Thompson/Center Tree Hawk Project

[Dixieshedhunter]

Does anyone here remember the T/C Tree Hawk Carbines? These were offered in .50 caliber and a fast twist with shallow rifling. 21 inch barrel. I got one in 1994. It was tricky to shoot with pyrodex and the accuracy was not always too tight with the fast twist. Just OK. Nonetheless I used this rifle to kill several deer in '95 and '96 and then it went away on the shelf.

In exhuming the piece a few years ago the dreaded neglect pitting had occurred. Since the rifle could be de-breeched easily, and was 15/16ths OD, I sent it to Bobby Hoyt to have it bored out to .54. Then it was rifled in round bottom, seven groove rifling, 1/60. This will allow me to use my standard load of 80 grains of 3F behind a pillow-ticked ball as I do in my other guns.

Here's the crown and new rifling after the excellent Hoyt rebore-rifling process.

The factory sight radius on the old rifle was a tad short for my ancient eyes. I removed both the adjustable rear and bead front from the Tree Hawk barrel. I ordered a Skinner Lo-Pro rear and installed it into the 6-48 hole in the breech plug. I had to shave some metal off of the rear porch in the tang so that the cinch dial could tighten fully against the breech plug spine.

I then installed a Track Of The Wolf oversized (.71 w.) front blade. I had to trim the dovetail some, get rid of the casting sprue, shorten the front and sand some of the casting marks off. I wanted to leave it pebbly so it would accept a finish. I just cold-blued it to start, I may just blacken with a sight pen when I get zeroed. I am sure a lot of the height will get taken off in zeroing.

So the rest of this project, to be continued, will consist of filing down and drifting the front sight as needed to achieve a 50 yard zero with my load. I will report back as to what I can achieve. I reason that the potential for accuracy with a PRB is better overall than the original conical, and that a .535 ball is a pretty fierce projectile at the ranges I'll use the rifle.

Thanks for indulging me with this salvage project. I know this doesn't meet the criteria of a traditional rifle, but it is a sidelock in a clever and practical design. I think my caliber and projectile upgrades will bring this rifle to a fuller potential and, I had no choice but to refresh the roached barrel. I ordered a few 6-48 plug screws for the old sight holes. The sight picture with the new system is solid and clear to my eyes. I'll update this thread once I shoot the rifle in.

Regards from western Virginia-Pete Davis

 

[Howie1968]

nice work, the treehawk has been on my list of thompsons to aquire. pretty neat turning it into a roundball shooter. how long was the turn around on the barrel?

 

[Dixieshedhunter]

He took about a month. Great to deal with. PD

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Does anyone here remember the T/C Tree Hawk Carbines? These were offered in .50 caliber and a fast twist with shallow rifling. 21 inch barrel. I got one in 1994. It was tricky to shoot with pyrodex and the accuracy was not always too tight with the fast twist. Just OK. Nonetheless I used this rifle to kill several deer in '95 and '96 and then it went away on the shelf.

In exhuming the piece a few years ago the dreaded neglect pitting had occurred. Since the rifle could be de-breeched easily, and was 15/16ths OD, I sent it to Bobby Hoyt to have it bored out to .54. Then it was rifled in round bottom, seven groove rifling, 1/60. This will allow me to use my standard load of 80 grains of 3F behind a pillow-ticked ball as I do in my other guns.

Here's the crown and new rifling after the excellent Hoyt rebore-rifling process.
Hey ya...where did you get that rear Sight? SM

The factory sight radius on the old rifle was a tad short for my ancient eyes. I removed both the adjustable rear and bead front from the Tree Hawk barrel. I ordered a Skinner Lo-Pro rear and installed it into the 6-48 hole in the breech plug. I had to shave some metal off of the rear porch in the tang so that the cinch dial could tighten fully against the breech plug spine.

I then installed a Track Of The Wolf oversized (.71 w.) front blade. I had to trim the dovetail some, get rid of the casting sprue, shorten the front and sand some of the casting marks off. I wanted to leave it pebbly so it would accept a finish. I just cold-blued it to start, I may just blacken with a sight pen when I get zeroed. I am sure a lot of the height will get taken off in zeroing.

So the rest of this project, to be continued, will consist of filing down and drifting the front sight as needed to achieve a 50 yard zero with my load. I will report back as to what I can achieve. I reason that the potential for accuracy with a PRB is better overall than the original conical, and that a .535 ball is a pretty fierce projectile at the ranges I'll use the rifle.

