.45 t/c hawken info

[cmdrted]

There is an older .45 T/C Hawken for sale at a local gunshop. Standard Brass hardware, has the cleanout screw by the nipple. The bad news is the barrel needs replaced. Not the worst rusted bore, more of a rusty coloring in the bore but not my style to gamble. We didn't have a good ruler in the shop but it measured @ 7/8 across the flats, widest part of the barrel. Did T/C manufacture a barrel less than 15/16?, I'm thinking green mountain replacement. The price is right if I can get one of those barrels in .45.
Any guidance would be appreciated.

 

[Dave K]

I am way to frugal (tight). If the gun is priced right, I would clean the bore and polish it and then see how it shoots. You may be throwing money away on a new barrel. I have seen some pretty nasty looking barrels clean up real nice and shoot very well.

 

[spud]

Over the years I have owned Renegades and Hawkens in .45cal both flint and percussion. I have found them to be among the most accurate production rifles on the market even with "abused" bbls.or GM replacements.

 

[Swampman]

I wouldn't worry about the rust. Clean it good, and shoot it.

If you go with a Green Mountain, I'd get the .54 15/16" barrel.

 

[cmdrted]

You guys are tempting me sorely! This also gets me to asking, is there an inherently accurate round ball caliber? For example In smokeless, 30 cal 308 winchester is hard to make inaccurate, same as to .223. I'm into it just for targets but... I'm using a brandnew Lyman GPR in 50 at our local monthly shoot, but most of the "winners" are using 40-45 cal. Of course I'm just breaking this baby in Best I did today was wierdly, 90 gr ffg with a hornady ball and ox yoke prelubed .018 patch. It definetly doesn't like waly world red ticking at .020. Lighter loads were just so so this load was 1 3/4 " 50yds, benched.

 

[Swampman]

I prefer the .54 over all others.

 

[Zonie]

"...is there an inherently accurate round ball caliber?..."
------
No, not really.

It's been my experience that the larger caliber bores are a little less picky about patch thickness, powder quantities and ball sizes than the smaller calibers but, when the load the gun favors is found all guns shooting roundballs can be equally accurate.

 

[FishDFly]

Inherently accurate, no and maybe/could be.

There are certain centerfires that are inherently accurate.

A roundball is a roundball.

There is a preference on the line for 40 or 45s when it comes to paper and it's rare to see a 50 or 54.

I believe that the preference for 40 or 45 comes to reduced powder, reduced lead consumption and maybe reduced recoil.

The 40 and 45 seem to be winners for some reason.

RDE

 

[paulvallandigham]

The .40 cal. are very accurate, at short ranges, but at longer ranges, where the wind can move those small balls, accuracy can suffer on all but still wind days. people like the .40 because of lack of recoil.

The .45 is often discussed as a good compromise. Recoil is acceptable, being only slight more than a .40. The ball is heavier and holds the wind better out to 100 yards.

No RB is going to buck the wind well. They all have a horrible Ballistic's coefficient, and shed velocity very fast. The NMLRA has RB matches out to 200 yds, but that is stretching the potential of these projectiles to the MAX! Most of the shooters are using heavy barreled .45s. Some use .50s. I know a record holder who shot a .48 caliber underhammer gun. 50-5X at 200 yds. She has a 200 yd. range in her back yard. Think that helped?

 

[Swampman]

I prefer the .54 over all others.

Because I believe it's the most accurate, and efficent.

 

[renovato]

There's no risk in shooting with a rusty bore. There's more risk in throwing it away, because most times, a rusty bore cleans up and shoots just fine. I do most of my hunting with an old beater T/C New Englander that had such a rotted bore that I wasn't sure I wanted to expend the energy to lap it. It shoots great and makes meat every year.

 

[Bretwalda]

I would say "clean 'er up and shoot 'er!!! :thumbsup: " my sone was give a TC Hawken in .50 cal for helping a neighbor roof his garage. The old fellow had shot the gun while hunting 7 years ago and put in a detached garage with out coleaning it. the firsy wire brush we put down the bore got stuck in the rusty debris and pulled off from the cleaning rod!!! :shocked2: We stuck a .45 cal wire brush on the end of a cut off cleaning rod chucked in a drill...reamed the bore until the .50 cal. brush would fit. Most of the RB patches would snag and cut some when he loaded her up, but he consistently shot golf ball/tennis ball groups offhand at 25 yards and he has taken 3 deer with the gun :applause: . He couldn't be prouder if it was $4,000 custom rifle!

