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t/c new englander

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mainiac

36 Cal.
Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
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Just picked up one of these new englanders in .50 caliber. Started load work,and think it is going to be a shooter,1.5 inch groups @ 50 yards.I know nothing about these guns and was wondering what you fellers could tell me? When did they stop making them? Can you tell the age by the serial number? I thought i read where t/c made a smooth bore-shotgun barrell for these? If so, how would a person go about picking one up? thanks, BTW, I give 100 bucks for the gun, and i would rate it 90% outside. Inside was another story!!!!
 
I dont have a t/c book handy,and was wondering what the max load of fff powder is, in this .50 caliber gun? I plan on working up a power load for hunting this fall,and would like to know how far i can go,according to the book. My most accurate load today was 70 grs. But i want to work up a heavy hunting load with ball and boolit.thanks,mark
 
Hello Mark, My T/C manual says 50 to 110 gr 2F black powder for round ball and 80 to 100 gr 2F for Maxi-Ball or Maxi-Hunter. The manual doesn't mention 3F for any gun over 36 cal. To use 3F you would have to back off about 10% on the max charge. I don't know the manufacturing dates. Good shooting, Domenick
 
New Englander came in 50, 54, & 12 gauge. The 54 caliber barrels are not too hard to find, I picked up one in new condition for 75 bucks at a sale. The 12 gauge is another story, I've seen them sell for 200 bucks on ebay. I have a few of them and all are good shooters.
 
I use 75 gr. of 3f in my T/C 50 Cal. This is equal to around 90 gr. of 2f. shoot great with this load and a 15th patch and 490 rb. :thumbsup:
 
It depends on what you want to hunt. I use 70 grains 3F in my .50 for hunting. Unless you are going after elk this load will take down any deer on the continent. I have dropped both white tail and muley with the seventy grain load but I don't try for anything over 100 yards. That is the distance that I know I can place the shot in the right place to do the job.
 
Mainiac
I have had a TC New Englander in 50cal with an original 12ga barrel for some time that my 17yr old son uses. It is of my opinion that one does not need a high volume of powder to that a deer at least in my experience. I shoot 3f in all my 50cal rifles one of which is a James Klein built flintlock. As I mentioned before one does not need such a heavy load. I have found around 50 grain to be more than enough. My son took a 170# doe @ 50yds with the New Englander using only 45 grains of 3f.
There is a difference as mentioned between pressure build up of 2f and 3f. From my research of the matter it is closer to a 15% difference in volume.
Now at last I looked you can still purchase a 12ga barrel from the TC aftermarket custom supply. The difference in buying an original and the after market is that the originals had removable choke tubes. That way one could hunt a variety of game and also install a cylinder bore choke and shoot round ball as well making the weapon even more useful.
Again I do not believe such heavy loads are needed. As for 3f, like I said, is all that I use in my flinters, even my 42" barrelled 20ga/62cal smoothie, I use a charge of only 50-55grains for round ball and/or shot on pheasants, turkey, and deer.
PS you will most likely pay as much or more for the 12ga barrel as you paid for the rifle complete. I did, for I found mine for the same price as you and paid $120. on evil-bay prior to their anti-gun movement for the 12ga barrel.

FGV
 
I have two of these guns, a .50 and a .54. I also use 3f in both, 45-60 grs for targets and 70-90 grs for hunting. I'd love to have the 12 ga barrel. they are good working rifles for the money, & to get one for $100 is a steal!
 
T/C still sells the 12 ga. barrel, with choke tubes -178.00 Call customer service might take 6 to 8 weeks. Happy shooting!
 
the tc newenglander was my advent into muzzle loading. the year was 1990. my load was 90 grs of rs with a patched ball. i shot it all summer, then took it hunting that fall. my shotgun toting brothers laughed at me until....i dropped a huge 8 pt with it. few years later i sold it. always regretted that. so i bought a t c hawken :)
have fun and enjoy your rifle.
 
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