Thompson Center Hawken hurts my face

Keep in mind shooting it from a bench is much more likely to slap you than shooting off hand before you make drastic changes to the stock if you plan to shoot off hand.( How’s that for a long run on sentence.)

chorizo said:

Drop at comb is complicated. If you have too short of stock, you have a drop at comb issue because you are crowding forward onto the higher part of the stock

First get your length right before rasping away at the comb.

If you are having this problem on the bench, then it is your likely problem. Unless your bench is high and your back straight, then you are hunched over and leaning forward crowding the stock.

Do temp fixes first.

Try one of these and a heavy coat and see if that helps

Link to but pad\

https://www.amazon.com/BronzeDog-Bu...un+buttpad+extension,sporting,167&sr=1-9&th=1
Another

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0969S4RRR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

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I have one of those so I will give it a try. Thanks!

It is my understanding that the TC stock shape with a high comb was shaped that way for guys that mounted scopes on their rifles, I don't know if that is true or not.

Flecto here addressed this problem on his cheek slapper TC by lowering the comb and reshaping the cheek piece. I did the same on a couple of TC Hawkens after Flecto showed me his overhauled stock, I just like the way his stock looked.

Here is my first and second stock reshaping.



Second, I put a new GM drop barrel in this stock;

I doubt the TC Hawken was made with a high comb with a scope in mind given when it was designed. Now everything has a scope on it. That was much less true in the late 60s and early 70s. I have several TC Hawkens and haven’t had a problem with getting slapped. I suspect it is more a function of the many different sizes and shapes we come in.

Worst case Pecatonica River ML makes a Hawken stock for TCs that has a lower comb to address this very issue.

I read most of the post on this but didn't see anyone mention the sights! I know stock configuration has a major effect on felt recoil but I'm thinking your sights are a little too low and you have to push too hard on the stock to line them up.
If you have some adjustment on the rear sight, try installing a higher front sight. Or get a different set of sights like Williams Fire Sights for your T/C

chorizo said:

If you are having this problem on the bench, then it is your likely problem. Unless your bench is high and your back straight, then you are hunched over and leaning forward crowding the stock.

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Yes!!!

My Investarms .50 has the same problem- has it since 1976- still need to fix it! People used to think I'd been in a fight because my cheek was black and blue. Shoots great, though!

towgunner11h said:

My Investarms .50 has the same problem- has it since 1976- still need to fix it! People used to think I'd been in a fight because my cheek was black and blue. Shoots great, though!

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I'd have a hard time saying a gun that turned my cheek black and blue, "Shoots great!"... To me, that's not great. Different strokes!

T/C’s hurt my eyes.

Terrier said:

I'd have a hard time saying a gun that turned my cheek black and blue, "Shoots great!"... To me, that's not great. Different strokes!

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I was referring to precision and accuracy- not ergonomics!

I've experienced this before on guns without a cheekpiece.

Which model do you have?

Walt

EN said:

Has anyone else had this problem and if so how can I fix it? The gun is very accurate, so I don't want to get rid of it.

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Oh Yeah! That T/C Hawken is a cheek slapper for me too.
There ain't no fix, it's just our body shape and the "ergonomics" of that stock. It just don't fit.
Sell the Hawken and use the money to buy a Renegade,, or the CVA/Traditions models.
p.s. The Lyman GPR doesn't fit me either!

necchi said:

Oh Yeah! That T/C Hawken is a cheek slapper for me too.
There ain't no fix, it's just our body shape and the "ergonomics" of that stock. It just don't fit.
Sell the Hawken and use the money to buy a Renegade,, or the CVA/Traditions models.
p.s. The Lyman GPR doesn't fit me either!

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John, I truly respect your opinion, but the problem can be solved with a little work. Some years back you sold me a .54 Renegade which I still enjoy shooting to this day, but it was a cheek-slapper from the start, for sure! A little TLC with rasp and sandpaper tamed it down to be the easy shooting rifle that it is today. Just takes a little time, and I like working on my guns, I want them to fit me as good as possible.

centershot said:

Some years back you sold me a .54 Renegade

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Are you sure? Cause there really isn't anything to rasp off a Renegade stock,
Folks have rasped off the raised cheek of the T/C Hawkens, that's for sure,, but there no cheek on the Renegade,,

EN said:

I have a TC Hawken and when fired with any decent charge it hammers my cheek bone. A friend said that it might be the shape of my face so he took it and tried it. He came back with a small blue bruise on his cheek bone. The charge was 70 grains of ffg. Has anyone else had this problem and if so how can I fix it? The gun is very accurate, so I don't want to get rid of it.

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Had the same issue with one back in '74, but it shot really great. I got smart and had it re-stocked and then it fit. Stock shape makes a big difference

I have an older T/C Hawken that does not have a cheek rest which fits just fine. The newer one makes me press my face into it to the the sights aligned and then slaps me sometimes. Renegades and New Englanders don't have that issue. T/C should never have made the cheek rest maybe?

Before you do any wood removal or permanent alterations, put a slip-on recoil pad on and try again. The extra length will make a big difference, especially if you are relatively tall and the padding will help also. Cheap and simpler than altering.

Take a rasp to it until the top middle of the butt slopes towards the breech. Otherwise the recoil is driven into your cheek.

Hold on a minute. The T/C Hawken has a crescent butt plate on it. Any kind of recoil pad or spacer will be difficult to mount. The renegade and Hawken are two different stocks. The Hawken crescent butt is intended to be mounted out between your bicep and your armpit, not in on your shoulder like the Renegade or a shotgun would. Mounting it out on your arm would cause you to lean your head over a little and down to the stock. This should make it easier on recoil, not harder. If your face is black and blue, there is something really wrong somewhere. Myself and a friend both have those guns and we both have NEVER complained it hit our face. Are you sure you are mounting the gun correctly? Shooting off a bench will cause you to change position a bit and unless you shift around toward the gun a bit more, you may be getting hit because of that. Too many shooters do not realize they are holding the gun wrong.