Uh oh

[Alberta Black]

I walked into a local gun store today with the best of intentions but an unbfired Thompson Center New Englander in .54 cal followed me home.

Does anyone have some input on the care and feeding of this beast?

The rifle has a substantial rubber recoil pad English express sights and a hot shot nipple. Is this standard equipment on this rifle?

thanks

Richard

 

[gmww]

Congradulations on your purchase! Isn't this the gun that you can also put a 12 ga. barrel on? If so even better as now you got a potential turkey gun too!

Your barrel is a 1:48" twist. It will shoot both Patched round ball and conicals. I'd start out with roundball just to get familiar with it. Say 60 grns. or about there with 2f black powder. Work your loads up or down from there depending on your needs.

It will also like Maxi-balls if your interested in hunting with conicals. :hatsoff:

 

[Halftail]

Does anyone have some input on the care and feeding of this beast?



thanks

Richard

Alberta,
I haven't got a 54 but I'm thinking you might start at around 50 to 60 grains of Goex 2f and work from there to find the most accurate load.Like The guy before me said you will be able to shoot Conicals and Round balls in that particular gun.I can't recommend any conical (I have no experience with them)but I would try and get ahold of a few .535 round balls to try and see what works best.As for the cleaning there should be many threads here on the forum with a varity of differant methods that all work.A little research here should do the trick.

The rifle has a substantial rubber recoil pad English express sights and a hot shot nipple. Is this standard equipment on this rifle?

A rubber recoil pad ,hot shot nipple aren't standard equipment on the New Englander.My New Englander has a metal Butt plate.English Express sights,I'm not sure what they are but T/C's usually come with an adjustable style sight with screws to adjust for windage and elevation.

 

[Alberta Black]

I am pretty much a round ball shooter but with this gun I will probably try some maxi-balls just because. Although this rifle is clearly built for stout loads I don't think that I will go above 100 grains with either projectile. In my other .54's they liked 90 grn of 2F

The English express sights(as i call them) are adjustable with a very shallow "V" blade with not notch. They resemble the sights that you see on African doubles that are used for dangerous game. I suspect that the intention on this rifle was for the shooter to file his own notch but I am inclined to leave them alone alone as long as the point of impact is okay.

 

[bwhoffman]

Alberta Black,
While not being an expert by any means...
The hotshot nipple will probly work well for you over the standard nipple.
The rifles I have seen cataloged had rubber recoil pads if I recall correctly and while not PC, Could make a day of shooting very pleasant!

My hunch would be that it left the TC shop as is.

Brett

 

[paulvallandigham]

As your eyes get older, it helps to open the notch of the rear sight up a bit with a small, jeweler's rattail file. You want about the same amount daylight showing on both sides of your front sight, as the front sight is wide. With that much light, you will be able to get a good sight picture even in hazy conditions, or failing light. This is also a help to you younger shooters, but its harder to convince you of this. You don't need a deep notch to do accurate shooting. You look over the rear sight, and not at it. Focus on the front sight, and use the rear sight to reference it for both elevation and windage. Small notches make that hard to do except when you are shooting on bright sunny days, at the range, and then, only when you shoot from a rest.

 

[Halftail]

Alberta Black,
While not being an expert by any means...
The hotshot nipple will probly work well for you over the standard nipple.
The rifles I have seen cataloged had rubber recoil pads if I recall correctly and while not PC, Could make a day of shooting very pleasant!

My hunch would be that it left the TC shop as is.

Brett

Brett,
I bought A T/C New Englander Brand Spanking New From T/C's Distributer up here in Canada and have seen some others and have Yet to have seen opne with a Rubber Butt Pad.I figure it was an add on.
I will agree though,it would make a day of shooting very enjoyable. :v

You might be able to see the butt plate of the New Englander in the picture.It is the same as it was when it came from the Factory,excepting the Sling.
You will notice no Rubber Recoil pad.

 

[Landngroove]

The T/C New Englander, .50, and .54 calibers came with 24", and 26" barrels, 1 in 48" twist. Walnut, and Rynite stocks. A 12 guage shotgun was also available with a 27" barrel. All barrels are interchangeable. New Englander rifles, come with the same style sights as Hawkens, and Renegades, but the rear is fitted for a round barrel. That is a bead style front, and an open T/C Hunting style adjustable, in the rear. My .54 New Englander has a metal butt plate. I shoot .530 round balls, with .018" pillow ticking, and either 90, or 100 grains FFG Goex. I am very pleased with the accuracy of this gun/load.

 

[Alberta Black]

Thanks for the input fellas. I think that the person who owned the gun before me has some big plans for some big loads that just never happened because this gun has never been shot.

I own a .54 and am looking forward to that recoil pad although it is not PC. Most likely I am going to end up with a 90-100 grain load with RB's but I just gotta try some conicals.

now if I can just find a 12 gauge barrel in Canada life will be perfect

Richard

 

[Joel Lehman]

You can buy a 12 guage barrel for the New Englander from Fox Ridge Outfitters, the TC custom shop.