Target shooting: customize or buy?

[Daven]

Getting my start in BP target shooting and wondering which is better: trick out my basic .50 TC Hawkins with a new barrel and sights, or try to find a used target gun that fits my budget ($500 -$600)?

The matches where I shoot is round ball only, peeps OK but no optics, and traditional guns only (some real beauties there). Range is 35 yards in winter, 50 in summer.

Don't have the tools, skills or time for serious gunsmithing, so if I customize, gotta figure in fees for that. If the thinking is buy used, any suggestions as models/calibers and the best places to find to find one? Lately it's a rarity to find any percussion rifles at the local gun shows, let alone a target gun.

Appreciate your thoughts.

 

[tenngun]

My this is a tough one,If you just want to plink and target shoot,no need to go with the big calibers,if you want to hunt deer or bigger a 50 54 or bigger cant hurt.How much do you want to be a front stuffer?I would hate to see you spend a 1000 or more if you end up becomming board with the sport.On the other hand. you might not want to spend 500 on a production gun only to find you wasted money buying cheap when you should have invested in a better gun.Look at some used handbuilts.You may even check out an "in the white kit"Cheaper,good and just needs sanding oiling and browning or leaving metal"in the white" you may find the fooling with it lots of fun :thumbsup:

 

[Mad Professor]

A GM barrel, Davis trigger, Lyman SML57 peep, and LOTS of practice/load development will have you/TC hawken shooting as well as most custom guns.

E.g. a $2000 rifle won't make you a better rifleman.

 

[necchi]

A GM barrel, Davis trigger, Lyman SML57 peep, and LOTS of practice/load development will have you/TC hawken shooting as well as most custom guns.

E.g. a $2000 rifle won't make you a better rifleman.

He just said it all, esp at 50yrds and under.

 

[F.G. Ford]

If you want to kick A$$ get a Hopkins & Allen underhammer ( about $350-4400 ) 1N .45, .50 cal.
There is nothing better. These will shoot one ragged hole at 50 yds.
Not the prettiest gun on the market, but the most serious!
No black powder shooter should be without one. Sadly they do not make them any more, but can be found used from time to time.
Fred

 

[aeatwood]

http://www.longrifles-pr.com/underhammer.shtml

Doesn't look that hard to put together. I would probably get a .40 or .45 for target shooting.

 

[Big John]

I took my T/c 50cal Hawken to Nationals 3 yrs ago. It has a Green Mountain barrel, L&R lock and Davis triggers. I qualified for the Max Vichery shoot at the end of the week,some of the qualifiers laughed and sneered at my T/C rifle, one told me not to be embarrased by shooting. I tied for first in the event! While I agree a well made custom rifle can help your shooting, you need to know your rifle well. ps:To date 14gold medals at Friendship, including Woodswalk, Running Boar,Paper and Silhouette medals.Don't take this as bragging, it's just what can be done with some work.

 

[fleener]

Based on your post I am assuming that you want to go with a perc. rifle, not a flinter.

My first round ball rifle was a lyman GPR in .54. Not a bad rifle and it is a good place to start. I used it in a few matches, and I simply could not win with it. The guy that won most of the time used a DeHaas barrel. So I had a DeHaas barrel made to fit my Lyman in .40 cal. It was the cheapest way I could get into having a semi custom rifle. I started to win with my new barrel. It shoots very well. The .40 is a wonderful round, esp at the distance you are talking about.

I never shoot that setup anymore. I have built a few guns since in the .54 cal and they shoot very well and I would rather shoot a custom rifle that I have some blood and sweat in.

Just beacause you start with a rifle like the lyman or TC does not mean in a year or two that you cant get another as you save up some coin.

I just bought an old original in good shape, however it has no rifling, looks like it has been drilled. So for 125 Hoyt will rifle it for me. I wont have much more than a lyman cost in it by the time I am done and it will look much better IMO. There are several ways of getting to where you want to get.
fleener

 

[FishDFly]

That is a winning combination, no doubt about it especially in 45.

 

[tom deinek]

I bought a decrepit New Englander for $41. Cleaned it up. Accuracy rivals a rifle custom made for me that cost >$2K.

How many times have you heard, "Beware a man that only owns one rifle --he probably knows how to shoot it"?

 

[FishDFly]

I took my T/c 50cal Hawken to Nationals 3 yrs ago. It has a Green Mountain barrel, L&R lock and Davis triggers. I qualified for the Max Vichery shoot at the end of the week,some of the qualifiers laughed and sneered at my T/C rifle, one told me not to be embarrased by shooting. I tied for first in the event! While I agree a well made custom rifle can help your shooting, you need to know your rifle well. ps:To date 14gold medals at Friendship, including Woodswalk, Running Boar,Paper and Silhouette medals.Don't take this as bragging, it's just what can be done with some work.

