Questions for ya'll. Going one a Bison hunt. Would really like to hunt with my old Thompson Hawken. Though I do plan on bringing a rifle. Any advice would be welcome. I have not hunted with this rifle since in-lines came out. Can I use Blackhorn 209 with this rifle? Will the #11 cap ignite the 209? I plan on trying Powerbelts through it though in the past I've use Maxi Hunters and might end up falling back on them. I use the Barnes TEZ in my inline. Will they work in my Hawken as well? Any help would be appreciated. This hunt came up suddenly without much time to plan for it. I have the week after Christmas to work on shooting this gun before hunt. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Safe Travels.
Hawken
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So you want to use the sidelock rifle for nostalgia but want to use modern powder and bullets? Ok, It seems kind of backwards to me, but it is your hunt. A #11 cap will not ignite BH209 reliably, so you are stuck with Pyrodex or black powder. I'd be hesitant to even try Triple 7 in a sidelock for the same reason.
For the projectile, I would go with a big conical bullet. Something like the Hydra-Con from Parker Productions.
For the projectile, I would go with a big conical bullet. Something like the Hydra-Con from Parker Productions.
cannonball
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I hunted buffalo on the Henry Mts. with a 62 caliber flint lock and did get the shot, missed and realized I better shoot that big bull with my 270. I downed it at 200 yards. That was the second bull I had a chance at, but they are elusive and they are mean.
Shooting a buffalo that is wild with a muzzleloader is an extremely hard job. A fenced buffalo is still a big animal, and you need to place your shot or you are in trouble. Frankly, if you are talking about the old T.C. Hawkens most don't shoot straight enough to shoot beyond 100 yards. The bigger they are the harder they fall. My best advice to you is to search out several who have done it for advice. Don't go out there half-cocked.
Shooting a buffalo that is wild with a muzzleloader is an extremely hard job. A fenced buffalo is still a big animal, and you need to place your shot or you are in trouble. Frankly, if you are talking about the old T.C. Hawkens most don't shoot straight enough to shoot beyond 100 yards. The bigger they are the harder they fall. My best advice to you is to search out several who have done it for advice. Don't go out there half-cocked.
Thanks guy's. Never gave black powder a thought though thinking I will stick to Pyrodex. I'm not trying to pull off a Daniel Boone here. The rifle does have a 28 in. barrel with a 1:48 twist. I will work a load up for it.It was given to me by the family of a good friend that passed. He had just bought it and never got to shoot it. I committed to the hunt thinking I would hunt with rifle until I thought of this crazy idea. I am still going to try to pull this off. I think with the terrain that I'm hunting I should be able to get under 100 yds.. If not then I will use a rifle. Thanks for the replies. Have a safe holiday.
txhunter58
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LAST EDITED ON Dec-18-17 AT 06:59PM (MST)[p]#11 caps, pyrodex and a 460 gr no excuse conical. Accurate, relatively cheap bullets and will do the job
I have a TC renegade sidelock. Depends on the day as to which is more accurate, that gun or my inline. In the right hands, the TC Hawkins is plenty accurate even past 100 yards.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
I have a TC renegade sidelock. Depends on the day as to which is more accurate, that gun or my inline. In the right hands, the TC Hawkins is plenty accurate even past 100 yards.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
FrontierGander
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txhunter58
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LAST EDITED ON Dec-19-17 AT 05:50PM (MST)[p]
I actually use Bullshop bullets in 460 grain. The only reason I get them over no excuses, is that you can order different sizes because I shoot a White. These rifles are 0.504 bore width, and no excuses are a little bit narrow in my rifle. I get 0.504 for a snug fit. But for standard guns, the no excuses should do well and are much easier to order.
If you look back on these posts, you will see one where Marley killed an elk at almost 300 yards with a 460 gr bullet and pyrodex.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
I actually use Bullshop bullets in 460 grain. The only reason I get them over no excuses, is that you can order different sizes because I shoot a White. These rifles are 0.504 bore width, and no excuses are a little bit narrow in my rifle. I get 0.504 for a snug fit. But for standard guns, the no excuses should do well and are much easier to order.
If you look back on these posts, you will see one where Marley killed an elk at almost 300 yards with a 460 gr bullet and pyrodex.
txhunter58
venor, ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
cannonball
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Frontier,
Your photo showing thors along with 209 gives one to think 209 is OK when it is very questionable with his side hammer - #11 cap. I have been there and tried it by duplexing with 2 grains of BP. It went off fine, but blew my hammer to half-##### with 70 grains of 209 by volume. BH209 has a lot more pressure even when reducing the amount 10 to 15%.
Stick with the inlines which have a stronger breech with this powder.
Your photo showing thors along with 209 gives one to think 209 is OK when it is very questionable with his side hammer - #11 cap. I have been there and tried it by duplexing with 2 grains of BP. It went off fine, but blew my hammer to half-##### with 70 grains of 209 by volume. BH209 has a lot more pressure even when reducing the amount 10 to 15%.
Stick with the inlines which have a stronger breech with this powder.
FrontierGander
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LAST EDITED ON Dec-20-17 AT 10:52AM (MST)[p]Normally hammer blow back is due to a worn nipple or weak hammer spring. I've used the duplex load myself but now shoot either pyrodex or goex. The picture is just to show the thor bullet. Blackhorn209 will not go off with a #11 or even a musket cap.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
cannonball
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That's what I would have thought, so I changed the nipple and it blew to halfcocked again and no my spring on the hammer is not weak.
From my experience I would say 209 has much more immediate pressure on the breech than BP.
by the way, a year or so earlier, I called the people who make black horn and ask if it was suitable to shoot in the side hammer if I could get the ignition. They told me NO, but I didn't listen and lowered the powder charge 20 grains. Halfcock indicated a real hot charge to me.
From my experience I would say 209 has much more immediate pressure on the breech than BP.
by the way, a year or so earlier, I called the people who make black horn and ask if it was suitable to shoot in the side hammer if I could get the ignition. They told me NO, but I didn't listen and lowered the powder charge 20 grains. Halfcock indicated a real hot charge to me.
FrontierGander
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I got the clear years ago to use a 5 grain booster charge. Its not very practical in a hunting situation, but doable. Theres also the 209 primer conversion which works perfect, but after having one rip apart due to a design flaw, I stopped recommending them the second it happened.
BH209 compares to T7 as far as pressure goes. Once you get to a 300+ grain bullet however, pressures with BH209 really start to rise up.
I've shot BH209 in everything from a CVA Mountain Stalker, to a CVA Hawken with no hammer blow back ever experienced. The last time I got hammer blow back was when someone drilled the nipple out with a 1/16" drill bit.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
BH209 compares to T7 as far as pressure goes. Once you get to a 300+ grain bullet however, pressures with BH209 really start to rise up.
I've shot BH209 in everything from a CVA Mountain Stalker, to a CVA Hawken with no hammer blow back ever experienced. The last time I got hammer blow back was when someone drilled the nipple out with a 1/16" drill bit.
www.FrontierMuzzleloading.com
