Ammunition Question

Barrel, .50 caliber Green Mountain replacement for T/C Hawken, 1-72" twist. I'm planning on using a patched round ball. What size ball is most successful .490 or .495 and also with what thickness patch? I would like to use TOW mink oil/tallow as lube due to its cold weather properties. Any suggestions you'se guys can supply will absolutely positively be appreciated. Uncrichie...

I don't own any gr. mt barrels but my getz barrel likes .495 with .017 pillow ticking patch. I use several different grease based lubes for hunting, wonderlube and the like. For target, and plinking I use Simple Green soap for lube. 50 gr ffg for target and plinking, 80 gr ffg for deer hunting. Good luck with that new barrel. BJH

roundball is the expert on TC's it seems on here you may want to get his opinion.

He loves them

Woody

I'd start with a 0.490" ball and a 0.018" patch. The .495" ball may be more accurate, but it will most likely be a chore to load and much less forgiving of fouling build-up.

Muzzleloading should be fun! ::

Uncrichie, I think that you have opened up a can of worms on this question. With that twist ratio I would only use RB
and patch. The rest of your question depends upon your rifle and how it handles. Every one will have a little different combination of what they like to use. What I use with my 50 cal. for target shooting is .490 ball, a .015 patch 60 grains of 3f goex and some moose milk formula that was posted on this forum. Somebody else will use something completely different and it works well for their rifle. The best thing is get out there and shoot, and let the results tell you what to use. A bad day shooting is still better than a good day at work, unless you work at a shooting range and you get to shoot all day, then lucky you. :results: :thumbsup:

Woody, I hardly fit that bill...I've learned from everyone else on these boards...couldn't suggest anything about a ball/patch combo that hasn't already been suggested by the real experts here.

(the main thing about TC's that I'll lay claim to is helping get the word out that their redesigned & improved flint locks & vent liners are now outstanding!)

And I'll be back shooting them this Sunday and Monday!!
:redthumb: :redthumb: :redthumb:

I have that barrel on my TC. I use .490 cast balls and .018 pillow ticking with olive oil/beewax lube. Took a bit of experimenting but that combo shoot well for me.

Papoe, did you ever try the larger .495 ball. Thanks for giving me a starting point of the .490 and .018 ticking and a big thanks to all who supplied their info too. Uncrichie...

I keep hearing about the redesigned T/C locks. When & why did they do this? What is redesigned?
I got a flint Renegade that I bought new in the mid 1970's & haven't had eny trouble with it.

I keep hearing about the redesigned T/C locks. When & why did they do this? What is redesigned?
I got a flint Renegade that I bought new in the mid 1970's & haven't had eny trouble with it.

Click to expand...

I never personally used an old style...every old used one I bought I sent the lock to TC and asked them to make it as reliable as possible...they installed the redesigned parts no charge under lifetime warranty.

3-4 years ago when I was getting the itch for flintlocks, I had seen a lot of posts about problems with TC's and I discussed it with TC themselves...said the old style locks had a short hammer which caused short flint life due to the flint hitting down too low on the frizzen, closer to the pivot area, subsequently meeting a tremendous amount of resistance to tipping the frizzen open, compared to if it had hit the frizzen further up towards the top that would easily flip the frizzen open...results were "eating flints".

They significantly redesigned the hammer making it a lot taller and slightly changed the angle of attack...with these new locks I average 40-60 shots per 3/4" black english flint without really doing much to them...and could probably squeeze a few more out of them if I really worked at it.

In addition, the case colored frizzen was replaced with an all black frizzen, supposed to be improved / harder, giving more sparks, etc.

And they introduced a completely redesigned and much larger vent liner which gives instantaneous ignition...self cleaning / literally never needs a vent pick...my pet phrase is that the redesigned lock & vent liner makes them "like shooting a .30-30".

OLD STYLE TC FLINTLOCK (note severe 'S' shape, and barely tall enough to clear the fence...+ case colored frizzen)


NEW STYLE TC FLINTLOCK (note longer more graceful 'S' curve, much taller up above fence...frizzen is jet black...and huge new hex wrench vent liner)

Hi Roundball. Do you have to send the lock to get the new hammer? I have one and it does eat flints but not real bad.
Have to agree on the new liners. :thumbsup: The old stile were noticebility slower and a lot of misfires. Now I only Prime the pan once. Hay how did you get that touch hole so high?
Lehigh..

