Carbines

[Urban Coyote]

I'm thinking about those guns with say 24" barrels or less. Examples might include;

* Traditions Buckskinner Carbine
* T/C PA Hunter Carbine
* T/C White Mtn Carbine
* Lyman Deerstalker
* Others?

I've been shooting a T/C PA Hunter Carbine for years, I can usually hit clay pigeons at 50 yards offhand about 90% of the time. I find it a really handy gun. I recently had a T/C White Mtn Carbine .50 rebored to .54 for round ball shooting any I having a pretty good time learning it.

I'm curious to know who else out there likes these short guns and what your experience with them might have been.

 

[deerstalkert]

i have Investarms 50 and 54, 22inch carbines. shoot as well as the 28's i have.

 

[Roundball2319]

I use a Cabela's version with a lite 25 volume of 2f to hunt rabbits. It is handy and fun. I just sent in a pitted 21 inch tree hawk barrel to Mr. Hoyt to ream into a smooth bore. I'm looking forward to putting it through the paces when it comes back.

 

[dave951]

I have a White Mnt that is deadly with PRB at 50yd. The primary reason I bought it was for when I'm instructing. Sometimes we have a kid who can't hold a rifle offhand but can hold the carbine.

 

[bubba.50]

They're a mixed bag for me. I like the looks and handiness, I hate the increased noise & muzzle blast.

 

[dave951]

I love showing this picture since it illustrates so many things. The young lady in the pic is shooting my White Mountain. She was a keen listener on marksmanship with black powder. She is to date, years later, still the best shot I've worked with.

A carbine is more than just a short, handy woods rifle but it also has some shortcomings. Lower ballistics from a long gun and shorter sight radius makes it much more critical in the the sight alignment dept.

 

[SOLANCO]

Not mentioned is the weight advantage. I do not have a carbine for comparison so I am guessing.
Maybe 15% lighter than the same gun in rifle length?

 

[Bassdog1]

I am currently attempting to purchase a TC Treehawk which may be the ugliest gun I have ever saw (so I gotta buy it). Its new unfired and supposed to have a 1in21 twist if the price stays low enough I will buy it and see how it shoots.

 

[deerstalkert]

I am currently attempting to purchase a TC Treehawk which may be the ugliest gun I have ever saw (so I gotta buy it). Its new unfired and supposed to have a 1in21 twist if the price stays low enough I will buy it and see how it shoots.

if the ENTS in Lord of the Rings had firearms, they would have had Treehawk's. with that camo it would be easy to lose one in my woods. on purpose!

 

[Stony Broke]

I've owned rifles in a lot of different barrel lengths. I've shortened barrels up to 24 inches and they still shot pretty good, but the sight differences do make them harder to shoot as good. The longer distances between front and rear sights can make a big difference in how a rifle shoots. I always went with 3f powder as well with the shorter barrels to try to maintain velocity when it came to a hunting situation. There can be quite a lot of differences when you shorten up barrels, but there can be some good points too.....

 

[Boston Bill]

I am currently attempting to purchase a TC Treehawk which may be the ugliest gun I have ever saw (so I gotta buy it). Its new unfired and supposed to have a 1in21 twist if the price stays low enough I will buy it and see how it shoots.

Pictures!!!

 

[Bassdog1]

Got to handle it and make sure scope mount didn't hurt rifle and could be removed easily. Its in excellent shape. Not going to spend too much on it though.

 

[ppg1949]

I favored short barreled rifles long before they became available from the factories. I cut so many barrels off that my shooting buddies referred to me as Hacksaw, lol.

 

[William Lincoln]

I have an Investarm 50 carbine- Hawken style except barrel. It is really a compact
good shooting piece. The original idea was for mounted horse use. Carbines are
excellent in heavily wooded terrain and where weight is key.

 

[deermanok]

I owned a Traditions Buckskinner carbine. 21 inch barrel, fast twist, 1/20, ifrc.
Very accurate with the 275 grain TC maxi hunter bullet.

 

[Santa Fe]

You don’t need a long barrel to Stabilize a bullet. With shorter barrels yur giving up velocity and sight radius. Shooting under 50 yards you’ll probably never notice it

 

[stephenprops1]

I love showing this picture since it illustrates so many things. The young lady in the pic is shooting my White Mountain. She was a keen listener on marksmanship with black powder. She is to date, years later, still the best shot I've worked with.

A carbine is more than just a short, handy woods rifle but it also has some shortcomings. Lower ballistics from a long gun and shorter sight radius makes it much more critical in the the sight alignment dept.

View attachment 110052

My first percussion muzzle loader was a White Mountain Carbine. I could hit a pie shaped target at 100 yards with it, shooting off hand. Alas, I no longer have it.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I hunt with the Lyman Deerstalker in 54. It is heavy for its size but recoil with a slug and 90 grains of 2f is manageable and very accurate,

 

[jdw276]

TC cherokee in 45 cal? Kids love mine. Light, short easy to aim and hold in the off hand position for them. I shoot it up to 45 grains but more frequently 30 gr 3f.

 

[JCKelly]

I used this .65 cal Paget carbine about 25 years ago at our Michigan Canoe Shoot. Figured it's forge - welded British wrought iron barrel was stronger than the 12L14 screw stock one on my rifle. Best shot I made was from our canoe, a ball through a wasp's nest over the river. Wasps were displeased, as were some guys in following canoes.