Neophyte with a couple of questions!

tenngun said:

With 1/48 TC it will shoot maxie or patched ball well. You might get small groups from x after you experiment, but the difference between two inch groups and four inch groups makes a big difference at a shooting competition But no difference to a deer.
A scope is an athama to traditionalist, but will have all the advantages as it does on a modern gun. It’s problem is range. About a hundred yards, maybe one fifty, tops out a ml range conical or ball. Much hunting is at closer range with ml, I would say I have more kills under thirty yards then over.
Instead of thinking of ml as a short range rifle think of it as archery on steroids or hand gun hunting

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Precisely! That is one of the reasons for its allure. Working with technology day in and day out requires one to sometimes just step back into simplicity! The roar, the smell, the history, and the feeling of being one with the equipment; makes the black powder gun have a mystique all its own! The same reasons (no roar or smell-LOL) I was heavily into traditional archery. Thanks for your insights.

I’ve used the skinner peep. I had to take a bit off the front sight and drifting the sight is obviously the only way to adjust windage. Works great though, and it’s very low profile if your cheek weld stock comb will allow it.

Woodnbow said:

I’ve used the skinner peep. I had to take a bit off the front sight and drifting the sight is obviously the only way to adjust windage. Works great though, and it’s very low profile if your cheek weld stock comb will allow it.

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Thanks! I am leaning to getting one and giving it a go!

I like the Williams and the Thompson Center tang sight is good as well but the Skinner is simple and inexpensive. Both are endearing qualities.

A 1/48 twist with deep rifling won’t work with bullets as the won’t seal and may not get enough engagement.

Rifling depth is a big concern and must be included bin rate of twist decisions. I recently had a barrel bored to .480 w a 1/48 twist and .012” deep grooves. I have a percussion .500 with 1/56 twist also .012” deep.

Many 1/48 twist barrels on entry level rifles have shallow grooves (.004-.006” deep) because the manufacturing process is done with one pull of a carbide “button” vs the many passes required to cut 8 grooves .010-.012”.

shallow groove 1/48 twist barrels will shoot PRBs with tight ball/patch combos and mild charges of powder.

The 1/66, 70, 72 twist deep groove barrels really work well w heavy charges in bigger bore guns and PRBs. My .54 “big game” gun (not yet used on elk, moose or bison) likes 120 gr FFg, a .535 ball and .024 denim patching. That same load in a shallow groove barrel would likely cause the ball to skip over the grooves like giving a truck too much throttle on wet asphalt. perform like a MLB knuckle ball.

.50 with a round ball is plenty good for deer at all muzzleloader ranges. It has worked fine for me everytime I have called on it in my CVA St. Louis Hawken and my Dixie TN Mt. Rifle, on both Mule Deer and Whitetails

To answer you earlier question as to whether all round balls for a given caliber weigh the same, the answer is yes when cast or swaged of pure lead as they should be. Only a difference in alloy will change the weight of any specific caliber of round ball.

Tom Compton said:

A 1/48 twist with deep rifling won’t work with bullets as the won’t seal and may not get enough engagement.

Rifling depth is a big concern and must be included bin rate of twist decisions. I recently had a barrel bored to .480 w a 1/48 twist and .012” deep grooves. I have a percussion .500 with 1/56 twist also .012” deep.

Many 1/48 twist barrels on entry level rifles have shallow grooves (.004-.006” deep) because the manufacturing process is done with one pull of a carbide “button” vs the many passes required to cut 8 grooves .010-.012”.

shallow groove 1/48 twist barrels will shoot PRBs with tight ball/patch combos and mild charges of powder.

The 1/66, 70, 72 twist deep groove barrels really work well w heavy charges in bigger bore guns and PRBs. My .54 “big game” gun (not yet used on elk, moose or bison) likes 120 gr FFg, a .535 ball and .024 denim patching. That same load in a shallow groove barrel would likely cause the ball to skip over the grooves like giving a truck too much throttle on wet asphalt. perform like a MLB knuckle ball.

