Thompson Center Hawken 50 cal with LRH +++ garage find

[dday1950]

Well, I think I just hit a pretty good score. I was browsing on Gunbroker and spotted a listing a little off the beaten path. All it said was Thompson Center BP with LRH and with just a couple of pictures that told me it was a T/C Hawken . I did a back search on Gunbroker and found an earlier listing that had expired with no sale. I also noted the FFL seller's name and found a Facebook page for them and found they had also listed the same firearm last March on FB. Each listing was in the $300 -350 range. The price seemed to change with each list and switched back and forth from make offer and/or bid. I was able to contact the seller by phone in Massachusetts under the name Pullman Arms and spoke to some very nice people there who gave me some additional photos and history. The gun was being sold on consignment for an elderly gent who was cleaning out his estate and no longer was shooting. They told me that it was in excellent condition. Being a bit new to black powder I asked what LRH stood for and was told long range hunter, and after looking at some of the new photos they sent me I saw the Green Mountain logo stamped on it. Again I did some more research. I was also told that a second barrel came with it that I assumed was the original factory barrel. I asked if the original buy it now FB price of $300 was still valid and was told after they checked with the owner that yes it was acceptable. So, I bought it for $300 plus shipping. At one point I was also told that there was a box that said T/C Custom Shop that was with it too. Well today UPS delivered it to me. What I found inside was a pristine T/C Hawken with a 1:28 Green Mountain LRH barrel mounted on it that shows very little use and handling. No nicks, scratches, or cracks, and very light patina on the brass furniture. Inside of the Custom Shop box there was a custom T/C barrel which is stamped "Round Ball-Twist 1:66" with serial numbers that match the one printed on the box, that appears to have possibly never been used, with T/C fiber optic sights mounted on it and no nipple. As a bonus it also came with a full box of 20, Hornady 50 cal Great Plains 385 grain HP bullets too. Everything was well packed and nicely stored and shipped in Cabellas gun socks. All this being said, besides that I'm pretty stoked about this find, I could use some input on these barrels and what loads anyone out there may have had some good experience with plus any other input/info/history about them you may be able to offer. Open for conversation too. Thanks all!
DDAY1950

P.S. The round Ball barrel is 32" and the Green Mountain is 29"

 

[Saxtonyoung]

Hard to beat a deal like that.

 

[azmntman]

Theft

Congrats

 

[wiksmo]

Pristine sharp! Congrats.

 

[deermanok]

Beautiful rifle. I'd try those Hornadys you have there for starters, 100 grains of 2f. I like the TC maxi hunters in 275 grains myself, with about 90 grains 2f.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Very nice score on the TC. It has to be fun to shoot.

 

[Dibbuk]

What is the twist rate?

 

[dday1950]

Dibbuk, the Green Mountain LRH barrel is 1 in 28 and the T/C custom barrel is stamped "Round Ball-Twist 1 in 66 as stated in my post

 

[smo]

Great find.... Congrats!

 

[McClura]

That is a great find. You did well. I helped set up a friends .50 Hawken with the LRH barrel using the Hornady Great Plains bullets and it liked 80-90 grains of 3F and he used this for hunting whitetail for several years. On the Hornady Great Plains bullets they come with a type of wax lube and we found if we would just wipe a small amount of Bore Butter or other Lube all over the bullet and then load, it would shoot much cleaner. On the roundball barrel with that twist you should try 50grn of 3F, 490 or 495 roundball and start with a .010 patch for playing and getting it dialed in. It that is a little loose, go up in size with .015 patch. That is what I shoot in my round ball twist barrels for playing and hunting small game within yards. At 100 yards I use 80grains of 3F for targets and 90 grains for hunting using the same sight hold as at 50 yards. You will just have to tweak it from there but that should get you started. I don't shoot much 2F except in my .62 or .58 musket. I tried some in the barrels mentioned but the 3F worked better for me and my friends Hawken.
Good luck and again, outstanding find with just a little research you made a great deal.
Mike

 

[MIOutdoorsman]

Wow--nice find! I prefer flint myself over cap & ball, but that's quite a steal there. And with both barrels, you have the best of both worlds with the slow and fast twist.

Have fun getting to know it!

 

[dday1950]

That is a great find. You did well. I helped set up a friends .50 Hawken with the LRH barrel using the Hornady Great Plains bullets and it liked 80-90 grains of 3F and he used this for hunting whitetail for several years. On the Hornady Great Plains bullets they come with a type of wax lube and we found if we would just wipe a small amount of Bore Butter or other Lube all over the bullet and then load, it would shoot much cleaner. On the roundball barrel with that twist you should try 50grn of 3F, 490 or 495 roundball and start with a .010 patch for playing and getting it dialed in. It that is a little loose, go up in size with .015 patch. That is what I shoot in my round ball twist barrels for playing and hunting small game within yards. At 100 yards I use 80grains of 3F for targets and 90 grains for hunting using the same sight hold as at 50 yards. You will just have to tweak it from there but that should get you started. I don't shoot much 2F except in my .62 or .58 musket. I tried some in the barrels mentioned but the 3F worked better for me and my friends Hawken.
Good luck and again, outstanding find with just a little research you made a great deal.
Mike

Thank you for the info McClura. Good to know.

Wow--nice find! I prefer flint myself over cap & ball, but that's quite a steal there. And with both barrels, you have the best of both worlds with the slow and fast twist.

Have fun getting to know it!

Thanks!

 

[mushka]

I would say that you made an excellent find and purchase. Sometimes a little checking is worth the effort.

 

[Boommeup]

Ya done good dday! I’ve got one on the fed-ex coming today. LOL

 

[varmint101]

I have a Renegade 50 with the LRH barrel. It is super accurate! I use a 425gr conical like the Great Plains picked up at Friendship and 80g ffg. Has worked well on whitetails.

 

[Mousegunguy]

Granted this is a necro post but I wanted to chime in and say that Pullman Arms was one of my favorite local FFLs.
They were one of the few that went up against Maura’s bulls**t ‘assault weapon’ edict

 

[Fastleo]

Great find! Those barrels are worth 300 each fairly quickly. If you want to part with the slow twist barrel I’ll give you 300 for it.

I shoot my lhr barrel with sabots and 260gr .429 cast bullets. It’s my favorite barrel and it the last one I’d sell. Great for filling the freezer.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

Hard to beat a deal like that...