T/C hawken .54

[rlm]

I'm new to muzzleloading and just picked up a used .54 T/C Hawken. What are the best loads for it, I'll be hunting and target shooting with it. Which powder is best Goex, Pyrodex, etc., ball or maxi balls? Should I remove the breech plug, I know the manual says to take it to a gunsmith, any reason why? It would make cleaning a lot easier. A lot of questions so much to learn. Thanks for your help. Roger

 

[lewistt]

Hawken

The breech plug is, for all intents and purposes, not removable. No matter, just clean with with hot water and soap, rinsing well, and finishing up with drying the bore. I'll leave it to the wiser types to tell you what to coat the bore with after that - I use Bore Butter. Remember to remove the nipple first, and clean that by itself. I like to put some anti - sieze on the threads upon installation. A good load to begin with would be a 240gr, XTP sabot, over around 85 - 90 gr. powder(real black powder or substitute - I use 100gr 777 with good results) The most important thing about a black powder over modern firearm, is to clean, clean, CLEAN! Don't let that puppy sit long after shooting - it WILL rust.

 

[lewistt]

Whoops - .54 uses the 250 gr. XTP Mag. (TC)

 

[rlm]

Thanks Lewistt I appreciate the advise I have a #11 musket nipple on it is that a pretty good choice, also I was planning on starting with ball ammo. Is Goex a good choice or not? Thanks. Roger

 

[cayuga]

leave the breech plug alone. If you try to remove it, all you are going to do is mess it up. Clean the barrel with a good HOT water bath and some dish soap. After the barrel is patched dry, some good gun oil will protect the barrel. Then before you shoot next, take a patch and apply a little isopropyl alcohol to it. Swab the bore and that will pull the oil out. Then dry patch the barrel. Push a patch on your jag to the bottom of the barrel and pop a #11 cap. Check that patch for burn marks. Repeat this until you see burn marks on that patch. After that the rifle is ready to load.

A good load for your rifle is a .530 round ball and patch with a number of different lubes. I use moose milk. 90 grains of Goex, Pyrodex, or Triple Seven 2f should give you excellent accuracy and all the hunting power you will ever need.

 

[rlm]

Cayuga, Thanks for the info, I was also wondering if I wanted to get another barrel in a smaller bore say .32 or .36 for small game is it worth it or should I just get another rifle. Thanks Roger

 

[cayuga]

Since you have a T/C Hawkins, your in luck and you can get a drop in barrel made by Green Mountian Barrel Company. Green Mountain Barrels are top of the line quality barrels. They made all the barrels for Knight rifles as well. They make a few interesting calibers. They have a .32 I believe, a .36 and my favorite is a .40 caliber. The .40 caliber while still small, would be an outstanding small game caliber and yet is big enough for deer at close range.

Also remember, the smaller the bore the faster they foul. Many .32 & .36 shooters have to swab between each shot. Not all mind you, but the small bore fouls with powder faster.

A little .32 would be nice for target shooting, and small game hunting. From all I have read, they are really accurate and cheap to shoot.

Although it is fun to have a second rifle. but that Hawkins stock with a long Green Mountain Barrel would be not only beautiful but accurate to boot.

 

[zman]

Are you asking IF you should buy another rifle? :shock:
Of course you should, you probably deserve it anyway. :lol:

 

[doulos]

rlm
allthough the substitutes work Goex is the best choice if you are shooting patch and roundball. With 80-100 grains you will probably have very good accuracyfor deer hunting. My TC Renegade will put em in the a very tight group at 50 yards using roundball and patch.
Take Cayugas advice on cleaning. And if you just want to target shoot you dont need another gun just load down to 50-60 grains.

 

[rlm]

Gentlemen, I thank you all for the advice which will be put to good use. As far as getting another rifle because I deserve it, well I have to get that one past my wife!!!(not whipped just smart) Roger

 

[lewistt]

Smart Man! My Cabela's Hawken .54 is deadly with 100 gr. (loose) T7 and a saboted 250 gr. XTP. It shoots everything I throw at it pretty well, including the 425 gr. Great Plains over 100 gr. T7. Admittedly hot, but accurate.

 

[rat trapper]

Triple Seven 2F will work just fine in you TC Hawken 54 cal. In my rifle I use 120 grains of triple seven 2f, felt wad over powder, Hornady 390 gr HP Great Plains bullet, CCI #11 mag caps and a Hot shot nipple. I your rifle you might want to reduce the load a little, start lower and see how your rifle likes it. I talke to TC regarding amount of triple seven and they told me not to go over 120 grains by volume. In my rifle it will drive tacks and works very well on deer. In my rifles the great plains bullet loads a little hard, but shoot so much better than maxi and maxi hunter bullets.