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That’s why the maxie was designed for TC. The upper ring was designed to be engraved at loading, then the relief grove let the sound base expand. Pretty clever design. It’s draw back compared to most conicals was the fact it was as slow as PRB and very sensitive to dirty bore. It can’t replace a Minnie for that reason and REAL can be more sensitive to deeper rifleing.
like the whole of the TC Hawken platform it was a compromise that was. Jack of all trades and master of none.
Good hunter, easy on the eyes, modern but trying to look like an old gun. Not a big learning curve for a modren shooter picking up a ‘traditional’ ml, more accurate then most shooters, and that maxie could make a modern shooter think he had something that had a little more on the ball then a ball.

mooman76 said:

Usually the Hawken does have the 1-48 twist but occasionally some did not. It's best to know for sure.

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TC had an aftermarket Round Ball barrel clearly marked. Can't miss it, 32 inches too. The 28 inchers have been 1 in 48 from my experience i have 7 anyway. I have pre warning and newer.

I'm familiar with much of Maine. Never hunted there but spent 4 yrs in Waterville & hiked a lot further north.
Unless they've logged heavily since, most of your shots are likely to be well within effective RB range.
As often observed, placement overrules bullet weight/impact.
Were I you, I'd practice well w/ RB; work up an effective load; carry pre-measured powder charges & a bullet block for a quicker 2nd shot; & enjoy those woods.
Good hunting. I wish I were you. I miss Maine, a lot.

Flinty Scot said:

I'm familiar with much of Maine. Never hunted there but spent 4 yrs in Waterville & hiked a lot further north.
Unless they've logged heavily since, most of your shots are likely to be well within effective RB range.
As often observed, placement overrules bullet weight/impact.
Were I you, I'd practice well w/ RB; work up an effective load; carry pre-measured powder charges & a bullet block for a quicker 2nd shot; & enjoy those woods.
Good hunting. I wish I were you. I miss Maine, a lot.

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You have pretty much summed up my plan! Just needed affirmation that I was on the right course. I have received affirmation plus from the members of the forum. Thanks to all who have taken the time to respond.

ive use skinner sights on customs ive built for a customer. not traditional but thats what they wanted and they are a easy to use and very good sight. you may have to cut a dove tail in your barrel for it but a good set of proper files and thats a easy job. just take you time and slow and do it right.

I carry half a dozen 45-70 cases with a cork stopper with a pre measured charge for my TC 50. The cases will hold up to about 80 grains and still have room for the plug. I just pull the cork and pour to reload. I bullet board with a lubed patch and ball makes for quick reloads if needed. I took a piece of round thick leather from an old belt and punched holes in it the sized of caps and have access to about 10 caps that are easy to cap with. Also no fumbling with cold fingers to put on a cap.

If your TC is a .50 cal, then I would also add that many of them shoot a Hornady Great Plains bullet very well. Hornady only makes them in .50 cal now.
Recoil is much more stout than using a patched RB. I personally would develop an accurate RB load and never look back.

Like others have mentioned, the round ball is readily available, affordable and out of a 50 caliber is plenty for deer hunting.

I have no experience with the Skinner sight but am a big fan of peep sights for their quick sight acquisition and once set there is little worry if they have moved in contrast a rifle that has a scope I wonder if all is good when it takes bump or a fall. Everyone has their own opinion but to hit within a pie size plate area on a deer at 50 yards of less is very doable with any type of open sights.

I had a seven shot bullet board for a .54 rifle. A powder measure in my short starter, and a horn of powder. The fixes for my gun was in a large October country bag. I got off eight shots, starting with a loaded rifle in two min thirty four seconds.
With a bit of forethought and practice you can have a second shot in as little as twelve to fifteen seconds. However I have found game animals couldn’t care less how long it takes you to reload. I’m a go slower now