Roundball-thanks for the info. I am going to call my brother right now and get ahold of his hawken. It will be fun to play with again and get some experience with the new powders. I have a dumb begginners question. What do you mean by pump flush? I am guessing you have water in the barrell and push the patch down, but am not sure.


Also do you have any suggestions on where to start as far as loads/bullets? Again this gun is a .45. Sounds like you really like the Goex. I have no experience with this or 777. Shot a little pyrodex way back when, but it sounds like some of these newer powders are better. I also have only shot round balls (we used to make our own), but would like to try some of the others.

Thanks again for the help.

I know a few folks that have both Knight and T/C ML inlines in 45. None of them complain about having a 45 versus a 50.

That said, if I were buying new or new to me I would be looking more towards 50cal.
There is so much more development projectile-wise in 50 cal than any other ML caliber.

But that does depend on the deal also. I would not likely walk away from a really great deal on a quality 45. If fact, I missed one last year that I sill wish I had snagged up (T/C Encore SS in 45). I guy I know got one for Christmas last year from his wife and simply hated the sport that is muzzleloading. He sold the gun with a Leupold VX-III 2.5x8 for $500.
Then he caught hell from his wife and felt like an idiot after she found out because she had dropped almost a grand on the setup.

I have 45's 50's and one 54 cal. If I were to pick one caliber it would have to be the 50cal.There are more accessories out there for the 50's.I shot deer with both the 50 and 54 cal. It lays them low.I'm sure the 45 will do just as well.Any you choose will fill the ticket. I just feel you have more options with a 50 cal.

Ruger Redhawk

Really no matter what caliber you decide on or what style rifle you get, it all boils down to knowing your loads limitations and your rifles abilities.... If you can place that projectile in the right place you will be successful.

A while back I went on the inline craze and now own three of them. I like to shoot inlines and I think they are a great rifle. Funny part was, during out hunting season I was always taking a cap lock rifle most the time. All my shots were going to be under 100 yards, and this .58 caliber I picked, with a roundball is a real shooter. The projectile without doubt is a game stopper, and it was fun to hunt with it.

I did use an inline a couple of late afternoon hunts when I was looking out over a large hay field and I knew shots might be over 150 yards. The only reason though was the Black Diamond XR has a scope. I needed that for my old eyes (and I really needed some venison).

A lot of people own both inlines, cap locks, even flintlocks. They are all fun to shoot. All of them will do the job if you can do your part.... Good luck to all of you this hunting season and season's greetings to each of you.

Right, "PUMP-FLUSH" is simply a term referring to the piston effect you get when you have the breech end in a bucket of water, and run a cleaning jag/patch up and down.

The upstroke sucks hot soapy water in through the nipple or vent, then expels it back out on the down stroke...do this a couple dozen times until the water you pull up out of the muzzle starts looking pretty clean, then I remove the nipple or vent and do a few more pump flushes to ensure the nipple or vent seats are clean;

Then use a good bronze bore brush for a couple dozen full length strokes, followed by cleaning patches again.
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Note: call TC and ask for a copy of their muzzleloader manual, they'll send you one for free...has load data charts in the back for different calibers and projectiles.

Actually Goex is not new...it's a real blackpowder and probably the most popular;
Pyrodex worked very well for me in TC Hawken percussions, Goex works better;

For target shooting/plinking with my .45 TC Hawkens I use:

50grns Goex FFFg (or 50-60grns Pyrodex-RS)
.018" TC prelubed pillow ticking patch (or .015" Oxyoke)
Hornady or Speer .440 balls

For hunting with round balls, I use 90grns Goex FFFg + an Oxyoke wonderwad

For hunting with TC 255grn Maxi-Hunters - 90grns Goex FFg (2F) + Oxyoke wonderwad

Go with the 50. Many states do not allow the 45 caliber for game bigger than deer.

I have .45 and .50 cal. I have my opinions of both, but it seems to be getting harder to find a variety of supplies for my .45. There are always plenty of options for my .50. If I was to recommend one, I would say .50.

The .45s offer one advantage over the .50s for those that like to cast their own bullets: inexpensive mould availability. There are few good moulds available for .50 caliber at reasonable prices but quite a number of .45s that will work well.

Another advantage is the G2 Contender. But TC will be selling a .50 step-up barrel for it next year if my info is correct.

I think I need another G2.

One thing I've noticed over the past many years is how the .45 gets "rediscovered" every few years. Huge rises in popularity followed by sharp declines - only to repeat again at some point in the future. Weird.

Exactly...and TC is on the fading side of the .45cal cycle...ie: they stopped making their .45cal barrels at both TC and TC's Fox Ridge subsidiary...I got the last couple .45cal 1:66" flint round ball barrels they had in stock a few years ago...and picked up a couple used .45cal 1:48" standard flint barrels on auctions since then.

I use .45/.50/.54/.56/.58/.62calibers, but always seem to keep coming back to the .45...took a couple deer this season with a .58cal GM flint barrel, but two others plus a squirrel this weekend were with .45's...