TC New Englander advice

[Sevendozen]

You folks are great. I really appreciate the advice, and I'm sure you be seeing more of me

 

[Loyalist Dave]

...If you want to stretch the range with black powder you might lean towards bullets ......you’ll be using much more lead and maybe powder to reach the steel or paper way out there...

Yes, I'd say the New Englander is sort of an English Sporting Rifle type pattern. It's also short and light. So good for handling in thick brush, OR for handling in vertical terrain like mountains where you're doing a lot of climbing on foot.

IF you're trying to go beyond 150 yards....simply put....you're going to need somebody to construct for you a longer barrel, and a smaller caliber, to shoot conicals. Use of conicals in the factory size New Englander will to give you, if you chose that option, more punch on impact..., not greater range.

A 170 to 200 grain conical in a barrel made to accept...oh let's say bullets that are .401 diameter...., as well as a paper patch around those bullets, would be much better suited for going beyond 150 to say 220 yards...targets or game.

LD

 

[F.G. Ford]

A 170 to 200 grain conical in a barrel made to accept...oh let's say bullets that are .401 diameter...., as well as a paper patch around those bullets, would be much better suited for going beyond 150 to say 220 yards...targets or game.

LD[/QUOTE]
That is a great idea!
It would well replicate an English sporting rifle with substantial punch and reach.
Fred

 

[nkbj]

Another path forward to consider would be a barrel rifled to shoot lubed lead off the shelf fifty caliber rifle molds, same as what were used in 50-70, 50-90 and 50-110 hunting rifles.
For muzzleloading the bore diameter would need to be in the neighborhood of 0.505" to 0.510" diameter. The twist could be one turn in three feet or maybe even a little slower. Tight patched round ball would probably be OK. Minies could be paper patched. For that matter fifty rifle molds could be used with paper patch and a push through sizer.
As always, the gun is a tool and the tool needs to fit whatever the job is.

 

[Bad Karma]

I have said this before and I'll say it again, the Thompson Center New Englander ( although not traditional in design ) is one of the very best black powder hunting guns you can get.
It is light, points life a shotgun, is quick to handle. If you get a shot gun barrel for it, you have the best combination you can buy.
One weak spot on these guns, if they have a wood stock, is that they often crack at the back of the barrel to the lock bolt.
Glass bed the stock and this will not happen.
It would be a shame to sink the extra money into redoing the barrel, and later have the stock crack. Bummer!
A .54 cal. barrel is a great way to go. Lots of thump.
That gun might be a little brutal in .58 cal. as it is so light in weight.
The flat butt plate will absorb a lot of recoil.
Fred

My High Plains Sporter is now a .58 and I believe it’s a shade lighter than the New Englander, my barrel is only 24” although the stock may be a trifle heavier. My usual hunting area is pretty much vertical and thick with black timber and blowdown trees. A lighter rifle is a comfort, given that I usually pack the stuff I need to stay out overnight if required.
So far I’ve only fired 70 grains of 2f behind a .565 round ball. That load was pleasant to shoot although I expect I will end up with nearer to 100 grains as a hunting load. We’ll see what the rifle likes.
For targets, I’m sure the OP will enjoy the NE in .54. Accuracy should be good with relatively light loads and the stock design seems to handle recoil pretty well.

 

[Okie Hog]

Some of the New Englanders have 24" barrels. i have two, one will be re-bored to .54 caliber.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Another path forward to consider would be a barrel rifled to shoot lubed lead off the shelf fifty caliber rifle molds, same as what were used in 50-70, 50-90 and 50-110 hunting rifles.

An excellent Idea!
My previous post of a barrel made to take a .401 caliber bullet...perhaps with a patch, ….that's the diameter of the bullets from a Lee mold for lead, .40 S&W cartridge bullets, with lubrication grooves.

LD

 

[Eric Krewson]

For a .50 you can shoot a .490 ball or a .495. I have a TC .50 that shoots a .490 well but I can't even start a .495 ball down the barrel with a very thin patch. I have a .32,.40, .44, .50 and .54. In most of the rest of them I shoot a .010 undersized ball and a patch around .015 to .018 well lubed with mink oil or Hoppes #9. I can load and shoot a .40 ball in my .40 it I tap it in. My .44 has been shot so much I can easily load a .445 ball in it with a .015 patch.

Each rifle will be different so you try different ball/ patch combinations until you find a load that shoots well out of that gun.