Balance in an offhand refle is very important.

The first rifle I put together was a T/C Renegade with a 1" 45 GM barrel with the mentioned sights previously. It was too heavy for my upper body strength to shoot off hand very well. I shot offhand very crappy with it.

Next attempt was a T/C Hawken with a 15/16" barrel channel, 15/16" 45 GM barrel, with Lyman globe front sight, T/C Contender rear silhoutte rear sight filled flat, Davis trigger and T/C lock which was polished. The change from 1" to 15/16" barrel and going to a stock with a cheek piece changed everyting. I can handle the weight and balance now with my upper body strength. It has been a proven winner on the winners board. It was a winner the first year at WNS.

You do not need a custom rifle to make the board, a well thought out rifle and practice will get you there.

r

 

[Rifleman1776]

I took my T/c 50cal Hawken to Nationals 3 yrs ago. It has a Green Mountain barrel, L&R lock and Davis triggers. I qualified for the Max Vichery shoot at the end of the week,some of the qualifiers laughed and sneered at my T/C rifle, one told me not to be embarrased by shooting. I tied for first in the event! While I agree a well made custom rifle can help your shooting, you need to know your rifle well. ps:To date 14gold medals at Friendship, including Woodswalk, Running Boar,Paper and Silhouette medals.Don't take this as bragging, it's just what can be done with some work.

The laughers and sneerers were being extrordinarily rude. :cursing: That shouldn't be. In fact you were using a custom(ized) rifle and you comported yourself quite well. :applause:
Not everyone can afford a hand built custom rifle. We do the best we can do with what we have in life. And that goes beyond muzzle loading.

 

[FishDFly]

For the most part it's not the gun, it's 80% mental and the shooter.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Accuracy isn't in the name of the company that made the stock. It depends on balance, barrel, sights, trigger and lock.

I shot with the guys at Tidewater Muzzle loaders when they still had their own range near Annapolis. No body cared what your gun looked like. The target doesn't care if your gun has a patchbox and inlays, or whether the stock is even finished.

My match rifle is a cobbled together collection of parts on an unfinished Investarms hawken kit stock. It has a lyman percussion lock, TC set triggers, a custom cut H&H barrel and the sights give me the most precise sight picture of any I could find. (They were rather inexpensive too) The gun is ugly. It even has a chunk splintered out of the forearm. It does what it is supposed to,,,,,,,, shoots straight.

For target work, I would suggest 45 cal. 440 and 445 round balls are available every where. The barrel should have more heft than a hunting gun barrel. You are only lifting it to shoot it, not lugging it over hill and dale. A little front heavy is preferable. A longer sight radius helps

You mention you already have the Tc in 50 cal.

There is nothing wrong with a Tc barrel at short range. It isn't the most accurate, but at 25 and 50 yards, the accuracy depends more on the sights and shooter, than on the barrel. At 75 & 100 yards, the better barrel starts to make a difference. But it isn't a huge difference. You don't need a huge difference. If the better barrel nets you an average of 1 or 2 points better, then it s worth the trouble.

 

[necchi]

For the most part it's not the gun, it's 80% mental and the shooter.

And That Too! :wink: :thumbsup:

 

[paulab]

Amen. Give a tack driving rifle to a mediocre shooter and it immediately turns into a mediocre rifle. Cheers Paul

 

[meanmike8665]

When I went to change the barrel on my T/C I when with a DeHaas and I'm going to change a T/C Flint I got recently , no other choice. I will get another DeHaas. Great shooting on the first target. Not bragging either, I have also won with it in several NMLRA Territorial Championships. Spend money wisely on good sights and save some for powder, caps and balls and practice alot.
Michael

 

[der mike]

$80.00 Jukar shoot from bench

 

[Daven]

Well said, Paul. A buddy of mine has a saying, "It's a gun, not a magic wand." Thanks to all for the advice. I found a local gunsmith who has some experience with muzzleloaders. Thanks for the mention of Long Rifle Supply, looks like a good site. Anyone have recommendations for an online supplier of Lyman sights? I'm sure some will come up with Google, but it's good to know if folks have had good experience with one or another.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Anyone have recommendations for an online supplier of Lyman sights? I'm sure some will come up with Google, but it's good to know if folks have had good experience with one or another.

[/quote]


Try Track of the Wolf, got my last set there.