Recently I discovered a T/C Hawken 50 cal sitting in a pawn shop. It appeared in rough shape, but they really wanted to get rid of it and we made a really good deal. Finish on the stock was rough, dented and such, but after stripping the poly off, doing a sanded finish and hitting the brass with blue black it lookes pretty good. I'm not real sure of the barrel and I'm thinking of replacing it with a drop in from Track of the Wolf. So, if you were going to use this for target shooting would you get a 45 or 50 cal?
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Bent Sight
36 Cal.
I own a T/C Renegade chambered in .50 caliber and a T/C Hawken chambered in .45 caliber. I hunt paper targets and clay birds and the .45 caliber does it just fine. It also rings steel without any problems.
If you purchase lead balls, the .45 caliber balls are slightly cheaper and the .45 caliber has less recoil than the .50 caliber with most of my decent target loads.
If you purchase lead balls, the .45 caliber balls are slightly cheaper and the .45 caliber has less recoil than the .50 caliber with most of my decent target loads.
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I like .45’s, but not really for any good reason. The only .50’s I’ve ever owned were of the unspeakable variety except for a .50 White Mountain Carbine that I hated.
Before I bought a replacement barrel, I would do a thorough cleaning of the barrel. If the barrel is relatively clean or has a few pits, I would use some JB bore paste to clean it up and shoot a few rounds. It may have acceptable performance.
For targets, .50 cal
Don Steele
45 Cal.
Unless you just want another barrel on it, take Grenadier's advice and see what can be done with the barrel you have. You might be surprised. Muzzleloader barrels are MUCH more forgiving of internal "issues" than centerfire barrels are. I believe that's due to the number of variables you can adjust while searching for the best load. Different ball size, different patch material and patch thickness, different patch lube, and I haven't even gotten into powder choice...powder brand, granulation, charge weight/volume...well, you get the idea.
Even if that original barrel is only somewhat compromised, there's the option to have someone like Bobby Hoyt "freshen it". You can always replace it. For strictly target shooting, I've always gone with 40 cal. myself. I suppose 45 would be my #2 choice given the two you mentioned.
Even if that original barrel is only somewhat compromised, there's the option to have someone like Bobby Hoyt "freshen it". You can always replace it. For strictly target shooting, I've always gone with 40 cal. myself. I suppose 45 would be my #2 choice given the two you mentioned.
Stony Broke
32 Cal.
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45 or 50 really doesn't make much difference as far as target guns. They both shoot nearly the same and with the variables such as patches, powder charges, etc...you wouldn't be able to tell the difference necessarily when shooting them. I've shot competition with everything from 40's to 62's and love them all.
nchawkeye
58 Cal.
For targets, go to a .40, less powder, less lead... 
A .45 kills paper as quick and clean as any other caliber. It’s a littler cheeped per shot. Should you decide to take it afield it will feed you deer and squirrels. A .50 doesn’t sound much bigger then .45. I do find it easier to clean and feed. I had a.45 and loved it, like most every gun I’ve traded off I miss it now.
Thanks everyone for the replies. I guess I will go ahead and work on the barrel. When I bought it I thought there might still be a round in it. I ran a ball puller down it with a range rod and it caught on something and took a lot of pressure to get it to break free. When I checked the puller there was no sign of lead in the "threads". Could it be that someone soaked the barrel, pulled the ball, and left the power? The lands and groves of the rifling look pretty with no pitting.
dragnetbill
36 Cal.
Yes; possible. The last rifle I bought that was still loaded had a patched round ball that I removed quite easily (surprise!). Thought I'd just dump the old powder, but no sir, nothing doing. Just got some black crud with the ball puller. No air would pass with mere human lung compression; so I fired up the non hc/pc air compressor; that expelled the thirty year old powder bugger easily.
Could be all sorts of things. Could be a bunch of carbon. Could be the previous shooter loaded a Hornady plastic sabot with a round ball without powder and got the ball out but for whatever reason part of the plastic stayed. https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1...r-485-diameter-hard-ball-with-sabot-box-of-20
Could be an old patch with oil that has shellac'd over time. I've known some old muzzle loader shooters who would put their rifle up at the end of deer season, and since they wouldn't be going back to the range until May or June, they'd soak a patch with oil and put it in the breech. Easy to remove with a worm, after 4 months but if the rifle sat for years... ???
Take a ramrod or cleaning rod. Insert it into the barrel until it hits the "crud" or whatever it is. Mark the rod at the muzzle, and remove the rod. THEN lay the rod along the outside of the barrel with that mark you just made, even with the edge of the muzzle. See how close the end of the rod comes to the breech, the touch-hole or the drum for the cap. That will give you an indication of the thickness of the whatever-it-is.
Once it's clear, IF you think you have some persistent rust inside..., plug the touch hole or the nipple hole, and fill the interior of the barrel with Evaporust. Be sure you keep the stuff from the outside of the barrel as may damage bluing or browning. Leave it for 24 hours, dump, rinse, dry, and oil, and any remaining rust should be fully removed.
LD
Carol found Evaporust for me but can't find it or where she bought it. great stuff. It will remove blue or brown so be careful.
I bought a gun collection when a friend died and got a bunch of loading dies, some not complete as they were scattered all over. The roof leaked and the ceiling fell in so most was rusty. It took 2 weeks to clean the guns but the dies were rust city. The one on the right was cleaned and all came out like new. These are the handguns I got along with many rifles and shotguns. I have sold off some long guns but still have an inline traditions that I have no use for. I do not like inline ML's. I got 19 guns for $3000. Dies and jugs of powder and anything else I could dig out. I gave away a ML pistol that my friend cleaned up. The house killed my friend, full of cats roaches and filth. I could not walk in his bedroom and seen a MEC shotshell loader buried under wet insulation. He got all kinds of cancers and went senile. I got the guns from his son.
I bought a gun collection when a friend died and got a bunch of loading dies, some not complete as they were scattered all over. The roof leaked and the ceiling fell in so most was rusty. It took 2 weeks to clean the guns but the dies were rust city. The one on the right was cleaned and all came out like new. These are the handguns I got along with many rifles and shotguns. I have sold off some long guns but still have an inline traditions that I have no use for. I do not like inline ML's. I got 19 guns for $3000. Dies and jugs of powder and anything else I could dig out. I gave away a ML pistol that my friend cleaned up. The house killed my friend, full of cats roaches and filth. I could not walk in his bedroom and seen a MEC shotshell loader buried under wet insulation. He got all kinds of cancers and went senile. I got the guns from his son.
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Carol found Evaporust for me but can't find it or where she bought it. great stuff. It will remove blue or brown so be careful. -end quote...
I have found it at Tractor Supply and some Walmarts in rural areas. Great stuff, but can leave a funky color to the metal. I use it mainly for restoring hand planes, saws and other woodworking tools. It is reusable. Vinegar also works pretty well, but keep an eye on it as it can pit metal if left in the vinegar too long. I never leave tools soaking in vinegar more than a couple of hours now without checking for any sign of etching.
I have found it at Tractor Supply and some Walmarts in rural areas. Great stuff, but can leave a funky color to the metal. I use it mainly for restoring hand planes, saws and other woodworking tools. It is reusable. Vinegar also works pretty well, but keep an eye on it as it can pit metal if left in the vinegar too long. I never leave tools soaking in vinegar more than a couple of hours now without checking for any sign of etching.
hanshi
Cannon
IF you decide to replace the barrel, go .45 and don't look back.
Naval Jelly will work but it is very aggressive and will also start dissolving the surface of the bore as well as the rust. Left long enough on the surface, it will create a frosted look. Not something a person would want on the bore of a muzzleloader.
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