The eternal TC Hawken stock drop dilema

[Bucky]

I started hunting with a TC Hawken fintlock many years ago. Through the years, I acquired many other muzzleloaders and sold the TC long ago. Lately, I wanted to get another TC Hawken in percussion, but wanted it to have a more traditional set of sights and a replacement barrel. Well, as luck would have it, I ran into one with a Green Mountain barrel and the kind of sights that appealed to me. It's a one inch barrel, browned with a great bore. The sight is a long Hawken, or maybe Gemmer style. I like it a lot. The person who altered the gun obviously ground off the male dovetail and used the existing screw holes in the barrel to mount it. The front sight is also nice, a dovetailed blade sight. The whole set up is quite appealing to me. Here's the thing. As I figured- looking down those nice sights requires putting my cheekbone firmly into the comb. It's kind of ok, but not the most comfortable position. The dilema is, for me anyway, there is not quite enough drop in these stocks to comfotably accommodate lower profile, traditional sights. I know one option is to replace the stock with one from, say, Pectonica, that has more drop. But, the stock on the gun is quite beautiful, dark and flawless and, I really don't want to invest more money. My solution, thus far, is to first shoot the gun and see where its zeroing at 50 yards.Then, if that trial permits it, I will replace the front blade with a similar blade, but higher one. Then I could raise the rear at least one notch.I tried raising the rear sight already, and it's amazing how a change of one notch relieves my cheekbone. So, I have a "sort of " gameplan. I am posting this because I am interested on your experiences with this same dilema- changing those clunky TC sights and dealing with " drop". What were your creative solutions? Did you, " raise the bridge or lower the river" ?

 

[Henry Miles]

disregard post

 

[ohio ramrod]

here is my solution to "fixing" the rear sight problem, plus it moves the sight further out for old eyes.While it is on a Cabelo's hawken style he same would work on a TC

 

[Bucky]

here is my solution to "fixing" the rear sight problem, plus it moves the sight further out for old eyes.While it is on a Cabelo's hawken style he same would work on a TC

Building it up with a piece of bar stock is certainly a possibility........curious, did you have to alter the front sight or did it work out that the height of the new rear sight stayed the same as the Cabela's original sight?

 

[ohio ramrod]

I replaced the origonal front sight with a custom made steel sight with an ivory insert sight. Using the Ivory of of an old piano key. I scored a dozen off of an 1898 piano and use them in making sights. But it was similar in height I don't remember If I had to lower it or not.

 

[Bucky]

disregard post

What does this mean??????

 

[erhunter]

I would put a peep sight on it and a taller front blade sight. That way the peep you could adjust until your cheek doesn't get slapped and then just file (if needed) the front sight. I did this on my Lyman and it made a big difference in comfort and grouping of round balls. You might even get lucky and still be able to use the front sight that's on it already.

 

[Henry Miles]

What does this mean??????

I withdrew a post I made in error

 

[Bucky]

I withdrew a post I made in error

Oh, OK, thank you Henry