TC Thunderhawk 54 cal.
12-07-2005 | 09:47 PM
#2
Dominant Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,193
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
RE: TC Thunderhawk 54 cal.
The only experience I have with one is a person I know many years ago, bought/won one by accident. I kid you not. He put a dollar or two into a raffle pool and ended up winning one.
When he brought it over to show me the rifle, hedid not even know what it was or how to shoot it. So of course we had to play with it. We found out real fast that with 90 grains of Pyrodex and a buffalo bullet conical it was an extremely accurate rifle. I remember after we shot it I offered to buy it from him but he decided he would use it in the shotgun only area where muzzleloaders are allowed. He mounted a scope on the rifle, and he still shoots his deer with it each year.
The 1-38 twist they had were real conical shooters. I am sure there is a sabot out there that they would shoot as well. The real problem I see with people that own them and want to sell them is the price they are asking for them. For what they are asking, people are finding Omega's even cheaper. In that case,I would take the Omega.
Although if you can get the rifle reasonable and in NIB condition I am sure it would give you many years of hunting once you find the right projectile.
When he brought it over to show me the rifle, hedid not even know what it was or how to shoot it. So of course we had to play with it. We found out real fast that with 90 grains of Pyrodex and a buffalo bullet conical it was an extremely accurate rifle. I remember after we shot it I offered to buy it from him but he decided he would use it in the shotgun only area where muzzleloaders are allowed. He mounted a scope on the rifle, and he still shoots his deer with it each year.
The 1-38 twist they had were real conical shooters. I am sure there is a sabot out there that they would shoot as well. The real problem I see with people that own them and want to sell them is the price they are asking for them. For what they are asking, people are finding Omega's even cheaper. In that case,I would take the Omega.
Although if you can get the rifle reasonable and in NIB condition I am sure it would give you many years of hunting once you find the right projectile.
12-07-2005 | 10:07 PM
#4
Dominant Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,193
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
RE: TC Thunderhawk 54 cal.
I guess for $130.00 NIB I would be tempted too.. It was many years ago when I had the opportunity to play with one and at the time it was a lot of fun. I know from talking to my friend over the years, he's taken deer in the southern end of the state over 100 yards with them big conicals...
12-08-2005 | 08:21 AM
#5
Typical Buck
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
RE: TC Thunderhawk 54 cal.
They are decent rifles. I have a few friends that hunt with them. Cleaning them are a bit more tedious but not that bad. They do not have a removable breech plug. The nipple threads directly into the machine face breech end of the barrel. I know this as I had to remove a seized nipple in a friends T-Hawk and also re-polish the borethat he neglected.
Detail clean these and any other ML at the first opportunity after firing. Even only once. Also use a quality anti-seize lube on the nipple and a quality lubricant to prevent rust.
$130 NIB sounds pretty reasonable really, 1:38 rifling will shoot concial and shorter length saboted rounds well. Also will shoot PRB with lighter loads.
If the rifle shoulders and feels good to you, then it should serve well if properly cared for. I would opt for a Thompson/Center Thunderhawk or Firehawk overany of the other "plunger" type hammer ignition rifles in the same price range.
Tahquamenon
Detail clean these and any other ML at the first opportunity after firing. Even only once. Also use a quality anti-seize lube on the nipple and a quality lubricant to prevent rust.
$130 NIB sounds pretty reasonable really, 1:38 rifling will shoot concial and shorter length saboted rounds well. Also will shoot PRB with lighter loads.
If the rifle shoulders and feels good to you, then it should serve well if properly cared for. I would opt for a Thompson/Center Thunderhawk or Firehawk overany of the other "plunger" type hammer ignition rifles in the same price range.
Tahquamenon
