T/C hawken or Lyman GPR (54 cal)

[ol_luke66]

Forums a full of info and people who are willing to help out and I can't say enough how much I appreciate everyones help and advice. The only problem is that just when I think I've made up my mind about what to do or get (in this case I've had a few problems with a rifle I ordered and need a replacement) I read about something else and I can't make up my mind. I've never read one bad thing about the GPR and the same is true of the T/C. So which would you recomend? :thanks:

 

[BrownBear]

I prefer the Lyman, while my hunting partner prefers TC. I don't want any brass on mine, but he likes it. I prefer the balance and handling on the Lyman, while he thinks mine is too muzzleheavy. They are equally accurate and trouble free.

Bottom line: Which looks and handles best for you? I don't think you will find 3 cents difference between them for performance or reliability.

 

[roundball]

I've been heavily invested in TC Hawkens for many years now...excellent quality, decent looks, accurate, reliable, good resale value, killed a lot of deer with them, etc...lifetime warranty is real and second to none.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

That's a tuffie!

For strictly shooting PRB only, I'd have to go with the Lyman GPR in .54caliber. It balances better for me and it just comes up perfect. That warranty on the T/C is hard to knock, but I've never had to use them for it--which also bespeaks of a reliable quality gun. I really can't say a bad thing about either rifle also... but I do prefer the iron furniture on the GPR as opposed to the brass shiny bits on the T/C Hawken.

If I were going to start over from scratch, I'd have to go with the Lyman first. (I did own my T/C Hawken before I bought my GPR though.) So again, it's back to one's as good as the other.

You do really need to see which one of them feels better to you--and I think they are priced relatively the same, but in this case, that's not an issue anyway.

OK, I'll commit to it... the GPR...

Good luck on your new rifle--whichever it may be...
WV_Hillbilly

 

[Gr8whytenorth]

Ol' Luke,

I was just in the same dilemma, except this was my first rifle, I had originally thought of an inline until I shouldered the Great Plains .54 cal, as a matter of fact, I just placed my order with Midsouth Shooters last night, excellent price on the Great Plains. To me that gun feels good on my shoulder and the balance to me is perfect.
My vote, Great Plains .54 cal

:front:

 

[Zonie]

That is a hard question to answer. :hmm:

The TC is lighter in weight and not so muzzle heavy.
That makes it easier to carry when your out hunting.
Great Warrenty too.

The GPR looks more like it should and has deeper rifleing which is more suited for heavy loads with a patched roundball.
The added weight absorbs the recoil from heavy loads better than the TC.

:hmm: :hmm:

You might think about buying one for you and the other for your wife, mentioning that you expect to borrow it occasionally. ::

 

[Gordon Horn]

I've owned both and I have ta say the drop on the stock of the GPR suits me better and the deep rifling and twist of the GPR shoots roundball better. If twer upta me, I'd go with a GPR.

 

[Rebel]

If it were me i would go with the GPR. They are both good guns, but the Lyman just looks and feels better, and is a very accurate shooter. Of course the T/C is a good shooter also. I just like the way the GPR looks and handles.

 

Wad he sad!

Just :m2c: :results:

 

[bob1961]

well if this will help ya out....here's picture of my T/C hawken with a new grade 4 maple stock from pecatonica river :thumbsup:............bob

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

wb,

That is a VERY NICE stock! If I may inquire... how much did it set you back? I wouldn't mind getting one of those for my .50cal T/C Hawken flintlock.

Thanks!
WV_Hillbilly

PS I like it better without the patchbox too! And did you swap out the brass bits for iron furniture too--or did you just blacken/age the brass?

 

[Pittsburghunter]

I would buy the Renagade. I had one, built it myself I could shoot better with that rifle at the time than any other open sighted rifle I owned (except the SKS and that doesn't count).

No brass a heavier barrel made it come into sight better than the Hawkin and I liked the looks of it quite a bit.

Damn I should have never sold that gun

 

[bob1961]

180.00 fer the stock from pecatonica river with shipping....and i used perma blue from birthwood casey to do the brass..............bob

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Really? I will try that on my plains pistol the only brass is on the trigger guard and it looks out of place. I thought it only works on steel.

Does it hold though a cleaning ok? Or do you reblue it often?

