Missing my "Hawken" rifle.

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Mn Fats

Mn Fats

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Sold my Lyman GPR Hawken style rifle for real cheap. Built it from a kit. Browned it. Turned out excellent. Big regrets on selling it but money was tight due to the virus.

Money is back and I want another Hawken. I'm looking at the T/C Hawken. I've heard good things about these and can buy one locally for $475 in great shape.

Anyone here own an older T/C muzzleloader? Any input on them? What about replacement parts?

Thanks.
 
I own several. At one time they were considered the Cadillac of commercially produced (non custom) black powder Hawken style rifles. I’ve never had any issues with mine. Accurate enough. Good wood to metal finish. Color case hardening has held up well. Almost all TC Hawkens have nicely figured walnut stocks. Not much to gripe about.

I will say that in my part of the country TC Hawkens go for $200-400 in good shape.

TC made a number of different models as Hawken ‘styled’ rifles. Accordingly, the price varies in the current edition of the Blue Book of Modern Black Powder Rifles from $275 to $700 for a specific model in 100% condition.
 
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The T/C Hawken is a great rifle. Parts for most T/C guns can still be had on E-Bay or from the Gunwerks. The T/C rifles come with a 1:48" twist, so you may have to work up a new load cause your GPR had a 1:60" twist which is good for round ball shoot, but not so much if you want to shoot conicals. The 1:48 twist in the T/C is a shallow groove twist that will shoot round ball OK if you don't push them too fast, and conicals pretty good. Of course, you will have to work up loads for your intended use.
 
I built my t/c .54 Hawken from a kit in '83. I was 19 years young, lol. 20161120_150850.jpg






I will make a few comments...
They are susceptible to crack in the wrist, mine did.
The lockwork is excellent.
I'm not crazy about the 1:48 twist, but mine is accurate.
I'm not crazy about the brass furniture.
I think the Lyman GPR is a more authentic looking rifle

I'm not running the Hawken down, just pointing to its faults and virtues. I love mine, and wont part with it. I took my biggest buck, and dozens more with it.
Best wishes for finding a good Hawken.

Edit to add: my crack is through the lock screw hole, not the wrist...zoom in on my pic and you can see it.
 
about 70 grain of powder behind a patched round ball works great in them also even better is a sabout in a 50 with a 200 grain 45 cal pistol bullet in it. 100 grains of powder deer at 150 yards with that. i also paperpatched a 300 grain bullet in the 50 and a 250 grain in a 45 with 100 grains of powder behind them and they shot 1 inch groups at 100 yards. use a 60 thousands was between powder and base of bullet. they are a strong versitile rifle. clean well when do shooting and it will last.
 
Thinking about getting a Traditions Louisville hawken or other Traditions brand. Anyone have some feedback about these makes and models? All i can find are 50 cals now...but id sure love to have it in .45 or even a .40 cal. But for now 50 cal will have to do.
 
Frulk said:
I will say that in my part of the country TC Hawkens go for $200-400 in good shape.
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Good to know. I've never seen one for sale in person. When I say "locally" I mean Track of the Wolf. Which is about an hour and a half drive lol. I figured I'd head down, stock up on powder and caps and a few other supplies and grab me a T/C while I'm there. They have two or three at around $475.
Armored farmer said:
I'm not crazy about the 1:48 twist, but mine is accurate.
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Fyrstyk said:
The 1:48 twist in the T/C is a shallow groove twist that will shoot round ball OK if you don't push them too fast, and conicals pretty good. Of course, you will have to work up loads for your intended use.
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doubleh said:
You will probably get better accuracy with bullets than round balls but mine does pretty good with round balls as long as I don't use heavy powder charges.
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This was a concern. Patched round ball is all I use. From Track of the Wolf website on the T/C "We recommend our .490" round ball, .015" patch, and Mink Oil tallow patch lubricant, over a charge of 70 grains of GOEX FFg black powder."

Wonder how FFFg will work. I guess I'll have to find out. Working up a load is part of the fun though :D.

Armored farmer said:
I think the Lyman GPR is a more authentic looking rifle
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Iggy said:
Get another Lyman. Best non-custom rifle around.
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Well way to make a guy miss it even more :(. I suppose I could get another kit for $509. I had fun building the first one but... I don't know if I want to do that again. I see built ones are $629. But at that price I think a T/C will be just fine.
 
Watched Jeremiah Johnson last night. Have not seen that in a few years. Did not help my sellers remorse. I did get a laugh out of him literally falling back every time he fired lol.
 
I have one and the lock is worn out. Was not properly hardened I don’t think. I have it shimmed and working, but I don’t care for it. Replacement was not bad but it was more than I was willing to pay then and I don’t have a good place to hunt now, so it stays shimmed.
 
Iggy said:
Get another Lyman. Best non-custom rifle around.
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If you go for another Lyman, be sure to check if it is on the recall list. The older Lymans are still available. Lyman recently contracted with Pedersoli (as opposed to Invest Arms) to make their Great Plains rifles and i understand that the price of the guns will increase by almost $200.
 