 

[blueshadows]

If it's 7/8" diameter, you might be looking at a Seneca in 45 caliber. I'd snatch it up if nothing else but for lock and stock.

 

[rafterob]

I concur with the others here, clean it up and shoot it if the price is right. To me that would mean $150 or less, $100 would be great. If it is just rusty looking that is probably nothing. I bought a barrel on fleabay and it came in with what I would call moderate pitting. Lapped it with steel wool to clean it up. Shoots real well but it does foul up quicker than my new barrels. Soo i just have to swab that one after a few shots.

 

[MikeChapin]

I have never heard of a 7/8" T/C barrel. The Seneca has a 13/16" barrel and the Hawkens and Renegades had 15/16" and 1" barrels. That just means I have never heard of one. Roundball would be the one to ask T/C questions.

I have not found any caliber to be better than another. The .40s and .45s are popular because most are light weight and little recoil so you don't tire out holding a heavy rifle all day or get beat to death with heavy recoil.

I have won aggregates with a .36, .50 and .53. Probably could have won with a .45 but don't have one. If I really get serious with competition I use a .50 CVA Mountain Rifle or my Santa Fe .53. There is nothing inherently accurate about the calibers as I have two other .50s. I just shoot these a little better.

 

[cmdrted]

Well I took the plunge, cost with tax, box of hornady .440 balls patches and rem #11 caps 150.00. I started cleaning it up. You guys are right on, alot of the rust was surface, but I'm still getting orang-ish patches coming thru. I can see alittle bore frost but the lansa are sharp the crown isn't nicked or worn, so here's hoping! I'm soaking thebarrel now with some wd. One of the patches came off the rod and is sitting obstinately down in the breach. Don't have a patch worm yet. I tried blowing it out the nipple and cleanout screw, no go. Just have to get back in town and pick up a patch worm. By the way with and actual caliper the barrel is 15/16 across flats or .935 ish, so no Seneca. Funny it doesn't say what model it is just 45 cal. More in the next weeks to come! Thanks again guys!

 

[Rollover Jack]

cmdrted...

Sometimes it is possible, well worth a try anyway, to snag the patch with a bristle brush. Push the brush down on top of the patch and give it a little turn before attempting to withdraw it. Might just work! :yakyak:

"Less powder, more lead.
Shoots further, kills dead."

 

[R.M.]

I've used a ball-extracting screw a few times for that elusive patch.

 

[roundball]

There is an older .45 T/C Hawken for sale at a local gunshop. Standard Brass hardware, has the cleanout screw by the nipple. The bad news is the barrel needs replaced. Not the worst rusted bore, more of a rusty coloring in the bore but not my style to gamble. We didn't have a good ruler in the shop but it measured @ 7/8 across the flats, widest part of the barrel. Did T/C manufacture a barrel less than 15/16?, I'm thinking green mountain replacement. The price is right if I can get one of those barrels in .45.
Any guidance would be appreciated.

T/C made little 13/16" barrels for the Seneca and Cherokee...shorter in length than a Hawken barrel;

Hawken barrels are:
15/16" for .45 & .50cal
1" for .54 & .58cal
28" (+ b/plug=29")
31" (+ b/Plug=32")

My guess is that you've got a 15/16" Hawken barrel that by your own comments just didn't measure precisely with the shop ruler.

 

[cmdrted]

Update, I derusted the barrel and there was alot of frost. I degreased the thing and started out at the range. I started with 45gr FFFG .015 lubed patch. @ 4" at 50. Hmmm, wentwith a .018 pillow ticking opened up to 5", then 020 pillow ticking and back to 3". not bad, then went to 50g and yuck, 1 1/2 feet! very upsetting, I dropped back to 40 and the groups never returned to the 3" start, 6" is best it could do. I cleaned after each group, then after each round and zilcho. So the frosty barrel just plain bites! I'm curently trying to locate a Green Moutain IBS in either 40 or 45, so far nada on the web suppliers and no repky from GM themselves. Anyways I did locate a 40 but it is in 1-48 twist is this the correct twist for round ball, or should I keep "hunting" for a 45?