T/C New Englander
02-15-2007, 11:12 AM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 40
RE: T/C New Englander
Hi BushMan,
I don't own a New Englander, but do own a couple of Greyhawks (stainless/synthetic NE) and a couple of Black Mountain Magnums (fast twist NE). They're a good basic gun, reliable and accurate.
My .50 1:48 Greyhawks shoot best with 90 gr. RS, a bore button,and a 350gr. Maxi Hunter. PRB shoots good with 70 to 80gr. RS a .015 patch and a bore button. It will shoot sabots reasonably well, but only the lighter weights. 240gr. and above pistol bullets are too long for the slow 1:48 twist. The New Englander also has a 1:48 twist and should be very similar to the Greyhawk in its likes/dislikes.
The Greyhawk's shorter 24" barrel makesit a joy to carry. It's a very good treestand or blind gun. I think it balances better than any other ML I own. The wood stocked NEs have a 26" barrel; synthetic versions have 24".
The 1:28BM Magnum is designed as a sabot shooter. It's the same style as the NE, but the fast twist barrel and special breech make it a different animal.
The New Englander'sa straighforward gun with little to go wrong. Once broken in, the single trigger usually develops a nice feel...a set trigger isn't needed.
One negative is worth mentioning. The 'snail' design (around the nipple) is in two pieces. The front piece, which holds the nipple, is part of the breech and attached to the barrel. The back piece, which shields the shooter from blast and cap fragments, is part of the tang and extends down over the lock plate. This means that to remove the lock for cleaningor to clean thoroughly under the rear snail piece, the tang must be removed. The tang is held on by two wood screws.
I believe removing and replacing those wood screws every time youclean the gunwould open up the screw holes in a wood stock. A synthetic might fare better. I've gotten around the problem by smearing grease liberally over theback part of the snail and over the area where the snailextends overthe lock plate. When I clean I just wipe the dirty grease away and regrease. Once a year I remove both tang and lock for checkup and cleaning. No problems found yet. But if you're one of those who likes to remove and clean the lock after every session, you might have issues with this.
BTW, New Englander barrels will drop into a Greyhawk and vice-versa. Same thing with Black Mountain Magnum barrels. New Englander barrels in .50, .54 and 12 Ga. are available from Fox Ridge. They make a dandy shotgun...FWIW
Bob
I don't own a New Englander, but do own a couple of Greyhawks (stainless/synthetic NE) and a couple of Black Mountain Magnums (fast twist NE). They're a good basic gun, reliable and accurate.
My .50 1:48 Greyhawks shoot best with 90 gr. RS, a bore button,and a 350gr. Maxi Hunter. PRB shoots good with 70 to 80gr. RS a .015 patch and a bore button. It will shoot sabots reasonably well, but only the lighter weights. 240gr. and above pistol bullets are too long for the slow 1:48 twist. The New Englander also has a 1:48 twist and should be very similar to the Greyhawk in its likes/dislikes.
The Greyhawk's shorter 24" barrel makesit a joy to carry. It's a very good treestand or blind gun. I think it balances better than any other ML I own. The wood stocked NEs have a 26" barrel; synthetic versions have 24".
The 1:28BM Magnum is designed as a sabot shooter. It's the same style as the NE, but the fast twist barrel and special breech make it a different animal.
The New Englander'sa straighforward gun with little to go wrong. Once broken in, the single trigger usually develops a nice feel...a set trigger isn't needed.
One negative is worth mentioning. The 'snail' design (around the nipple) is in two pieces. The front piece, which holds the nipple, is part of the breech and attached to the barrel. The back piece, which shields the shooter from blast and cap fragments, is part of the tang and extends down over the lock plate. This means that to remove the lock for cleaningor to clean thoroughly under the rear snail piece, the tang must be removed. The tang is held on by two wood screws.
I believe removing and replacing those wood screws every time youclean the gunwould open up the screw holes in a wood stock. A synthetic might fare better. I've gotten around the problem by smearing grease liberally over theback part of the snail and over the area where the snailextends overthe lock plate. When I clean I just wipe the dirty grease away and regrease. Once a year I remove both tang and lock for checkup and cleaning. No problems found yet. But if you're one of those who likes to remove and clean the lock after every session, you might have issues with this.