Iggy said:
Spent a summer in "skins" wandering around the Wind River Mountains and Davy Jackson's Hole.
View attachment 928722
I had two horses and Ol" Belcher" a replica of the Medina Hawken..
Shinin' times they was. Waugh!!
View attachment 928723
Itchy and I did some ronyvooin' and Tipi creepin' back in the 80's and 90's
https://www.talesfromthehighlonesome.net/itchysname.html
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Wow! I wish i could do just that...roam in buckskins and horse and just camp for a while. I truly envy you and have a lot of respect for a person whos done just that...to me it shows alot of their character and how much they truly love that long gone era. Tip of the hat to you sir
 
I have 2 TC Hawkins and like them. But if I were you, and I liked the Lyman GPR, I would look hard at getting another of them.
 
TC Hawken rifles are one of the best muzzleloaders around in terms of quality.
I have owned a .50 cal. Hawken for many years and once owned a Renegade .54 cal.
The stock wood and inletting is superb.
No problems whatsoever over the years.
I also owned a Lyman Great Plains rifle. Compared to the TC rifles it is the inferior.
The lock is fine since it is a direct copy of the TC lock.
The barrel is also accurate and well-made and the 1:66 inch twist is an advantage for round ball shooting.
The sights are crap though.
And the stock wood is poor by comparison, and the steel castings just just can't compare with TC castings, whether brass or steel, period.
If you can find a TC Hawken in very good shape for a reasonable price, grab it.
You will never regret it.
 
TheOutlawKid said:
Thinking about getting a Traditions Louisville hawken or other Traditions brand. Anyone have some feedback about these makes and models? All i can find are 50 cals now...but id sure love to have it in .45 or even a .40 cal. But for now 50 cal will have to do.
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It's interesting that almost all Ardesa rifle models sold in Europe are .45 caliber.
Whereas nearly all of the Ardesa rifle models imported by Traditions for the US market are .50 caliber.
The European guns can be imported, but it makes the gun much more costly.
If you wanted to buy a new .45 rifle tight now, it would need to be a Pedersoli which are also relatively expensive, about $775 for a .45 Scout or other round ball model. --->>> https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...ame/PR3090+Pedersoli+Scout+Carbine+-+.45+Perc.
Otherwise a person would need to scour the used market for a used or discontinued .45.

I found a new Ardesa Hawken .45 available for sale in the EU and they can be shipped to the US if you locate a willing dealer. --->>> https://saguaro-arms.com/product-eng-102-Hawken-Woodsman-Percussion-rifle-45-Ardesa.html
 
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I would not buy less than .50 cal in a "Hawken" (and not bigger unless elk or bear are on the game list) and yes I believe the T/C are the best non Custom ones and there are abundant parts. I have a Lyman Plains Rifle and it is OK , but I hunt with a .50 Lyman Stalker Lt. weight model.. The smaller than .45 caliber T/C s get pricey real quick and in my opinion are not "all around" field rifles , certainly not deer rifles all though , yes petunia I know people do use them esp. .45. A lot of states agree with me about .50 and bigger for big game. Speaking of which if I lived or hunted in Wyo, or Montana ect . and elk and big bear was regulary encountered I would go .54 . Oddly enough the .54 T/c seem to be about $100 cheaper than the .50s , and about $300 or more less than the .36 or especially the .32 T/C s !!!!
 
Mn Fats said:
Sold my Lyman GPR Hawken style rifle for real cheap. Built it from a kit. Browned it. Turned out excellent. Big regrets on selling it but money was tight due to the virus.

Money is back and I want another Hawken. I'm looking at the T/C Hawken. I've heard good things about these and can buy one locally for $475 in great shape.

Anyone here own an older T/C muzzleloader? Any input on them? What about replacement parts?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I once bought a minty used Renegade .56 smoothbore from a hunter in a neighboring county.
Shortly after getting it home, the trigger - lock suddenly seized up and the hammer got stuck on half-cock IIRC.
Luckily, TC was still honoring their lifetime warranty and fixed it for free after shipping it to them.
But don't think that TC locks never break or need parts.
I can't tell you how many people on the MLF used to praise TC for all of the used guns that TC fixed for free.
IMO without their no BS life time warranty, TC guns should not be as high priced as many of them have become.

One reason why TC went out of the sidelock business was because so many people were buying the Lyman - Investarms models for 50% - 60% of the price of a new TC which many really believed that Investarms were better shooting guns.
Unless a TC is a minty or primo example, I can't see choosing an old TC model over a brand new Lyman for about the same price.
What also made the TC's desirable were the Green Mountain drop in barrels made for them.
Other than only having a single trigger, plain iron sights and no patch box, the Lyman Trade Rifle is a knock off of the TC Hawken.
And not many cold weather hunters want double triggers.
The price of a new Trade Rifle is $425 at Mid-South Supply: --->>> https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....rade-rifle-50-caliber-percussion-complete-gun
Buyers seem to give the Trade Rifle good reviews at Dixie and Muzzle-Loader.com.

1. https://www.muzzle-loaders.com/brands/lymantm-trade-rifle-percussion.html
2. https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...313,316/product_name/PR0652+Lyman+Trade+Rifle
 
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arcticap said:
What also made the TC's desirable were the Green Mountain drop in after market barrels for them.
Other than only having a single trigger, plain iron sights and no patch box, the Lyman Trade Rifle is a knock off of the TC Hawken.
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Back in the 1980s I owned an Investarm Hawken in .54 cal., and recall that that the stock and castings were much better than the Lyman Great Plains rifle. It seemed almost as nice as the TC Hawken in quality, and I liked it a lot.
 
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