Shot my TC Hawken for first time

[Mac Attack]

I finally had the chance to take my "new to me" Thompson Center Hawken rifle out for a spin. My brother in law (BIL) was grateful enough to let me and another BIL shoot on his property. We had a blast shooting real blackpowder and patch and balls. I have to tell you I have not had this much fun shooting in a very long time. I was so overcome with excitement and joy that I was giddy and couldn't stop smiling and laughing. Which is amazing because it took like 10 minutes between shots because I cleaned the barrel after every shot because I read it was good to do that.

We started with 50 grains of Goex blackpowder and a 175 grain .50 Cal ball and mixed in some HP Powderbelt .50 ?? grain rounds at 40 yards. We moved back to 60 grains at 60 yards with ball and HP Powerbelts. Ultimately we shot at 100+ yards using 70 grains of BP. There is a significant difference in 10 grains of powder. We hit our intended target (a metal water container) every time with the balls making dents but the HP Powerbelts going right through the metal container. Talk about shooting a cloud of smoke! If we didn't hear the audible gong every time we hit the target, we wouldn't have known we hit the target until the smoke cleared. The smells associated with the shooting of muzzleloading firearms are like the aroma of a rose to me...love the smell of BP.

On my forth shot I did what I told myself I would not do. I loaded a ball without a powder charge. I won't go into the full story but I will tell you this, I wasn't able to pull the ball using the ball puller. I had purchased a cut to length ramrod as a range rod - the type where the threaded end is tapped into the end of the ramrod tube. When I tried to remove the stuck bulle using my ball puller, the end tip came off the ramrod tube. I tried to reseat the tip which was still attached to the ball puller and ball into the tube but it kept coming loose. Finally I was able to get the end to stay but the tip ended up pulling out of the ball and I could not reseat it. I ended up having to remove the nipple, pour some powder into the chamber, reinstall the nipple and shoot out the round with literally a pinch of powder. Thank God it worked because I thought my day was finished. Any suggestions on how to handle this next time it happens.

We started off at around 40 years then moved back to 60 and ultimately 100+ yards. I was absolutely surprised at how accurate my rifle shot! We didn't miss a shot all day and routinely hit a metal water container over and over like the rounds were magnetically drawn to it. This is contract to the way I thought the accuracy would be. I though I would just be lucky to get my round into the same neighborhood as the target. I didn't get to sight it in on paper but I suspect that my rifle will give me a high level of accuracy. If you would have asked me a year ago if I had ever thought muzzleloading firearms were interesting I would have told you no. Now that I have shot one I can't wait to shoot it again.

Anyways, my BIL's and I had a great time shooting a muzzleloader for the first time and plan to do it again next week. One of my BIL's wants his own rifle :toxdance: and plans to go out and purchase one before next weekend. This from a guy who shoots center fire rifles. Here are some pictures and videos. The video's are really grainy because I didn't bother to look at the video size until after we finished shooting.

Pictures

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[URL="[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/mmacayan/TC%20Hawken%20Rifle/bulletseated.jpg[/IMG]"]
[URL="[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/mmacayan/TC%20Hawken%20Rifle/Lookingforthatthingamajig.jpg[/IMG]"]
[URL="[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/mmacayan/TC%20Hawken%20Rifle/Theshotheardaroundtheworld.jpg[/IMG]"]
[URL="[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/mmacayan/TC%20Hawken%20Rifle/FirstShot60yrds.jpg[/IMG]"]
[URL="[IMG]http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/mmacayan/TC%20Hawken%20Rifle/Firstshotandbullet.jpg[/IMG]"]

Videos
]40 Yards[/url] ]100+ Yards[/url]

 

[Rikeman]

Your TC looks very similar to my traditions Woodsman Hawken. They sure are a lot of fun to shoot. I can shoot mine for hours and not get bored! Now that I have my patch size worked out, mine is very accurate out to 100 yards.

Congrats on the gun!

 

[shmrck1]

Mac,
Yep,they for sure are fun to work with.
Sounds like you made a convert in the process...
Good Work! Got a question how do you skin
a hot water heater,and what is your favorite
recipe:rotf::rotf::rotf:
snake-eyes:surrender:

 

[jeepwj992002]

You have been bitten! Congrats! I hope to pop a few off with mine tomorrow. :hatsoff:

 

[Viktor]

Hey Mac Attack, Glad to here you had fun, thats what its all about. You will establish a routine and hopefully not forget something . Cabellas sells a co2 ball remover thats a little safer than using powder and really works.
Feed the addiction

 

[WV MZL HUNTER]

Mac Attack, better start saving up for your next muzzleloader because I can see that you are hooked like the rest of us. I started messing with these things several years ago and I still can't wait to get time to shoot. I would suggest you find a range rod to load with when you get time. The wooden ram rods are ok but can break if they get bent a little while loading and some men have got cut when that happens. I ended up replacing my ram rods with the unbreakable ones and put the wood ones in my gun case. Also great pictures send some from your next outing.

