T/C Seneca

[mako224]

I am a complete newbie to this site. I just discovered it this morning. I have a number of Black Powder Rifles but I must admit it has been about 5 years fince any of them have been fired.

My alltime favorite is a Thompson Center Seneca .36 that I inherited from my grandfather. He had gotten it to use for a black powder squirrel season that has been since abandoned by my state. It is an incredibly accurate gun and is my favorite to shoot of all of my muzzleloaders.

How popular were these guns?? Do any of you have the same gun????

I also have two T/C Hawkins....one flint one cap. A Ruger Old Army cap & Ball revolver and a vintage damascus barrelled shotgun.

 

[silverfox]

Answers to your questions. Yes they are very popular and very nice guns. It looks like you have a very nice groups of guns you can be proud of. The TC's are all life time warrantes, The OLd Army is top of its class. Your shotgun I can't say depends of condition. So people don't like dasmasques barrels. That doesn't mean it's not a quality piece.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[mako224]

The damascus shotgun is just a wallhanger. I would never fire it.

The Old Army is the only handgun in my collection. It is a very fun gun to shoot.

I just wish I had the time to enjoy my guns. I have two gun safes that are filled to capacity with guns. Many were gifts as I was growing up. As the only son in a hunting family I recieved either a piece of archery equipment or a gun for nearly every birthday and Christmas. I also inherited a number of fine guns from my grandfather.

So many hobbies so little time. With three kids, a carreer and several other time consuming hobbies something had to take a back seat. Unfortunately I live in the communist state of NJ where access to places to shoot and hunt is a major problem. Hunting and shooting are on the back burner for now at least until my 2 boys are old enough to be involved.

My oldest is now 6 and that is what got me thinking about that old .36 Seneca today. I will either start him with that or with a .410 double barrel I have. I kind of like the idea of him learning on a muzzleloader where it is not instant gratification. There is work and preparation that goes into each shot.

 

[renovato]

Hi Mako. Welcome aboard! Take those poor old guns out for some exercise and sunshine!

I have a Seneca in .45 and it's just about my favorite gun so far. Gentle recoil, tack driving accuracy (even if it is 1:48).

I think the .36 would be a great gun for your son. It would have him focusing more on marksmanship since loading each shot is more of a chore. It's also a lot of fun. I didn't start BP shooting till I was about 12-13 but I immediately liked it more than centerfires or rimfires.

 

[mako224]

I wish the .36 seneca was legal for deer hunting in NJ or WV the two states I hunt in....but its not.

I don't see why its not legal. It has more than enough stopping power for whitetails. Probably more than some of the smaller centerfire cartridges out there.

 

[Bob J]

The .36 Seneca is a fine ML indeed. Bought a "like new" used one several years ago for $250.00. Since my daughter didn't like the recoil from the CVA "Youth Model" .50 (even loaded down), I gave her the .36 and she likes shooting it.

 

[renovato]

I wish my Seneca had been .36. Though I probably wouldn't have bought it at the time if it was. I bought it as the companion to a .45 Patriot pistol I had also purchased. It wasn't until later than I got interested in a muzzleloader for squirrel season. I've been looking for a .32 or .36 since. I'm still trying to find a decent tang mounted peep and front globe sights for it. I LOVE that gun.

 

[twsteven]

At present I have 5 Senecas. A couple of .45s and a couple of .36s. Also I had two custom barrels made up and fitted for Seneca stocks and actions as drop-ins. One is in .32 and the other is in .40. Both have 32 inch barrels and of all my Senecas my favorite is the .40. I have a number of Hawkens as well, but the Seneca is a very fun rifle to shoot.

 

[ZERMATT7]

Plink...
Check out Mdway usa on the tang peep sight ..just got one for my TC Hawken that bolted right in ...no drilling or tapping...it was $47.oo plus shipping

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

I wish the .36 seneca was legal for deer hunting in NJ or WV the two states I hunt in....but its not.

I don't see why its not legal. It has more than enough stopping power for whitetails. Probably more than some of the smaller centerfire cartridges out there.

I can understand your frustration, but generally the WVDNR is pretty good about picking & choosing the proper size calibers for hunting. The minimum caliber for muzzleloading deer hunting in WV is .38 caliber. That restriction was probably in deference to the fact that there were a good many West Virginian "Appalachian poor boy" rifles made in .38 caliber--according to a reliable source of mine (my good ol' Uncle Ted).

I can not understand how a .38 cal is powerful enough for deer, but a .36 cal is not. Actually based on my experience and from talking to some other small bore shooters, most people feel the .40 caliber guns should be the minimum for the WV muzzleloading deer season. Some even want the .45 caliber as the minimum. You can't please everyone though.

That Seneca is a fine little rifle and some of those were made in .45 caliber. (had one once) I suggest you try to find a CVA Bobcat or Mt. Stalker in .50 cal to use for your muzzleloading deer hunting. They are inexpensive and reliable, if treated with the decent care that all muzzleloaders should get. Heck, there might even be a Bobcat or two for sale at a nearby Wal-Mart. Perhaps a good friend (who also muzzleloads) would loan you a larger caliber for deer hunting?

Regards, and shoot safely!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[renovato]

10 thumbs, who built your barrels? As much as I like my Seneca, I think I'd rather go that route than buy a seperate .32. Thanks.

 

[renovato]

I've checked around all the major sources, as well as done google searches. I called Thompson too. The tang sight for the Hawken/Renegade won't fit the Seneca and it seems nobody makes a sight for it anymore. I'm hoping to find one on Ebay some day.

 

[mako224]

I wish the .36 seneca was legal for deer hunting in NJ or WV the two states I hunt in....but its not.

