First impressions shooting the .54 T/C Hawken.

[Doe Dumper]

I finally get to blackpowder hunt a couple of days this weeknd so I decided to break it out and try it out. I bought this thing in 2006 and hadnt shot it yet.

I was a little pressed for daylight so I decided to try the 310 gr Ball-ets. I got the bright idea that 90 gr. of T7 would be a good place to start as the 50 cal I was shooting with 300gr Shockwaves had just give me 3 inch groups at a 100 yards. Not a good idea... accuracy was all over the paper at 50 and I think my cheek is swollen..lol. Kicked like a mule with that load. Dropped down to 80 and it was much less on the recoil side. Something of a group was starting to appear at 50. It was down to about 8 inches.

I ran out of daylight but the plan tomorrow is to try the round balls, 240 gr buffalo copper sabots and the 425 gr Hornady offerings. I think Im gonna stay from 60-75gr on the powder charges as I cant imagine going over 80 would get good groups with this thing and to be honest I dont wanna dislocate my shoulder before I get to hunt..lol.

I will say the T7 was much much much cleaner in this gun than the Pyrodex Select I shot 1 round with. Its a safe bet there will be no more Pyro used in this one. I swabbed multiple patches between every shot using Windex w/ammonia. The t7 would take 3 or 4 patches tops and the Pyro used twice that many.

Anybody use any of the bullets I will be trying? Any recommendations? Besides not to use so much powder


Any suggestions or ideas? I got all day so Ill probably try most everything.

[MountainDevil54]

patched round ball. More than enough for whitetail to elk

[sabotloader]

Doe Dumper

I am using 80 grains of T7-3f shooting a 300 grain Gold Dot in a sabot and that is deadly accurate.

As far as using conicals - the only conical I have used in the 54 Renegade is a .542/420 grain Bull Shop with 70 grains of T7-3f. That shoots very well also

I have never shot any ballets - so I am '0' help there.

[lonewolf5348]

old timer once said when you shoot a 54 cal. and use a 230 grain RB no deer will walk away if the shot is placed well.
I shoot about 95 grains of goex 3F in my 54 flinter .I am putting together a 54 flinter t/c custom barrel 1 in 66 twist in a renegade stock more then likley 90 to 95 grains of b/p will be my load

[Big Z]

Anything you can shoot accurately in the 54 shouldn't have troubles on game. Be it a PRB or a 450gr conical.

[cayugad]

In my .54 caliber Renegades I shoot 90 grains of Pyrodex RS or Goex and a patch ball. That will penetrate two deer. That roundball placed will knock a deer down right now.

[Doe Dumper]

I had your round ball recipe wrote down to try tomorrow Dave. I kept notes when we were talking about this thing before. Thanks a bunch guys.

BTW Sabotloader.. what kind of sabot are you using with that Gold Dot? I have some of the red MMP's.

I can honestly say that with the stock design and the brass buttplate that 90gr load of T7 was downright painful.

Have you guys noticed the T7 burning a lot cleaner than the Pyro or is it just a gun to gun deal? This is the first time I have used it in a sidelock. I do get the crudring in the inline but its not a prob if I swab every shot.

[sabotloader]

Doe Dumper

All of my 54 cal sabots are the old TC mag express sabots - made by Harvester at the time - they are orange. I do have some red ones from MMP - but they are tight tight