First time with a .45 cal TC Hawken, advice wanted

[stephenprops1]

Start with light loads (say 40 gr of FFF) and work your way up. Try .440 and then .445 Patched Round Ball to see what your gun likes best.

 

[PastorB]

In a .45. 60 grains of 3f, or equivalent substitute, seems to be an optimum load, especially in the relatively "short" barrel of the T/C Hawken. Also, while T/C's published load data is safe to use, their claimed velocities are very optimistic. I have shot over chronographs for decades, and have never even gotten close to what they claim to get in their rifles. Power is plenty enough for the intended purposes, but your actual velocity will be many hundreds of fps slower than factory published speeds. Unless every chrono I've ever owned has been defective.

 

[Eric Krewson]

It is my understanding that TC put the large cheekpiece and high comb on their rifles to facilitate looking through a scope which many people of the day put on them.

 

[e.estern]

I took the Hawken to the range yesterday. It started to get windy, gusts that came and went, so I tried to shoot between them. Light loads were pretty dismal for accuracy, but as I got over 50g of FFg groups really tightened up. Off a rest at 50 yds, with a 60g load, .440 ball and .015 Ox Yoke patch, I got a couple of groups with 2 shots touching and the third about an inch away. The patched balls loaded very easily, so next time I'll probably give .018 patches a try, since I happen to have some. Meanwhile I think it shoots better than I can. It eventually got too windy to keep shooting so I have to adjust the sights another day, but 60 grains does seem to be the sweet spot, though I didn't try anything over that. Not much recoil and hopefully that's hot enough for deer hunting.

As an aside, no place in my area had caps or powder. Walmart, LGS, everyplace I called--nothing. Then I happened to be at a locksmith for another issue and there in the back of the shop was a little display of muzzle loading supplies. Probably nobody knows about it. Anyway he had caps, so I got a bunch of them.

 

[Jamie from Alberta]

Nothing like making some smoke eh.
Glad you finally got to get out and shoost your new 45.

I just, I mean just purchased one online lastnight, TC Hawken .45 cal. She’s mint from what I can tell with the pics.
As for price, well, I’ll keep that to myself lol. But it was worth it. Now my my 50 & 54 TC Hawkens have an addition.
I have another TC Hawken that was originally .54 but swapped out the barrel for a Green Mountain .58 with 1:70 twist.

IMHO, for a factory off the shelf Hawken, TC made one of the better and more rugged ones.

Enjoy your 45 cal TC and hope you get a chance to carry her in the woods!!

Happy holidays and happy new year!!

 

[Urban Coyote]

I have a .45 caplock T/C Hawken I figure came out of the factory in the late 1970s, since the SN is close to my .50 I bought new about that time. It is one of my favorites. At 25 yards offhand I can keep most of the touching, 5 shot groups. My load is 45 grains FFFG, .440 ball and a ticking patch with spit lube. When I move to 50 yards I bump it up to 60 grains.

Mint condition, what a great find.

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

.440 round ball, .010" - .015" thick patches. Forty to fifty grains of powder. Increase powder charge to no more than 70 grains of conicals or unmentionables with pistol bullets.

My favorite load is a 180 grain LSWC in an unmentionable over 70 grains of 3f powder.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[BlackRock52]

I measured the barrel, 15/16th", well actually .95" is what my calipers read, so apparently a Hawken. K serial number, so from a kit. The build quality could be better, couple of screws not quite straight, etc. Waiting on supplies to arrive so I can see if it shoots well.

I have a T/C Hawken from the late 70's. Midwest hunting in woods not often >50 yards. At that distance she shoots 3/4" groups using 70 gr of pyrodex select using .440 PRB. Due to convenience, and they work for me, I have been using prelubed commercial patches. Barrel is 1:48 twist. I finally scored some BP in both FF and FFF so when weather warms up will give that a try to see which is better performer. When in my early 20's and bought it, an old timer then said to shoot 1.5 times the caliber for a hunting load. For my .45 that works out to 67.5 gr so I round up. In the manual "Pietro" listed above that load has an asterisk which I think means most accurate. I also acquired some Maxi's which I am going to give try even though my twist is not optimal. Old timer also said to shoot what you hunt with when you practice...good advice that has served me well for 46 years...

 

[bronko220002]

I ordered .440 balls and .015 patches. I have about half a can of FFFg and a big sheet of .018 pillow ticking. Hopefully that's enough to get me started.

That'll work. 60 to 70 gr should work for both target and deer. If you're shooting a 54 then a 45 is child's play

 

[longcruise]

I bought a tc hawken 45 barrel at a gun show about 20 years ago. We haggled and settled on a dollar per calibe, so 45 bucks. I put it into my tc hawken stock and loaded it with 445 ball, .018 patch and 45 gr 3f. It shot great and that's still the load i use. Probably used 6 or 8 different lubes with the same results.

Sometimes I think we over complicate things.

 

[bronko220002]

The .45 is a worthless caliber. Not good for much of anything. I'll pay the shipping and you can send it to me. I already have 4 of them so one more will be no big deal!
Just kidding of course. No matter what you shoot, PRBs, cast lead conicals or other you will find that the .45 will shoot all of them with good to excellent accuracy. That's why I have to keep a log of what mine shoot best. I shot my first deer with a .45 and a round ball while everyone was carrying around their .50 cals. My deer was just as dead as any of the ones they shot.