T/C .50 Hawken and conicals?

[N.Y. Yankee]

Have you used modern conical bullets in your T/C Hawken such as the Power Belt or plastic saboted pistol bullets? What is your experience with them in this gun?

 

[Zonie]

Check out the Forum Rules. We don't talk about sabots and bullets with plastic stuff in or on them.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

home cast maxihunters work the Best. Some of those belted or Saboted bullets may not fit down the bore without taking a hammer to your ramrod
SM

 

[Bill M.]

Conicals shoot good in mine. But if you hunt with them you have to worry about them staying down on the powder.

The ones we do not talk about fit fine, load easily, stay in place, and shoot 1/2" groups at 50 yards from mine. Using a sight we do not talk about either. Recoil is fearsome with heavy charges. I am ordering one of those lace on recoil pads to cover the brass butt.

 

[azmntman]

BEST conical is the Hornady Great Plains. Hands down, BEST (IMHO)

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

BEST conical is the Hornady Great Plains. Hands down, BEST (IMHO)

Are there any still available for sale?

 

[renegadehunter]

They still make them in .50 (385 grain), although they abandoned making the .54's about a year ago.
A 1:48 twist prefers a shorter conical like the Hornady GPB or similar. My .54 Renegade shoots them really well.

 

[Carbon 6]

Thompson Center invented the Maxi-Ball for just such a thing.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I got my 48 twist .50 cal TC Renegade to shoot the No Excuses 460 grain conical pretty good.
Pushed by 65 grains of 2f Swiss under a wool wad.

 

[Don Steele]

BEST conical is the Hornady Great Plains. Hands down, BEST (IMHO)

That's been my experience as well. NO question. A few years ago, I undertook to put together what I suppose might be considered a "purpose-built" rifle for hunting hogs in S.E. Georgia. Conditions are typically "up-close-and-personal" where 50 yds is a long shot. Most opportunities come in the 20-25 yd range, in low light/heavy cover. I wanted to use one of the original 28" T/C "Hawken" 1:48 twist barrels that I have laying around. I added "fire-sights", front and rear, and began range testing/load development with every conical style bullet I could get my hands on in various bullet weights and across a range of hunting-level powder charges of Goex 2f and 3f. A lot of shooting (always a good thing..) and the clear winner was the Hornady 385 Great Plains. One ragged hole at 50 yds from a rest. I was able to take a hog with that combination. In practice...everything functioned flawlessly. One shot from my tree stand at about 20 yds. The bullet went through the Atlas joint just behind the skull, penetrated diagonally through the body, taking out the aorta and top of the heart and recovered in the breast bone. The retrieved bullet is a classic mushroom measuring .830-.840 in. with 90% weight retention. The hog dropped literally in his tracks, DRT.

 

[N.Y. Yankee]

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[centershot]

I am amazed that bullet didn't penetrate all the way through that hog! Tough critters!

Also, a question for you fellows that use conicals; Do you find that your nipple's useful life is reduced from the gas blow-back?

 

[longcruise]

It's definitely reduced. Keep an eye on it it could be done in as little as 35 shots. Idaho Ron can probably give you a very definitive answer.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

...home cast maxihunters work the Best.

I found that too, Maxi-Hunter bullets, larger than the Maxi-Ball bullets, worked very well in my TC's and in my Pedersoli Frontier.
Hornady's Great Plains bullets in .50 are 385 grains and have a shallow concave base. So they tend to do very well in some rifles, though IF you're shooting a .54 you're out of luck, as they don't sell that size any longer.
Lee REAL bullets, (rifling engraved at loading) have an oversized frontal ring, that makes loading just a tad harder right at the beginning, but this is to engage the rifling as the bullet is partially swaged onto the lands while loading. Folks that want to shoot conicals, who are having trouble finding an accurate bullet, OR just having trouble finding a conical in their rifle caliber, should (imho) consider the Lee REAL bullets. Even if one has to opt for casting your own, the aluminum mold cost just slightly more than say a box of conicals or the same as a box of bullets encased in plastic sleeves.... and Lee does make dual molds that cast BOTH the REAL bullet and a suitable round ball.

LD

 

[renegadehunter]

I am amazed that bullet didn't penetrate all the way through that hog! Tough critters!

Also, a question for you fellows that use conicals; Do you find that your nipple's useful life is reduced from the gas blow-back?

Like longcruise said, it definitely will reduce nipple life.
There is a guy that goes by Idaholewis that is a conical shooting junkie and he swears by the Treso/Ampco nipples for being one of the longest lasting. I picked one up to try about a year ago and so far so good, but I shoot about 98% RB. A CCI #11 fits a tad loose on it until you either dry fire (peen) it a bit or just fire a couple of shots to dirty it up. Zero ignition issues with it so far using real black. It has about a .028" opening, so may not be the greatest with a sub like Pyrodex or similar.

 

[longcruise]

The LRML shooters use a platinum lined nipple for long life.

 

[Dphar1950]

Have you used modern conical bullets in your T/C Hawken such as the Power Belt or plastic saboted pistol bullets? What is your experience with them in this gun?

These are made for people who believe modern gun writers. There is no actual need and they are not traditional is ML hunting rifle. The "naked" bullet TC first came out with was not only dangerous since they, like all "naked" bullets can move off the powder in a ML, it was less effective as a hunting bullet than a RB of the same caliber. The only thing that is really gained is an increase in breech pressure and shorter nipple life.

 

[Dphar1950]

Like longcruise said, it definitely will reduce nipple life.
There is a guy that goes by Idaholewis that is a conical shooting junkie and he swears by the Treso/Ampco nipples for being one of the longest lasting. I picked one up to try about a year ago and so far so good, but I shoot about 98% RB. A CCI #11 fits a tad loose on it until you either dry fire (peen) it a bit or just fire a couple of shots to dirty it up. Zero ignition issues with it so far using real black. It has about a .028" opening, so may not be the greatest with a sub like Pyrodex or similar.

I gave up on these bronze nipples in the 1960s when I found they would turn farther everytime they were installed. Telling me that I was pulling the threads. I don't see the point of hunting with one of these bullets. Unless you believe the hype that has been associated with them since TC introduced the things they were promoted in magazines, in order to please the advertiser, started telling the gullible how great they were.

 

[renegadehunter]

I never mentioned a bullet, what are you referring to? A conical? You've missed something if you think conicals are hype and only the gullible shoot them.
As far as the Ampco nipple, perhaps you were over tightening it? Mine is holding up well and snugs up in the same spot every time.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Nipples only need to be tightened to the snug level of torque. There's a hole there so leakage is not an issue.