ORIGINAL: forvols
Greetings all. I am brand new to ML shooting. As a gift I recieved a TC Hawken 50 calthat is about 20yrs old. Gun looks to be in excellent shape on the exterior but I dont know about the interior of the weapon. Its been hanging on the wall for the past 2yrs but I decided this year I am going to shoot and hunt with it. So I got a few questions.
1. What do I first need to do with the weapon?
I am very sure it is not loaded but how can I verify. I know I should have verified this when I received. Feel pretty stupid on that. The ramrod will go into the barrel leaving about a half inch of the ramrod sticking out of the barrel.
2. What powder? load amount? cap? bullet?
3. Is there a 209 conversion kit for a side hammer?
4. What other ML supplies do I need to get?
So any help you guys can provide is great appericated. Nice forum here too.
Thanks
Tony
With regard to #2, I have a TC Flintlock and I use real Bp in it, Goex, either 70 or 80g seems about the most accurate. You could use Goex or you could use Pyrodex RS 70 or 80 in it. I have used RBs, PowerBelts, but now use a Speer Gold Dot 300g with a Crushed rib sabot in my Flintlock. I don't like the round balls because of lack of penetration. As for conicals such as Great Plains, etc I have tried several (TC MaxiHunters, etc) and the do a very nice job on deer, but I like the Gold Dots the best because they penetrate, the heavy weight conicals do also. I figure accuracy is king and penetration is queen,and the Gold Dotsalso expand well, but you may not be able to use sabots in your state. I would use a Powerbelt or a Harvester Sabertooth 300g or a Speer 300g with a Crushed rib sabot in a 1:48 twist. sight in 50 yards, open sights, 1" high, you will be dead on at 75 yards and 2.2" low at 100, see below. Chap Gleason