I don't see why its not legal. It has more than enough stopping power for whitetails. Probably more than some of the smaller centerfire cartridges out there.

I can understand your frustration, but generally the WVDNR is pretty good about picking & choosing the proper size calibers for hunting. The minimum caliber for muzzleloading deer hunting in WV is .38 caliber. That restriction was probably in deference to the fact that there were a good many West Virginian "Appalachian poor boy" rifles made in .38 caliber--according to a reliable source of mine (my good ol' Uncle Ted).

I can not understand how a .38 cal is powerful enough for deer, but a .36 cal is not. Actually based on my experience and from talking to some other small bore shooters, most people feel the .40 caliber guns should be the minimum for the WV muzzleloading deer season. Some even want the .45 caliber as the minimum. You can't please everyone though.

That Seneca is a fine little rifle and some of those were made in .45 caliber. (had one once) I suggest you try to find a CVA Bobcat or Mt. Stalker in .50 cal to use for your muzzleloading deer hunting. They are inexpensive and reliable, if treated with the decent care that all muzzleloaders should get. Heck, there might even be a Bobcat or two for sale at a nearby Wal-Mart. Perhaps a good friend (who also muzzleloads) would loan you a larger caliber for deer hunting?

Regards, and shoot safely!
WV_Hillbilly

I actually have 2 x .50 T/C Hawkins for deer hunting. I have one in percussion and one flintlock. I just like the idea of using the smaller gun. The .36 has way more than enough stopping power for deer. I just dont' get the logic of the regulations. I am sure if you studied the killing power of a heavy solid lead .36 maxiball you would find it has just as much or more energy at impact than a few of the centerfire cartridges that are legal.

 

[shadz]

i have a cherokee very similar but in .32 great gun yesterday the opening day of small game here in pa (first time useing it for hunting )i found out just how much i love it .i took it and my Tc contender rifle in .22lr match. at 7:25am i felt like a kid when from 25 yards and 30 ft up came tumbling down a fat tree rat with a new hole in his head shot 5 more threwout the day never lost the feeling of being a kid and never took the .22 out of truck never will take it out of the safe not as long as i have my .32

 

[twsteven]

"10 thumbs, who built your barrels? As much as I like my Seneca, I think I'd rather go that route than buy a seperate .32. Thanks."

Plink:

The .40 was the first one I had made up and it was done by William Young of Wahkon, MN. He did a fantastic job and his fee was most reasonable. I can't speak highly enough of the work he did. The .32 I had made up by a local gun smith. This man doesn't specialize in black powder as does William, and while he did a good job, I'd strongly recommend William.

Also, I really like the 32 inch barrel over the factory 27 inch. It gives the rifle a totally different look and feel. And the additional sight radius and further front sight helps my aging eyes.

If you have one made up let me know who you have do it and how you had it done. Also, what you like and don't like about it. If you'd like I can take and post some comparison pictures of the custom barreled rifle beside a factory one.

 

[renovato]

10 Thumbs, I wouldn't mind seeing some pics. I'm definately looking for a .32. I figure I'd rather have a high quality barrel on a rifle I adore, than buy a Crockett just to get by. Thanks.

 

[David Sapp]

I just picked up a "never fired" Seneca 36 cal reputed to be a safe queen. Should be delivered later this week. From reading on prior posts this will be my starting load - RB with TC Arms prelubed patch and 30 gr FFF. Does this sound reasonable? I've shot a few RBs in the past but have mainly shot MaxiHunters out of my 54 the past several years, so am a bit out of the PRB loop.

I found some Hornady 36 cal RBs and the TC 32/36 cal patches at a local gun dealer. The price of $14 seemed a mite high for a quantity of 100 of each. I know that I can use 000 buckshot for the ball, what are some economical patch materials that I can use and their thickness?

Gracias!
David

 

[Rebel]

Blue and white or red and white pillow ticking from WalMArt or JoAnss fabrics.

 

[David Sapp]

Thanks Rebel! I'll look for some at WalMart next time I go, the other place you mentioned I'm not familiar with. What is the thickness of the patch? Do folks use TCs bore butter to lube it up or something similar?

Sorry for the basic questions. I've been shooting mainly conicals for years, I think I've killed maybe 2 deer with PRB out of a 45 but it was back in the early 90s. Maybe if I use a bit of Hoppe's Solvent my brain would lose a bit of the rust up there. :youcrazy:

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

[/quote]
I actually have 2 x .50 T/C Hawkins for deer hunting. I have one in percussion and one flintlock. I just like the idea of using the smaller gun. The .36 has way more than enough stopping power for deer. I just dont' get the logic of the regulations. I am sure if you studied the killing power of a heavy solid lead .36 maxiball you would find it has just as much or more energy at impact than a few of the centerfire cartridges that are legal.[/quote]

I think I see where the problem is with our slight disagreement about .36 caliber stopping power. It's my fault, 'cause I only shoot patched round balls in .36 cal. I've used some .36 Maxi balls over the years for groundhogs--worked GREAT! I think that most muzzleloader rules and restrictions that State DNR's come up with are based on patched round ball only. To them it's just considered a primitive season, so they don't really expect someone to use a Maxi to bring the power level up on smaller calibers.

Yes, the power level is considerably increased, but it's still less than 1000ft lbs at the muzzle and some States want that energy number at 100yds regardless of the centerfire caliber. The .22 Hornet and .218 Bee are both legal for hunting deer in WV, and even the .25 rimfire is legal (Where are people getting new production ammo for that caliber...?) Anyways, I think we're "on the same page" now.

Question for you... do you use Maxi or round balls in your .50 caliber muzzleloader when deer hunting? I'm just curious...