TC Hawken 45

[TheRelentlessHunter]

Hey there,

I recently took in 2 TC Hawkens in .50. I cleaned them up really well and am looking forward to seeing how they shoot.

I recently saw a TC Hawken .45 barrel for sale. My question is this: Is it worth buying? I am using these for hunting Whitetail deer.

Anyone Have any experience with the .45? Is it worth the hassle of buying it, or is there any reasons you wouldn't?

Thanks

 

[leadhoarder]

If you just want to play around with it go for it. But you will need different ball, jags, possibly patches. If you are using it for deer hunting I would stick with the 50 that you already have although the 45 will certainly work as a deer rifle.

I guess one positive for the 45 is if you like long heavy conicals.

 

[TheRelentlessHunter]

Honestly it's always nice having the option to swap the barrels. I guess I haven't done traditional .45 cal, just modern BP. I suppose I'm just trying to justify the purchase. Sometimes you hear some models are great in 45 or in 50, but not vise versa.

 

[ghostdncr]

I have both a .45 TC Hawken (four-digit serial #) and an original plains rifle in .45 and love both of them. The .45 Hawken is a bit nose heavier than the .50 cal guns, but not uncomfortably so. I actually like that bit of extra weight, as it seems to make the rifle a little steadier on hold. I'm not dealing with bear or elk so the .45 is more than enough for what I wish to do. I've never lost a single whitetail I've fired at with my .45's so I'll suggest that you may want to pick up that extra barrel and give it a spin. The caliber is a lot of fun and a proven performer for me.

 

[tom_in_vt]

If the price is right, buy it. It’s always nice to have options. A .45 with conicals is a fine deer rifle (many hunt deer with .45 PRB).

 

[ghostdncr]

I have always shot PRB's in my .45's and the deer I've taken died just fine. Actually, I shot my first whitetail with a PRB and 50gr of fffg and that may help explain my affection for it. Conicals in a .45 will be bad news for anything downrange, especially if you have an ideal twist rate to match the projectile. Many of the finest long-range muzzleloaders ever developed were .45 cal, such as the Whitworth, Rigby, and Gibbs rifles and fired one version or another of conical bullet.

 

[Bad Karma]

Hey there,

I recently took in 2 TC Hawkens in .50. I cleaned them up really well and am looking forward to seeing how they shoot.

I recently saw a TC Hawken .45 barrel for sale. My question is this: Is it worth buying? I am using these for hunting Whitetail deer.

Anyone Have any experience with the .45? Is it worth the hassle of buying it, or is there any reasons you wouldn't?

Thanks

I like the idea… have several myself because it’s good to have options. With the 1 in 48 twist you can shoot bullets up around 400 grains really well and for deer or plinking a 440 or 445 round ball. I don’t hunt with round ball much, our bucks are fairly large bodied deer and elk are something else again. A heavy conical will anchor them.

 

[ord sgt]

There is a difference in barrel width between .45 and .50 calibres. The .50 is wider, not by much, but still wider. If you are thinking of swapping barrels, this is something to consider.

 

[user 48702]

There is a difference in barrel width between .45 and .50 calibres. The .50 is wider, not by much, but still wider. If you are thinking of swapping barrels, this is something to consider.

No difference, both the .45 and .50 barrels are 15/16". The .54 is 1" wider. I can swap my .45 or .50 with a slip in fit and both the Hawken barrels drop right in to the PA Hunter .50 cal stock I have as well.

 

[user 48679]

FWIW, I've been using a .45 T/C Seneca ( a down-sized T/C Hawken) with T/C Maxi Hunter conicals on whitetails for over 30 years to good effect.

I DO, however, usually get a shot at a deer at typical archery range (20-50yds) in the thick "buck bedrooms" that I hunt.

 

[bubba.50]

Because you want it is the ONLY justification you need.

 

[Big Bob]

Buy it if the price is right. A .45 is nice to have and shoot. It will fit your stock. You'll have fun with it.

 

[Critter Getter]

I live and hunt in Iowa and our corn fed whitetails can grow plenty big here. I truly enjoy my TC .45’s that I hunt with and they do a great job on our deer. I prefer my .45’s !! Greg

 

[Prairieofthedog]

I live and hunt in Iowa and our corn fed whitetails can grow plenty big here. I truly enjoy my TC .45’s that I hunt with and they do a great job on our deer. I prefer my .45’s !! Greg

Lived and hunted all my life in Iowa and didn't know you could use the .45 on deer.Thought it was .50 and up! As for caliber of TC, I use whatever trips my trigger that year. I do have a couple of of .45's and really like them,especially my .45 Seneca.

 

[Big Bob]

I don't hunt anymore but I do target shoot. Health issues catching up. I always used a .50 White Mountain Carbine with various loads and harvested many deer. . I am going to have several T/C's built in .45, .40, .58 and .62. in round ball.

 

[bang]

If you get the 45 barrel and it turns out not so good bore, bore it and polish it to a .550 (28g) smoothie for a shot gun barrel. I did it to a shot out 45 and it works good.

 

[Boomerang]

Lived and hunted all my life in Iowa and didn't know you could use the .45 on deer.Thought it was .50 and up! As for caliber of TC, I use whatever trips my trigger that year. I do have a couple of of .45's and really like them,especially my .45 Seneca.

Iowa DNR hunting regulations:
MUZZLELOADERS: Only muzzleloading rifles, muzzleloading muskets, muzzleloading pistols, and muzzleloading revolvers between .44 and .775 of an inch shooting a single projectile. Muzzleloaders equipped with electronic ignition are not allowed. Inline and disk-type muzzleloaders are allowed. Riflescopes may also be used.