Hey Roundball, question:

Will the T/C flint locks fit in the percussion rifles? I have a percussion T/C Hawken... man, it'd be sweet to convert it to flint, but I'd want to keep the original barrel and lock to convert it back to percussion if I wanted to. Are they interchangeable?

Hi Roundball. Do you have to send the lock to get the new hammer? I have one and it does eat flints but not real bad.
Have to agree on the new liners. :thumbsup: The old stile were noticebility slower and a lot of misfires. Now I only Prime the pan once. Hay how did you get that touch hole so high?
Lehigh..

Click to expand...

Based upon my experience, I'd mail the whole lock to TC Service Manager Tim Pancurak with a nice memo telling him how much you like TC's but the doggone flintlock only works half the time...could he look it over and see what could be done to make it "more reliable"...etc.

Plus, they've made a lot of internal parts changes over the years as well, so there may be other parts he'd replace if he had the whole lock
:m2c:

Roundball, reference to an earlier post I did pick up that T/C Hawken .45 flinter from 1978, its darn near brand new. I just looked at your before and after lock pictures. It appears that mine is a hybrid of the two. It has the newer style sideplate with the older style hammer, go figure. I am planning to send it to T/C for the "more reliable" update. I'll let you know the outcome. PS, also planning on the .50 caliber Green Mountain 1-72" barrel for PRB. I'll let you know how I make out on the lock update. Uncrichie...

Roundball, reference to an earlier post I did pick up that T/C Hawken .45 flinter from 1978, its darn near brand new. I just looked at your before and after lock pictures. It appears that mine is a hybrid of the two. It has the newer style sideplate with the older style hammer, go figure. I am planning to send it to T/C for the "more reliable" update. I'll let you know the outcome. PS, also planning on the .50 caliber Green Mountain 1-72" barrel for PRB. I'll let you know how I make out on the lock update. Uncrichie...

Click to expand...

Yeah, I get the impression that TC's flint lock evolution was a "work in progress"...I think they improved one part at a time every couple years...not like they made one whole version and it remained that way for several years then they replaced it with a new version containing many new parts all at once, etc...I think it was a very incremental process and you can find many different variations of the lock over the years...but I think they've definitely got it right now.

PS: Just as an FYI...TC's Fox Ridge (1-800-243-4570) has the TC .50cal and .54cal 1:66" round ball barrels

Thanks Roundball. That really helps.

Roundball, I'll have to check Fox Ridge out, if the .54 barrel will fit my stock that would be terrific. Wouldn't mind a .54 at all. Uncrichie..

Roundball, I'll have to check Fox Ridge out, if the .54 barrel will fit my stock that would be terrific. Wouldn't mind a .54 at all. Uncrichie..

Click to expand...

TC's .54cal is a 1" barrel...the .50cal Hawkens's are 15/16"

Rats, I would have prefered the .54 for PRB but I knew it was too good to be true. GM does offer one in 15/16" but its a smooth bore. Roundball, not having enough experience I'll ask for your opinion. Which barrel would you purchase, GM .50 1-70" or FR .50 1-66". The prices are close enough so that's a non-issue. Uncrichie...

Rats, I would have prefered the .54 for PRB but I knew it was too good to be true. GM does offer one in 15/16" but its a smooth bore. Roundball, not having enough experience I'll ask for your opinion. Which barrel would you purchase, GM .50 1-70" or FR .50 1-66". The prices are close enough so that's a non-issue. Uncrichie...

Click to expand...

TC's 1:66" round ball barrels are outstanding...I have them in .45/.50/.54cals...lifetime warranty, good resale, etc.

Another big plus...since your're putting it on a TC Hawken, specify that when you order it and have them put Hawken brass thimbles on it to match the Hawken's brass furniture.

By contrast, GM's barrel thimbles are black, plus GM's ramrods are the one's used on Knight inlines...hollow black aluminum with chrome tips...neither the thimbles nor the ramrod from GM match a Hawken.

EX: I bought a GM .58cal barrel, and immediately had to turn around and spend another $40 for brass thimbles and a ramrod to match the Hawken.