mrfritz44

.45 T/C Hawkens shooting a TC Maxi and Goex FF

What is the ideal grain for this load and why?

Thanks,

Fritz

cayugad

The ideal load will only be determined by the rifle itself. Seeing it is a .45 caliber I would start out about 60 grains and then shoot a three shot group. Swab the barrel and up that to 65 grains and shoot another three shot group. Keep doing that until the accuracy and group size is the best you can get. I will guess that it will come in somewhere around 70-75 grains. Just so you do not get too discouraged, some rifles even though they are Thompson Center do not like maxiball or maxi hunters. It might not ever produce an excellent group. I doubt that will be the case. You might also want to consider putting a wonder wad under those conicals. It will many times improve the group size.

Your rifle should also shoot roundball excellent. I can understand your desire for a larger bullet if hunting deer, but shot placement is the key. If you can not hit what you aim at, no bullet in the world will do the job. Yet, a will placed .45 caliber roundball at a reasonable range will kill deer. And I bet that is a lot of fun to shoot....

Another large conical you might want to try is a .45 caliber No Excuses. The .50 caliber shoot real good in my rifles. Perhaps the .45 caliber they make would do the ticket in yours.

Good luck with your rifle..

MikeE51848

Cayugad, do you like the TC Maxi-Hunters in my TC Hawken? I have an older model from the 70's that I've always used round balls in but have been trying the Maxi's with nice results. It's just that I have a harder time with open sights and older eyes!

roundball

Fritz, TC's manual lists 70-100grns FFg for the maxi's in the 240-255grn range.
I personally use 90grns Goex FFg, an oxyoke wonderwad, and a 255grn maxi-hunter in a standard 1:48" .45cal flintlock I have...tack driver...took another deer with it just week before last.

Suggest you clean the barrel to the bare, raw metal, then keep it clean using strong tight fitting brushes every time you clean it...buildup from lead bullets can affect accuracy...the prelubed oxyoke wonderwads work as an outstanding firewall between the flames and base of the lead maxi's to minimize this.

If you do try the wonderwads, I suggest you get the next larger size caliber wad...ie: use 50cal wads in a .45cal, etc...so under the heat & pressure of ignition, they compress all the way out into the grooves and really tighten up the seal between the fire and the projectile...increased velocity, improved consistency, tighter groups, etc

cayugad

Mike I used to shoot a lot of maxi ball and they do an excellent job on deer. Out of my Hawkins and Renegade they were real accurate. Then I started shooting REAL conicals that I cast at home. I use a homemade lube on them and they are not only very accurate but just knock the snot out of a deer when you hit one. I shoot them out of Renegades, Hawkins, and other 1:48 twist rifles.

I also got a great deal on some Buffalo Ball-et and have to admit they sure load nice and shoot good out of my .50 T/C Hawkins Flinter. A real kicker is I bought some 405 grain Ball-ets for my .58 caliber Renegade with a GMB 1:70 twist and they are super accurate.

The last batch of maxiballs I bought were home cast. And the person must have been tired that day. One will fall down the barrel and the next one you need a hammer and a wooden dowel to seat it.... Just no consistancy with them. So their accuracy is hard to judge.

Actually, people are always looking for a better projectile. I guess that is what lead me down the inline path. The trouble is I keep coming back to plain old patched roundball. Still on a whitetail they are hard to beat when you place them right. Although the fancy rifles do a good job too...

If they work for you Mike and they load nice, then use them. It is always nice to have a number of different projectiles that you can shoot..... Would sure make a nice fast second shot since you do not have to patch them.

mrfritz44

Thanks for the tips so far.........I've been shooting 100 grains and more in this thing for years. I had a feeling it was too much, but then again I never did any analytical shooting either (may be why I've never gotten a flintlock deer before too!). I may try those wads and I'll definately decrease the powder a bit.

Seventy grains rings a bell as the FF grain to go with. Maybe some of you have heard of Charlie Shulter (Schultz?) who was the east coast black powder champ in the late seventies era. Anyway, my old man used to drink with him when I was a kid and I think that's the number he suggested......although I'm not sure what other specs that was based on. This guy could hit axe blades at 100 yards with a percussion black powder gun. He died of a heart attack some years ago.

Thanks,

Fritz

roundball

Fritz, FYI...I wasn't implying that 90grns Goex FFg was the magic charge, it's just my charge...in fact, when I first decided to set up a .45 for maxi-hunters, I simply started with 90grns from general past experience, knowing it would be in the ballpark...but it gave such great cloverleafs at 50yds just sitting in a chair simulating a treestand, that I never bothered trying any other charges...if your 100grn charge is accurate, you probably should just stay with it

mrfritz44

Here's a question...........

Anyone ever try shooting this combo?: Powder-->Wonderwad-->Maxiball-->Wonderwad

It would eliminate the need for grease and prevent the bullet from un-seating, or so says the manufacturer, and be easy to load in a speed tube.

Just brainstorming........call me nuts![8D]

cayugad

I have shot powder - wonderwad - maxiball but never saw the need to put another wonderwad on top of it. If the bullet is seated right and the right size it should not be moving around down there.

Now when I shoot my smoothbore I shooot powder - over the powder card - fiber wad - .610 diameter 343 grain roundball - over the shot card. This is necessary because I do not patch the roundball. When that big lunker hits downrange, you know it....

Buellhunter

I shot a .45 TC Hawken for many years.
Patched round ball and FFF blackpowder.
For a hunting load I used a .445 ball and 80 grains of powder.
You will need to see what works best in your rifle but as is mentioned above you'll probably end up in the 70-80 grain range.
Good luck finding the load your gun likes.
That's half the fun of ML!