 

[ryoung14]

Luke, my GPR .54 went back for warranty service twice before it was to my liking. First time was for a poor fit (loose, sloppy fit on the stock's nose piece; sizeable gap between the tang and the hooked breech), second time to have the lock fixed (hammer would drop when I pulled the set trigger). It's very accurate with PRB, more authentic than the TC's, and fits me better than the TC Hawken. On the other hand it's more cumbersome to tote around and the trigger guard still has a decided cant to the left.

The fit and finish of my TC Hawken .50 is excellent, but the gun is generally too showy for my taste. Mine had sat on the shelf a long while before I bought it. Got it home and found that the bore was rough with rust. Sent the barrel back to TC and they sent me a new one for free. You won't beat TC's warranty. Heavy loads work best with Maxis. PRB is very accurate, but not with heavy loads.

The TC doesn't fit me well; the comb is a bit too high. I take a fair amount of recoil in the cheekbone. I'd like to get a .54 Renegade, but the Renegades I've picked up all seem to have a higher comb (or shorter pull) than the Hawken, so the fit is even worse.

One nice thing about the TC Hawken is the availability of a variety of barrels. A .54 TC Hawken can be fitted with a .50 cal. (fast/sabot or slow/PRB twist) barrel from Green Mountain, a .54 cal.(slow/PRB twist) barrel from Fox Ridge or a .58 cal. (1:48 twist) barrel from Fox Ridge. With that one gun, you could pretty much follow your fancy experimenting with different calibers and projectiles. Same goes for a TC Renegade. Just make sure it fits you before you buy.
Bob

 

[jim gray]

If you look around, you can probably pick up both guns used and only pay a little more than you would for either one new. Try 'em both, decide which you prefer, and sell the other for what you paid for it. I would bet you won't be selling either any time soon.

Both guns have there advantages. I like the GPR because it seems to shoot well at near the maximum load with round balls, the sights, are great with either the fixed or adjustable rear sight, and it looks a lot more authentic. I prefer the weight and balance of the T/C, and the shape of the butt plate is much more comfortable for me. It is also an accurate gun with roundballs, that's all I ever shot out of the one I hunted with years ago, and although it probably would be hard-pressed to beat a GPR in a match, it is more than adequate for hunting.

What you've asked is a really tough question and I think you'd be more than satisfied with either choice. In the end I would go with the T/C Renegade, mine is .58 cal., because of the T/C warranty, consistent quality and it's American. That said I liked my GPR but just couldn't justify keeping another .50 cal.

I do have one more thing to add to this already overly long post, but don't neglect the Lyman Trade Rifle either, I think it is probably the best value there is for a general purpose ML. I just wish mine were .54 caliber rather than .50.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

180.00 fer the stock from pecatonica river with shipping....and i used perma blue from birthwood casey to do the brass..............bob

I'm sure the stock is worth every penny and then some. With Christmas approaching and the kids back to school, I'll probably just have to wait for a while. When the household budget gets tweaked to allow for spending more than 2.5 times higher prices for gasoline--that extra money has to be moved from things that are in the "wants" category (which pretty much wiped out my miscellaneous/hunting budget). That sure is a nice stock though...

Enjoy! and Shoot Safely!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[canyonman]

First of all everyone is different. Now all the guys I shoot with like the felt recoil from the T.C.'s better than the Lyman.
We have a Lyman GPR and the Trade rifle in camp, function is fine, accuracy is good but they kick US like mules with the heavier elk loads that we shoot through them.
On the other hand, we have T.C.'s in the Renegade, Black Mt. Magnum and Hawken and even the guys that own the Lymans admit that the T.C.'s just shoot softer load for load.
Go Figure! :shake:

Larry

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

It is understandable that the "felt recoil" would be different with identical loads in the Lyman GPR and the T/C Hawken. The stocks have different drops and different shapes, and the weight is different as is the balance of each... lots of things that vary enough to change the perception of recoil.

That's why it's good if someone interested in buying either gun would have a friend (or several) close by, so they could actually handle and shoot a few shots from the two rifles to see how they actually feel to them. Best scenario would be to shoot alternating shots with each (best way to compare), IF you have a friend with BOTH of those rifles.

Good luck as you continue your quest!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[oomcurt]

Hi WV...I'm not necessarily responding to your post..just that you were the last one before me. That said...I would opt for the TC. Yeah..the "looks" of the GPR are more traditional, imo...but the finish of the furniture, as well as its "weight"...looks like a cheap stamping imo compared to what is on my renegade. Plus, as others have mentioned..T/C's warranty..outstanding.