T/C hawken

[torpedo]

recently I bought a T/C Hawken .54 cal from a pawn shop down the street. Saw it there last summer so last month went down and it was still there. Offer the guy a fair sum and bought it. Had some surface rust in the barrel. worked it over and took it shooting. This rifle is absolutely the most accurate ML I have ever fired! .530 RB with .010 patch on 80 grains Alliance MZ. And the barrel is now shiny and sweet. I know the powder is not the best but I found it works very good and is very cheap, which is good because I shoot a lot, sometimes 3 times a week as I live in Nevada. The whole state is a range!

 

[DOUBLEDEUCE 1]

I have a TC Hawken I built from a kit over forty years ago. It is my favorite rifle. It shoots better than I can, and has never given me a problem. It sounds like you have a keeper. :thumbsup:

 

[Sgiles]

I recently got one myself. I was a little concerned how it would shoot with a ball with such shallow rifling but I was pleasantly surprised. 85 gr. Goex 2f with a 490 ball and .015 patch shoots better than I do at 100 yards.

 

[Vaino]

A .50 TC Hawken kit is what started me building MLers in 1976 and have since then built quite a few LRs.

My only complaint w/ the TC Hawken was that it was a cheekslapper but that was solved by lowering the comb and making the bulbous cheek piece much more slender. Still have it and it has killed 6 elk, Would have preferred a .54 but it wasn't available at that time. One of my most accurate rifles. Enjoy your rifle.....Fred

 

[Elkeater]

I didn't know there is rust in Nevada, ha.

 

[bore_butter]

i've had nothing but good words for thompson center company
i bought my tc. 50cal hawken back in january 1974. it was a kit and when i put it all together it had a clean out plug on the breach plug. it wasn't tapped so being a beginner i broke the tap off in the hole. i ground it off and put in some solder and put liquid blue on the barrel and it was off to the woods.
first shot took out the solder and anybody standing beside me got sprayed. i made a wrench adapter to remove the breach plug and order a new one from the company in 1980 or so. they told me they no longer sold the plugs and to send the barrel back to the factory. i did that and they sent me back a new barrel, factory bluing and new guides for the ramrod and screws. it even had the front and rear sights on it.
just like everybody else this rifle is far better than i am.

 

[wapiti22]

I have several Hawken's and Renegades, in both 50 and 54 cal. Recently picked up a very nice Seneca which is the slimmed down, as in 13/16" barrel,in 45 cal. A closet queen for sure. It's a beauty. I'll probably end up selling it as I prefer the larger cals for deer and elk.

 

[don hepler]

I have had, two Seneca's, both .36 cal. I sold the first one, years ago. Not going to make that mistake again.

You might be able to find a .36 barrel.....sweet.

 

[don hepler]

54 is the one to have. I have several TC's. I shoot Black MZ., especially in my cap locks.

Easy to clean. Packed tight, it shoots great.

 

[Tim Maxey]

I have a .54 Renegade and a .50 Silver Elite. Both are amazing. The .54 likes 100 grains of 2F, while the .50 likes 95 grains. Both with round balls, although both also do really well with slugs.

 

[Elkeater]

I have .54's in Renegade and 2 New Eng.. 80g of ff Goex with rb is good in all 3. Handy guns for the high steep stuff.

Put traditional sights on the Ren and a NE. Accurate

 

[mushka]

I just joined this forum today but I too built a .54 TC Hawkin kit in 88. My wife bought it for me for Christmas one year and it sat in the box for three or four years til I finished it out. It's a great rifle, shoots well and is easy to maintain. It has never been shot much up to this time but I think my MZ days of shooting are starting. I'm older and need to slow down with my trigger pulls, enjoy the rifle more and wasting ammo less. Also have a TC Seneca in .32 which hasn't been used much either, but that too will change.

 

[Jay Dobro]

Love the T/C Hawken. Have several. .45 & .50 cal.

 

[Zonie]

I have two TC Hawken's. One is a factory made .50 and the other is a .54 caliber kit gun I bought at a gun show still unassembled in the box after 20 years.

After building the .54 I found that it is one of my more accurate rifles.
It likes 80 grain 3Fg powder loads under a .530 diameter roundball patched with .018 thick pillow ticking.
Yes, it takes a stout blow on the short starter to get that ball/patch combination started but ramming it down the barrel is not difficult.

I think the tight ball/patch setup allows it to grab the shallow TC rifling tightly which explains its accuracy.
Of course, the TC tang peep sight does a lot to help to put all those shots in the black.

 

[torpedo]

Flehto, you say you lowered the comb, could you exspand on that a little as Mine does that too.

 

[Vaino]

Some wood was removed from the combline....as much as the Bplate return would allow. A lot of wood was removed from the cheekpiece and surrounding areas.....Fred

 

[torpedo]

Thanks flehto, I am considering refinishing the stock and my relieve the cheek plate some.

 

[shdwlkr]

Are you sure your Seneca is .32 caliber, I know many claim that they existed I just have never seen one or had anyone say that they had one.
I know the Seneca was made in .36 and .45 caliber as I have examples of both.
can you post a picture of your .32 caliber Seneca, thanks

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

Are you sure your Seneca is .32 caliber, I know many claim that they existed I just have never seen one or had anyone say that they had one.
I know the Seneca was made in .36 and .45 caliber as I have examples of both.
can you post a picture of your .32 caliber Seneca, thanks

IIRC the T/C “Cherokee” model was their 32-cal model ..

 

[mushka]

SHDWALKR. I was thinking .32 when I was posting. You are correct the Seneca is a .36. Sometimes I let thoughts get mixed up on the keyboard.