Ummm... SHOCKED to say the least!

[Confederate rifleman]

Took Autumn, my laminated TC Hawken, with her original barrel for her first time out at 100 yards. She's bone stock, including the open sights.
The load was my go to. A 45 cal 250 grain Hornady XTP ( needs a 1-49 twist) in a Harvester Crush Rib, over 70 grains of 3f Swiss. I had 2 called flyers. First was from the fella next to me banging away with an AR. The second was when I caught an empty off the side of my head...
The remaining 8 went into 2 3/16ths!
Fired as 3 round groups.
First, 3 x 3/4" 2 into 1/4"
Second, 3 x 1 3/8" 2 into 1"
Last one, 3 x 2 3/16" 2 into 13/16"
Her first group at 100 was under an inch! Now one day does not a trend make, but DANG! An open sighted sidelock?
What IS this world coming to?

 

[eekjellander]

That is an awesome open site group anytime much less 1st time /congrats/Ed

 

[edmehlig]

Bet your grouping was a lot better than the guy with the AR!

 

[Confederate rifleman]

As a matter of fact... Heh heh heh...
AND... the AR was scoped.
I'm just floored by today's results. I'm equally happy that not only do I have load commonality between my inline and sidelocks, even my .50 Renegade flint likes this load, I have a sidelock that might prove comparably accurate. If that turns out to be the case, I don't know what I'll do! Still need to work on ball and conical loads. Then there's the other barrel...

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Yes sir. Real good for factory open sights at 100 yds. Impressive!

 

[redear]

wow, thats a shooter!

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Thanks all.
Not too bad for the rarest of TC Hawkens. I do still want an aperture sight for her though...

 

[Matthew323]

Great shooting.

Most modern gun owners have no idea how accurate flintlock and percussion sidelock m-l's can be.

Unless there is something mechanically wrong with the barrel, the limiting factor for a modern m-l barrel's accuracy is the shooter.

This includes those inexpensive Spanish Jukar m-l rifle barrels.

European countries have much higher standards for muzzleloading barrel manufacturing and proofing than does the USA.

The breech plugs, and the rest of the rifle might be hokey, but the barrel itself, and the rifling is usually top notch.

Which means that if you put any modern m-l barrel on a machine rest with a common denominator breech, it will almost always shoot one hole groups at 50 yards.

And MOA, or real close to MOA groups at 100 yards.

 

[Valkyrie]

Exceptional group and shooting given the circumstances. That rifle is a keeper!

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Definitely a keeper. I was thinking about selling her, but now, not so much.
Once you get used to them, the TC Hawken is a nice handling rifle.
The " Its not a Hawken" crowd can lug around their 9 to 14 pound rifles. I'll take my 8 (?) pound TC and not wear myself out.
Ditto for my Renegade.
It just hit me. Excepting my P53 repop, every rifle I own is a TC.

 

[Matthew323]

If Thompson/Center had aggressively marketed a Renegade-style, .50 caliber, fast-twist, percussion sidelock that came equipped with iron sights, an offset Weaver scope base, a pair of 1" Weaver Quad-Lock rings; and a stock designed for both iron and scope sights at the beginning of the inline craze they could have kept their market share and proved that all the hype about inlines was just bull.

Sidelocks have been shooting MOA at 1000 yards since the 1880's.

 

[edmehlig]

Definitely a keeper. I was thinking about selling her, but now, not so much.
Once you get used to them, the TC Hawken is a nice handling rifle.
The " Its not a Hawken" crowd can lug around their 9 to 14 pound rifles. I'll take my 8 (?) pound TC and not wear myself out.
Ditto for my Renegade.
It just hit me. Excepting my P53 repop, every rifle I own is a TC.

While I have not harvested anything yet with my Renegade, that rifle is really growing on me!! Not to mention its a lot easier to clean than my Beloved White's!

 

[michiganmuzzy]

While I have not harvested anything yet with my Renegade, that rifle is really growing on me!! Not to mention its a lot easier to clean than my Beloved White's!

Im thinking mine may become my 1rst choice hunting rifle.

 

[Confederate rifleman]

This is 'Ol Bayberry, my Renegade. Right now she's a cap lock with a .54 Sharon barrel. TC marked with a spade. I refinished the stock with Minwax Antique Oil. No stain, she's a natural red head.
I tried to show the nice grain.
I have a flintlock and 2 barrels. a .50 M stamp and a 54 rebore.
The Hawken is " Autumn" my laminated mind blower. Have a spare M stamp barrel for her too.
I'm currently working on Calico. My Firehawk. VERY nice piece of walnut on her.
I suffer from an embarrassment of riches!