pluckit

A while back I picked up this used and not well taken care of Thompson Center Thunder Hawk for $20 and just got around to taking it to the range last week. I put the scope on it for another $50. It didn't shoot great but I think it might if I play with the load some more.


The first target was with round balls just to get it to hit the target.

This target I switched to T/C Cheap Shot bullets with the supplied sabots and 80 grains of FFF Goex at 25 yards.

This target was shot after a scope adjustment with the same load at 50 yards.

Same distance with another scope adjustment.

Same distance, load with no scope adjustment. I swapped out the Cheap Shot bullet for a 240 grain XTP for the next 2 targets. And went to 90 grains on this one.

That looked good enough to take the target to 100 yards and fine tune the scope adjustments but after shooting one target at 100 yards and put the charge back to 80 grains. The range started to get crowded so I figured I would finish playing with it some other time.

sabotloader

That is a well spent $20

cayugad

I normally found that when the rifles were abused... the less the powder charge the better they shot. Have you tried a patched roundball in that rifle?

flounder33

That 90 grain target don't look too bad.

pluckit

The first target was shot at with round balls. They seemed to be going everywhere so I switched to sabots. As for the powder, I only tried going up from 80 grains and that seemed to help a little. I'll try lowering the charge next time out.

rafsob

You remind me of my buddy Roger. He trips over good deals like yours all the time. But he does drive a hard bargain. Once he found a nice WWII rifle that a lady wanted to know if he would pay $4.00 for it. He hemmed and hawed and finally ask the little old lady if she would take $2.00 for it. She did!!!

Good luck with the prize and have as much fun shooting it as you can my friend!

pluckit

I now have 3 muzzle loaders with pitted barrels that I have picked up on the cheap over the years. I would like to have them bored out to the next larger caliber. Do you think that is possible to get rid of the pitting? And if so how much do you think it would cost per barrel, and who do you know that could do this kind of work?

pluckit

It did look as though the group was tightening up with more powder.

HuntAway

On pitted barrels. Would shooting conicals smooth them out?

HA

Semisane

Are you talking sidelocks or in-lines pluckit?

Reboring is common with sidelocks. I believe the current cost is somewhere around $100 - not bad considering you're getting what is basically a new barrel. Give these guys a call to check price and options.

Ed Rayl, P.O. Box 91, Gassaway WV 26624 304-364-8269

Robert Hoyt, 700 Fairfield Station Rd. Fairfield, PA 17320 717-642-6696

As for in-lines, I just don't know if either one of those guys (or anyone) rebores them. Let us know if you find out anything along those lines.