We all recommend real black powder, the rule of thumb is 3fg for rifles below .50 and 2fg for .50 and above. Many people shoot 3F in everything they own with good results. 3F is a little hotter than 2F with higher velocities at an equal measure.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I have similar experience as Eric with TC .50s. With a .490 ball a .015 and thicker patch will be quite tight and require a good ball starter to get it going down the barrel. The tight load should be accurate though.

 

[THBailey]

Just my 2 cents worth, but you can almost always find New Englander rifle barrels on ebay. There are two there right now. The smoothbore is much tougher to find and goes for more money. If I had a rifle barrel with the bore beyond salvation I would have Mr. Hoyt make it a 12ga smoothie and buy another rifle barrel. Of course, then you will have to settle for the 1-48 twist of the factory barrel, or if you can find one, the 1-28 twist "Black Mountain Magnum" barrel.

 

[bubba.50]

Just my 2 cents worth, but you can almost always find New Englander rifle barrels on ebay. There are two there right now. The smoothbore is much tougher to find and goes for more money. If I had a rifle barrel with the bore beyond salvation I would have Mr. Hoyt make it a 12ga smoothie and buy another rifle barrel. Of course, then you will have to settle for the 1-48 twist of the factory barrel, or if you can find one, the 1-28 twist "Black Mountain Magnum" barrel.

I may be wrong(happens more often than I like to admit) but, I believe 62cal/20ga is as far as Mr. Hoyt will take the T/C barrels.

 

[Prairieofthedog]

For a .50 you can shoot a .490 ball or a .495. I have a TC .50 that shoots a .490 well but I can't even start a .495 ball down the barrel with a very thin patch. I have a .32,.40, .44, .50 and .54. In most of the rest of them I shoot a .010 undersized ball and a patch around .015 to .018 well lubed with mink oil or Hoppes #9. I can load and shoot a .40 ball in my .40 it I tap it in. My .44 has been shot so much I can easily load a .445 ball in it with a .015 patch.

Each rifle will be different so you try different ball/ patch combinations until you find a load that shoots well out of that gun.

We all recommend real black powder, the rule of thumb is 3fg for rifles below .50 and 2fg for .50 and above. Many people shoot 3F in everything they own with good results. 3F is a little hotter than 2F with higher velocities at an equal measure.

Yup! .495 and my .50 Hawken do not mix well.When I got the rifle new,the gun shop owner gave me .495 balls.I darn near gave up on the whole muzzle loader deal because of the beating those balls down the barrel.Finally figured out they made smaller balls,life is good LOL!

 

[nkbj]

I may be wrong(happens more often than I like to admit) but, I believe 62cal/20ga is as far as Mr. Hoyt will take the T/C barrels.

He cut rifling in a GM ".62" smooth barrel for me. Made my favor-right TC for sure.

 

[Splitear]

I have said this before and I'll say it again, the Thompson Center New Englander ( although not traditional in design ) is one of the very best black powder hunting guns you can get.
It is light, points life a shotgun, is quick to handle. If you get a shot gun barrel for it, you have the best combination you can buy.
One weak spot on these guns, if they have a wood stock, is that they often crack at the back of the barrel to the lock bolt.
Glass bed the stock and this will not happen.
It would be a shame to sink the extra money into redoing the barrel, and later have the stock crack. Bummer!
A .54 cal. barrel is a great way to go. Lots of thump.
That gun might be a little brutal in .58 cal. as it is so light in weight.
The flat butt plate will absorb a lot of recoil.
Fred

Okay, I’m digging up an 9 month old thread, but what do you mean by “glass bed the stock”?

 

[Zonie]

Glass bedding means there is usually, a layer of epoxy or fiberglass resin applied to the barrel and, or receiver area of the stock between the metal parts and the wood. It fills in any gaps in the area, giving the barrel and, or the receiver full, intimate contact. The barrel is first coated with a release agent to keep it from being glued in place before it is bedded in place.

Generally, it is used on modern guns. It can also be used on muzzleloading guns and, as the post you quoted says, it strengthens the area.
(I'll add that usually glass bedding is not required and it certanily is not the sort of thing that would have been done prior to the end of the Civil War.
In the case of many muzzleloading rifles like the one being talked about in the quote, cracked stocks are often caused by the owner over-tightening the screw that holds the lock in place.)