right" she says- and I smile, confirm once again and go to my little office in the cellar where I can enjoy my littl collection.

 

[roundball]

And for the record, unless you're competing at the national match level, I'll bet lunch you'll never see the difference at the target between using a snug fitting PRB ouf of a 1:48" barrel, and a 1:66" little bit slower twist RB barrel.

I used .45/.50/.54cal TC Hawkens heavy for about 18 years and my 1:48" inch barrels would shoot 90grn Goex 3F deer loads into 1+7/8" to 2+3/4" groups at 100yds benched.
Repeated the same tests with TC 1:66" RB barrels because I'd heard they'd "be more accurate"...had to study the targets to guess which was made with which twist.
(PS: The Hawken Brothers Hawkens had 1:48" twists)


Hope your new arrival and Wife do just fine...

 

[Tony Logan]

Here's one more bit of advice, when I got started I wanted a TVM or similar semi custom lefty. I thought I wanted a percussion, I had no experience with flinters. I could not afford a 1K rifle at the time. I settled for a pedersoli frontier from Cabelas bargin basement for around 500, that quenched the thirst for a while but I was still thirsty. Later I saw a good deal on a Traditions MTN rifle new for under 300. Ok that was nice. I just had to have it because it was a good deal. (But it was not a TVM Southern rifle but I could have had one for what I had spent on those 2. ) Well I was lucky enough to buy a gm barrel and right hand large siler lock cheap and saved up for the wood and steel. Easily traded the siler deluxe for a LH Durs Egg flint. I was going to build it myself. Probably not the best plan. Well I ended up having Brian Turner make me a nice 45 caliber flinter in the poor boy style, "just like me". I had around 800-850 in it cause I got such a good deal on the barrel and lock. I sold off a bunch of stuff I wasnt using on ebay. and just started shoving money in a jar
The morale of this story is you will probably end up with what you are really wanting. Just dont buy a bunch of cheaper stuff that you thought you would like just as well along the way. The good news is I love the flinter and the bad news is I had to have a fowler from Brian Turner about a yr later and I still have the Frontier and MTN rifle and I only shoot the flinters.

 

[Amikee]

Hey Roundball

about 18 years ago I was 8 so what do I know...
You're right. Hawken Bros were 1:48. I didn't think about that. Definitely I wont compete. Just hunting. Got 600 acres of state forest .5 mile down from home. But on the rifle, if there is no significant twist maybe I will keep those for now, although tc may go for sale. Thanks for congrats. I will pass them to my round ball, going on 72 cal already. :rotf: thanks again.

 

[Amikee]

Hey T.O.

Nice story and you may be right. One beautiful day maybe I will buy something special. Who knows. For now I decided to follow everyone's advice and will stick to what I got. We'll see if an American dream about an American rifle will come some day... Thank you kindly gents. I learned how to type stories on iPhone. Maybe I'm just getting old already and starting writing these ultra long posts, lol. And learned few important things. Good night, hope to get together soon,
Watch yer top knot

 

[tiger955]

I am not particularly concerned with my rifle being PC or HC and I started muzzleloading with a TC Hawken flinter. After a bit I got a hankering for a rifle with better accuracy and a proper round ball twist even though the 1-48 was plenty good for deer in the eastern woods. I could not afford a new rifle so I bought a GM drop-in barrel, the difference is amazing. It shoots good groups whether loaded light or heavy and the extra 4" of barrel length makes it balance and hold much better. Out of the 4 rifles I now own, that one is still my favorite shooter.

 

I had the same choice to make. Chose to go with a Green Mountain .54 barrel and a Rayle .625 smoothy to fit my 1" hawken. Sold the Hawken barrel to recoup part of the barrel cost. So far happy with my decision.

 

[nkbj]

Been leaning towards a possible project, a 30" octagonal to tapered round fifty smoothie flinter barrel to fit a modified Renegade stock. Fixed front blade, dovetail rear, ram rod holders sweated on. Got a .465RB mold and 1/2" card punch to use for bird shot. Still scratching my head...we'll see.