New to Black Powder

[Shane81]

Hello, I just bought my first black powder rifle. It's a T/C hawken cap lock .45 cal and i'm looking for advice on what I need to buy to get this baby firing at the range. Besides the obvious .45 cal balls patches and powder, what else should I buy. I think i'm suppose to use FF powder in the barrel but i don't know how much nor do I know what caps to use. I bought the gun used and it didn't come with a manual. Thanks for any reply.

[knight0334]

With 45cal you can use FFg or FFFg. Many folks just use FFFg. The general rule is larger the bore, the larger the grain.

I cant remember the cap size, but I think it is #10.

[thefirstndsecond]

Post pics so I can tell what cap.

Go to thompson's web site and download the manual.

Use pyrodex.

Most likely they are #10 caps, but you may be able to purchase musket caps which in my opinion are better.

I have a .50 call and use FFF pyrodex and 209 primers. I use sabots with hollow point 240 grain.

You can use round ball, with patches soaked in bore butter. Powder amount.. not sure about the .45 but you should start with 60 grains and see how it burns on the patch.

check cables black powder for a starter kit, brass powder flask, capper, bullet starter.

[PA Rifleman]

Hello, I just bought my first black powder rifle. It's a T/C hawken cap lock .45 cal and i'm looking for advice on what I need to buy to get this baby firing at the range. Besides the obvious .45 cal balls patches and powder, what else should I buy. I think i'm suppose to use FF powder in the barrel but i don't know how much nor do I know what caps to use. I bought the gun used and it didn't come with a manual. Thanks for any reply.

Here's the manual:
http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals...ken_Manual.pdf

Congratulations, you have one of the finest blackpowder guns made in the US. Most, if not all of your questions are answered in the owners manual (see links, above).

I had a 50 cal percussion Hawken decades ago, it was an awesome shooter. Shot maxi bullets and round balls equally well. I recall it was about as accurate as a modern rifle, too. Around 100 grains of powder it started to have noticeable recoil. My last T-C was a Renegade (photo) since I wanted the 1" barrel flats.

With regard to accessories, decide for yourself what's necessary and what isn't. I've found the better I equip myself, the fewer times I cut range time short due to malfunctions (fouling, stuck bullets, etc). IOW, more is better.

Also note that you can make a lot of the accessories yourself if you're so inclined. What follows is a brief summary of the things I usually take to the range. I tend to gravitate towards traditional designs (read: old school), so take this with a grain of salt. You might prefer more modern gear.

Suggestions:

Besides the obvious (powder)....

Something to measure out powder charges. I use a cheapie like this from the 1970s:

The ones offered today are a little better, they have built-in funnels.


Bullet starter. I usually make my own from a doll head & dowel rod, then fit the end with whatever threads the gun uses on the ramrod. The head doesn't need to be ball-shaped, it can be a T shape too. It's purpose is to provide a comfortable surface to strike with the palm to start the bullet in the barrel.

When done, stain and finish with polyurethane. It's natural wood, but impervious to water, powder residue and cleaning chemicals. You can buy these ready-made made from wood or plastic. These save a lot of effort during the initial obturation (engraving) that occurs when the bullet is first pushed into the barrel.


Loading block (under knife), powderhorn and maybe a mold for casting your own. Yours truly made loading block & bullet bag in this image.


Horn. This one was custom made by Ryan Schmidt, commercial copies abound. It's bad form to load powder directly from the storage can [8^). Small storage tubes are available for storing pre-measured powder charges if you'd rather avoid a powder horn.


Loading block. This image came from the muzzleloading forum (link), I recommend it. I usually make my own loading blocks (see photo, above) as I treat them with polyurethane varnish. Like the homemade bullet starter, they're still natural wood but impervious to water, powder residue and cleaning chemicals. I also prefer the ability to make an optimal patched bullet fit for my rifle as well.

Ram rod puller, for extracting wet/dead loads, stuck bullets, etc. Use with screw type bullet puller. (homemade puller image)




Bullet puller, maybe a percussion cap holder/dispenser. Obviously you won't need flints or pan primer unless you plan to get into flinchlock later..

Here's where to find pillow ticking for patches:
http://www.joann.com/search/_pillow_ticking/



This was not an easy find for me. It's just the right thickness (0.015-0.018") and dirt-cheap.

Last but not least, a really effective cleaning solvent.

http://www.hoppes.com/products/no9_plus.html

[Ronin]

Just a note on using pillow ticking for patches. Make sure it's untreated if you intend to spit patch. Chewing on treated pillow ticking WILL make you sick.

You could always just buy pre-lubed patches, but where's the fun in that?

[Hawkeye54]

18-20 May the Susquehanna Sportsmen Association is having a three day shoot right there at Danville. Go and ask questions there, you will get lots of help.

[PA Rifleman]

Just a note on using pillow ticking for patches. Make sure it's untreated if you intend to spit patch. Chewing on treated pillow ticking WILL make you sick.

Good point! Do you think a few trips through the washing machine might alleviate this?

[Ronin]

Good point! Do you think a few trips through the washing machine might alleviate this?

Not sure. I guess if you washed with hot water a couple of times and maybe used a cup of vinegar on the first load it would help. The easier thing to do would be buy pre-cut patches.

[shiloh]

PA Rifleman's summary is excellent. Only thing I would add is that while Hoppe's 9 Plus is a fine product, I use hot soapy water for cleaning my BP guns. Works great and is inexpensive -- just have to make sure you dry the bore thoroughly afterward with plenty of patches. I usually will run a patch with WD-40 down the bore after drying -- Some folks frown on WD-40 but it's a great water displacer. I then run one more dry patch and then a final patch with a high quality gun oil (Accralube is a popular choice with BP shooters, I like WeaponShield too).

[Shane81]

Hawkeye54:

I belong to that club. My name is Shane were you at the last work day?