Thanks for indulging me with this salvage project. I know this doesn't meet the criteria of a traditional rifle, but it is a sidelock in a clever and practical design. I think my caliber and projectile upgrades will bring this rifle to a fuller potential and, I had no choice but to refresh the roached barrel. I ordered a few 6-48 plug screws for the old sight holes. The sight picture with the new system is solid and clear to my eyes. I'll update this thread once I shoot the rifle in.

Regards from western Virginia-Pete Davis

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Hey ya...where did you find that rear sight? Sm

 

[Dixieshedhunter]

http://www.skinnersights.com/lo-pro_sight_7.html

 

[Bad Karma]

Nice work! That’s a real practical shooter there for woods deer and elk! I like it!

 

[arcticap]

I always wondered about the accuracy of a short barrel with a slow twist.
I realize that some production guns with shorter barrels were made with a slow twist.
Did Mr. Hoyt give you his opinion at all and make a recommendation about reboring it with the 1 in 60" instead of the 1 in 48" in that barrel length?

BTW, the muzzle and other modifications look super nice!

 

[Dixieshedhunter]

He suggested that twist for the ball. I can say that the fast twist in the original rifle was iffy. Sometimes good with the Great Plains bullet and sometimes flyers.

I doubt this barrel will digest the entire 80 grains, but I am optimistic as to accuracy. We shall see, and soon.

PD

 

[Dixieshedhunter]

OK. Well here we is, a year and three quarters later, and I finally shot the rifle!

I used pillow ticking patching, bore butter, .530 Hornady balls. 80 grains 3F. Damp patch between shots.

As you'll see, I shot across my footbridge. This gave me 32 yards which is just fine for now. My first three shots were high and spread about 1.5". I then went for a six o'clock hold and settled in. I doubt I have shot a rifle since April!

The good news is: I didn't have to adjust anything! The peep lined up with the wax cast heavy front. I didn't need to raise nor lower anything. The sight stayed put in the position I had driven it into many months ago. Crazy luck is what I will call this.

It looks like with my old caps (2013) and somewhat hasty shooting, that I have a 1.25" group in the center of the dot, maybe a tad left(the sun was to my right though) and/or smaller if you discount the flyer......

I am initially jazzed in the extreme about this rifle. I planned on a shooter that would take a deer out to 50 yards or so, that's how I hunt them. It appears I have succeeded.

I will shoot with more attention to detail soon. May try .535's and shoot on an overcast day. But I'd hunt right now at my preferred shot ranges, and probably will.

Here are some pics:

Roundball, many thanks for the jump start, it's exactly what I needed.

Regards from western Virginia and here's to shortening days!

Pete Davis

 

[Roundball2319]

OK. Well here we is, a year and three quarters later, and I finally shot the rifle!

I used pillow ticking patching, bore butter, .530 Hornady balls. 80 grains 3F. Damp patch between shots.

As you'll see, I shot across my footbridge. This gave me 32 yards which is just fine for now. My first three shots were high and spread about 1.5". I then went for a six o'clock hold and settled in. I doubt I have shot a rifle since April!

The good news is: I didn't have to adjust anything! The peep lined up with the wax cast heavy front. I didn't need to raise nor lower anything. The sight stayed put in the position I had driven it into many months ago. Crazy luck is what I will call this.

It looks like with my old caps (2013) and somewhat hasty shooting, that I have a 1.25" group in the center of the dot, maybe a tad left(the sun was to my right though) and/or smaller if you discount the flyer......

I am initially jazzed in the extreme about this rifle. I planned on a shooter that would take a deer out to 50 yards or so, that's how I hunt them. It appears I have succeeded.

I will shoot with more attention to detail soon. May try .535's and shoot on an overcast day. But I'd hunt right now at my preferred shot ranges, and probably will.

Here are some pics:

View attachment 46860

View attachment 46861

View attachment 46862

Roundball, many thanks for the jump start, it's exactly what I needed.

Regards from western Virginia and here's to shortening days!

Pete Davis

My pleasure. I have been trying to talk a coworker out of there pitted barrel tree hawk with the same thought of turning it into a larger caliber round ball machine. I have been wondering what your results would be like. I read somewhere that a round ball liked 300 to 400 rps to be in the most range. With your twist rate you need 1500 fps to hit 300 fps. Out of that short barrel is that possible. I was debating a 1 in 48 twist for 300 rps at 1200 fps and 400 rps at 1600 fps.

 

[Roundball2319]

I'm glad you had such a great day. It's great when a plan comes together.

 

[Dixieshedhunter]

Fototime went away and ate all the images. Here they are-condensed.