 

[MikeChapin]

...
I ended up having to remove the nipple, pour some powder into the chamber, reinstall the nipple and shoot out the round with literally a pinch of powder. Thank God it worked because I thought my day was finished. Any suggestions on how to handle this next time it happens.
...

That's the easiest solution I have found over the years. Black powder is not like smokeless with which you can get strange pressure spike using light loads. It burns the same confined or unconfined.

In 30 years I have used 3 or 4 grains of powder to rectify many cases of cranial rectumitis where I loaded without powder. It also worked for removing a brass brush where the end had come off the brush.

Face it, you are fully hooked. The Black Powder addiction has hit you full on. The next thing you know "That .32 looks like it will be a lot of fun to shoot." and "I'll bet that .58 will really whomp a deer." and "Wonder what a smoothie....". It just gets worse as time goes on.

 

[roundball]

A couple of the things we all usually learn about ramrods are:

1) If you use a ramrod that has "ends" attched, make sure they are 'cross pinned' so they don't pull loose.

2) A one piece "range rod" like soild brass is very strong, no ends to pull loose, etc.

3) The 10/32" size ramrod accessories are bigger & stronger.

4) Those accessories which have their ends designed captive onto the threaded portion are the most fool proof...those that are just crimped on can and often do fail, with an end pulled loose stuck at the bottom of the bore.

For what it's worth, I get 3/8" solid brass range rods made by owner John at[url] www.octobercountry.com[/url] with 10/32" threaded ends.

Then I also buy their 2" wooden ball which already has a 10/32" screw inserted through it to screw into one end of the range rod as a power handle.

I also replaced the under barrel rod in my TC Hawken so nothing like your experience can happen while out hunting, and carry a T-Handle with me in my pouch.

 

[50cal.cliff]

Well it don't sound like you had any fun at all! :rotf: :rotf: Theres something about getting giddy makes the time right for the dreaded "Dryball Gremlin" to roost upon your shoulder and you have preformed a dry ball before you know it. What you done is how alot of folks handle a dry ball, although I have one of the CO2 discharger and plan to try it next time one of the Gremlins get aholt of me! :grin:
I must say by your ramblings I would say you have wnet over to the BP side! :youcrazy: Enjoy, it's a pleasureable insanity! :wink:

 

[Mac Attack]

Thanks for the complements. I know I am hooked because I am already shopping for my first percussion revolver.

One question which I wanted to ask was regarding pressing the ball and patch into the barrel. I read that seating the ball and patch can be very difficult, but is it supposed to be the same way when pressing the ball down onto the powder? There were a few times when I had to really work to push the ball down and had to put my shoulder into it. Other times the ball had resistance but I was able to push it down with some effort.

On the times were the ball was so tight I had to hit the rod several times to get it to move. I read somewhere that it should be one fluid motion (push) to press the bullet onto the powder. Is this really the case? I was using 0.010 patches on a .490 Speer ball. I had excellent accuracy so it must be rifht but on more than one occasion I was worried I was going to break my rod.

Oh by the way, I think I would like to try out a flintlock as well

 

[oldwolf]

I have a "New to me T/c Hawken" too. I haven't shot mine yet though. I have done the "no powder" loading too, with another rifle. So far my rods have stayed in one piece and I haven't yet cross pinned mine.

 

[Brik847]

Sometimes it does seem more difficult than others. A lot depends on what you do between shots -- spit patch, solvent patch, etc. -- and what kind of lube you are using on your patch. You want to stick to a process that you follow consistently. The thicker the patch you use, I think the more accurate you will be. I don't know whether or not you've checked your patches. That's another good thing to do to see if they are burning through or cut.

 

[Geraldo]

I dryballed one a very long time ago, and since then I've concentrated on loading tp the exclusion of everything else. I have had rod ends come off, and even had a cross pinned one break the wood just above the tip. Anything that has gone down a barrel and stayed there got shot out without any problems or fanfare.

Concentrating on loading and one of Roundball's brass rods will all but eliminate problems.

Enjoy your new blaster!

PS-I see from your headgear that you also like real beer!

 

[jerem0621]

I just thought I would chime in for second. When shooting my T/C New Englander I find that as I shoot that the ball and patch are actually easier to load. I found that not wiping the barrel between shots causes me no ill affects in accuracy. I use TC bore butter for my patches and my rifle is very happy. The one time I cleaned my rifle and used rem oil to lube the barrel instead of bore butter I had a much harder time loading the rifle and (for me) the accuracy suffered some.

Congrats on the conversion. I have totally converted my hunting and shooting to traditional muzzleloaders. One thing is for sure they are very addictive.

Jerem

 

[stromst]

You are set for a wonderful journey that will give you many years of enjoyment. Keep makin' smoke! I have been for some 40 now and still love it! :thumbsup: