What to choose between those rifle

godgab

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Hi folks, I'm looking at muzzleloader since 3 weeks and I finally choose a traditionnal model like Hawken but 3 models get my attention:
What is the best deal if I wanna shoot bullet and ball and hunt deer/bear and such.
I can get:
Lyman deerstalker NEW condition for 300$
Tradition Hawken NEW condition for 350$
or Thompson Center USED but very good condition (barrel excellent)Hawken for 329$

All are 1:48 twist
thank you
 
TC Hawken

I just bought the TC Hawken and am a bit biased becasue it is the only one I have owned but it is amazing quality, and a fantastic gun I have only put about 40 shoots through it and finally go my wife out last night and we shot a bit and she also enjoyed it. I think now she understands why I talk aabout it so much.
 
thank you for opinion. If I'm gonna hunt bear and possibly moose with it, should I tend toward .54 caliber (1:32 twist for conical heavy bullet) or the .50 can mostly do what the .50 caliber can do?
my choice are :
lyman great plains hunter .54 1:32 twist
or T/C hawken .50, 1:48 twist
for about the same price
 
1:32 twist is usually for sabot. I've seen conicals in 1:28 not even hit the target board at 25 yds they were so unstable.
From what I can tell the lock on the T/C and the Lyman are both made by Investarms and are interchangable.
I know hunters who go after moose and bear with the .50 cal and do fine.
 
so do you think with 1:48 twist I can handle heavy bullet like 420 grains conical .50?

I though the more heavy the bullet are, the faster the twist have to be.
 
The .50 cal with a 1 in 48" twist will handle bullets up to about 370g. I would not be afraid of hunting moose or bear with a .50 cal bullet in the 300-350g range. The .54 round ball is very popular for larger game like moose and it only weighs in around 225g, so the .50 cal bullet should work just fine.
 
The LONGER the bullet - the faster the twist need be. The 1:48 twist is great for conicals.

Jump on the Lyman! Convert that useless #11 nipple to musket cap then smash away.
 
"I though the more heavy the bullet are, the faster the twist have to be."
No, just the opposite. Too fast a twist and the conical doesn't get spun and stabilized before it exits the muzzle. The old military muskets shot around a 500 grain Minnie ball conical and most were 1-66 twist with 1-48 the fastest twist.
 
so for a 420 grains conical I would need slower than 1:48?
well then for general purpose, training with round ball, weight of the gun and quality I think i'll go for the T/C .50
I though it was a hawken but it's a renegade deluxe, with the two trigger. Look nice .
I don't wanna use sabot and by the way I thanks snowshoe who have helped me much on many things about BP.
thanks to y'all
 
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Typically, heavier conicals...would be longer, right? (Physics...who knew?)

But to address the concern at hand..............

A 240 grain .40 cal projectile saboted to fit into a .50 smokepole would be as long as a 400 gr .50 cal conical, even though overall it is 160 gr lighter.


Thats why sabots fly like wounded ducks when stuffed into a slow twist barrel.
 
A 240 grain .40 cal projectile saboted to fit into a .50 smokepole would be as long as a 400 gr .50 cal conical, even though overall it is 160 gr lighter.


Thats why sabots fly like wounded ducks when stuffed into a slow twist barrel.[/QUOTE]

Now I'm really :confused:
if 400 gr conical is as long as saboted bullet, and if saboted bullet work better in fast twist, so why 400 gr conical won't work good in that same barrel?

on a sidenote,...I looked at plain pistol, and was wondering if we can here in canada (quebec) hunt with those pistol?

thanks
 
It should.

EXCEPT - your real gonna feel that 400 grainer when you drop the hammer. Trust me on this.

(insert "ouch" here).


PS
No Handgun hunting in Canada.
 
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