BTW, New Englander barrels will drop into a Greyhawk and vice-versa. Same thing with Black Mountain Magnum barrels. New Englander barrels in .50, .54 and 12 Ga. are available from Fox Ridge. They make a dandy shotgun...FWIW
Bob
02-15-2007, 12:22 PM
#3
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: T/C New Englander
The T/C New Englander is a meat and potatoes rifle. Its just a go to rifle when you want to hunt. Its not going to be the prettiest rifle in the stable, but when it comes down to just plain shooting and working in all kinds of weather, as said.. very little to go wrong with the rifle. I personally took a step up and got Renegades only because of the wood stock.
My friend shoots a New Englander in .50 caliber. He loads 70 grains of Pyrodex and a 370 grain Maxiball and will take out anything that comes within 75 yards of him. He said the longest shot he had to make was 75 yards and that was a buck that he blew such a big hole through, and made it bleed so bad, he could not believe the deer even ran 30 yards (he showed me pictures of the blood trail to the deer.. amazing for better words to use).
I would get the one with the black composite stock. They are an easy rifle to clean and maintain and will give you years of excellent service...
My friend shoots a New Englander in .50 caliber. He loads 70 grains of Pyrodex and a 370 grain Maxiball and will take out anything that comes within 75 yards of him. He said the longest shot he had to make was 75 yards and that was a buck that he blew such a big hole through, and made it bleed so bad, he could not believe the deer even ran 30 yards (he showed me pictures of the blood trail to the deer.. amazing for better words to use).
I would get the one with the black composite stock. They are an easy rifle to clean and maintain and will give you years of excellent service...
02-16-2007, 02:58 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 199
RE: T/C New Englander
I have a New Englander I've hunted with for many years. Like cayugad says, its a meat and potatoes gun, nothing fancy but a workhorse for getting the job done.
I really appreciate the large trigger guard which allows me to keep my gloves on in really cold weather. I did replace the front sight with a fiber-optic to help my aging eyes. I also purchased the 12 ga. barrel and have taken squirrel and turkeys with it.
I love my New Englander so much I'm taking it with me when I die!
I really appreciate the large trigger guard which allows me to keep my gloves on in really cold weather. I did replace the front sight with a fiber-optic to help my aging eyes. I also purchased the 12 ga. barrel and have taken squirrel and turkeys with it.
I love my New Englander so much I'm taking it with me when I die!
02-16-2007, 07:33 AM
#5
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location:
Posts: 172
RE: T/C New Englander
Well I have a chance to buy one in .54calits been shot less than 10times(absolutely true) with every thing you need to shoot and hunt for $225cdn which is $193US. I was wondering what kind of loads you use. I had a Traditions Pursuit, nice gun but I wanted to go a little more primative with the cap lock design and a 1.48 twist. Thanks.
02-16-2007, 08:40 AM
#7
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
RE: T/C New Englander
A .54 caliber New Englander would be an excellent rifle. You could hunt deer with roundball and larger things like moose and bear with a maxiball. Of courseI like the .54 caliber in traditional rifles much more then the .50. It just seems a better pick. And I am not doubting or trying to start something with .50 caliber traditional shooter. I own a bunch of .50 caliber as well. Its just the roundball is 30% larger and so when you shoot 100 yards and under, your putting that much more energy and lead into them. I like their killing power.
The price of that rifle might be very fair since he is including accessories. As many of us are well aware, you get the rifle and then half as much again on just the stuff to make it shoot...
The price of that rifle might be very fair since he is including accessories. As many of us are well aware, you get the rifle and then half as much again on just the stuff to make it shoot...
02-16-2007, 10:11 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,675
RE: T/C New Englander
I purchased a New Englander from a guy that abused it. I cleaned it up and found it to be my best shooting black powder rifle.
I got to talking that rifle up at the gun club and another guy had to have it
I got to talking that rifle up at the gun club and another guy had to have it
02-16-2007, 06:17 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 2,175
RE: T/C New Englander
another happy new englander owner. got one synthetic in 50 and another wood stock in 54 caliber. my brothers got the greyhawk. good at bringing the meat to the table. i put a little white paint on the front bead and its good to go. i did have to put a little loc tite thread locker on the rear site adjustment screw though. it seems the rear site is mounted on a spring and ball tension set up and if you balace the gun on your shoulder it pushes the site downward and the main screw would walk out on it. i found this out the hard way when one day it wasnt hitting good. there are no adjustment marks on the site so i scratched in a line on the side so i will know if the site moves from balancing the gun on my shoulder. the loc tite stiffened up the screw so that it doesnt float around. 200$ is a fair price for a good condition.
