What GreenMountain Barrel????

[equinoxbuilders]

hi all,
I'm lookin to rebarrel my .54 cal TC Hawken.  GreenMountain is offering specials on 2 barrel purchases.  I'll be getting 2.  
What Barrels should I get.  Caliber? Length? Twist?  
Only used for Whitetail from 150lbs dressed on up to 230lbs
I don't know if I want 2 barrels of same caliber and different twist for conicals and sabots, or if I want different calibers .50 and .54 with same twist for conicals or twist for sabot..

[Rustyinfla]

If it were me I would get a .45 cal barrel with a round ball twist and a smooth bore if that's a option. A large bore smooth bore might make for some fun wing shooting and the .45 is all you need for deer.

         Rusty <><

[equinoxbuilders]

I just had my first bad experience with roundball..  I won't be hunting with it again...  I have a 1-20 twist .45 in my daughters rossi youth Muzzi.
I won't be hunting anything other than whitetails with it.  Maybe another NH Moose, if I ever win the lottery here again.  I should most likely get a .50 cal with length/twist for shooting Precision Rifle Dead Centers.
but I'm thinkin second one for shooting big conicals.  Either .54 or .58
What length? Twist?

[victorcharlie]

I replaced the barrel on my T/C Renegade with a GM barrel a year or so ago.......I based my decision on several things.....My original 1/48 twist shot ok......wasn't the best twist for round balls or for conicals but shot pretty good.......I decided I was going to shoot round balls as they are quite a bit cheaper to shoot than a store bought conical........If I'm going to shoot round ball, then I wanted a barrel that would shoot round balls the best........
 
That said, I bought a 32" 1/66 (or is it 1/70 twist) twist barrel.........man, it shoots round balls almost the same hole at 50 yards.........I've been very pleased with my GM barrel.
 
You, on the other hand, want to shoot conicals........so why not get the barrel that shoots conicals the best?  Have you called GM and asked what they would recommend ?.......I would think a 1/28" twist would shoot big conicals well........Your 1/20" would probably work well with conicals.......and if I were to hunt deer with a .45 then a conical would be my choice as a round ball in that caliber is a little light IMO.......with a 1/20 twist I wouldn't expect a round ball to shoot well.........
 
What turned you against round balls anyway?  Lots of game killed over the years with them........

[Ladobe]

Not to rain on any parades, but if you're talking about GM's Fall Internet Special it looks to me like the only 2 barrel options offered in the sale are both 50 caliber, fast twist 1:28, 28" stainless - one to fit Hawken (15/16) and one for Renegade's (1"), 1 or 2 of either and limited to stock on hand.

So are they allowing subs in calber and twist on this deal, or is there another 2 barrel deal elsewhere on their site I missed?

Thanks

[lonewolf5347]

I would say not much of a choice 1 in 28 fast twist,percussion only 15/16 or
 1"

[roundball]

I just had my first bad experience with roundball..  I won't be hunting with it again...

That seems pretty severe...round balls are all I use for deer...what was your bad experience?

[equinoxbuilders]

well, it was the last day of muzzleloading season here in NH, and I was hunting with my .54 cal Scout Pistol... 80g7773Fg ROUND BALL out of treestand.
Called in a small 1 1/2 yr old 6 pointer 120lb dressed approx.
he was about 20 yrds away off my right shoulder, broadside, perfect shot, I put the reddot on him just behind the shoulder centerbody, and pulled the trigger......  
SNAP. #11 cap went off, but no powder. he jumped a few feet.
I slowly put on another cap, and now he is at 25yrds I again put the reddot on him... pulled the trigger, and SNAP...
UUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!  
now he runs a few more yrds... I have time to put on the 3rd cap. I grunt some more hopin to get him to come closer. he's about 30 yrds away, and is behind some trees. I grunt somemore, and he desides to start his way out in front of me.... nice open 30-35yrd shot. I put the reddot on him one more time, pull the trigger expecting a SNAP, but now KaBOOM.
 
He takes off. I honestly don't think I hit him. I'm checking for blood trail this morning. Really hard to find spurts of blood in the Fall leaves.
I'm NOT used to this.. I haven't missed in 23yrs...
every deer I've hit with BP has dropped in its tracks... first time I've hunted with this Pistol. and I sighted in for 25 yrds. I could consistently hit center of paper at 25yrds. I honestly think I blew this shot... I can't see how a deer of that size could have been hit buy a .54 round ball and jog off like that.

Well, I looked allday Wednesday, and I didn't find anything...  
 :twisted:

OK, this morning I went back to this spot with Rem. 870 1-4 scope with 3" Lightfields.
I'm trying to walk in woods at dark, when a tree branch hits me in the eye, my shooting eye, and takes out my contact lense... if it had been my left eye, I would have continued hunting.. but I couldn't.  I get back  in my truck and drive a 1/2 hr back home with one eye..  I quickly put another contact in and wella, I can see again...  I rush over to my parents house down the street, to hunt behind their house..  It's now about 7am.
and here is the rest of this morning....... :evil:

I called in a 200 lb. 8 pointer this morning, 10 minutes into the woods, and I missed an easy 40 yd shot with my scoped 870 as this Brute was heading for me... I took the shot earlier cuz I was wondering in the back of my mind when he was going to smell me... If I had waited, I probably could have beat him over the head with my firearm...
This is strange... the last time I experienced buck fever, I was 15 yrs old.... missed easy shot at a doe... I've taken 4 bucks in that time, and I'm used of going through the list in my head before taking the shot..

"OK slow it down, relax.... take aim.... hammerback... take a deep breath... breath out slowly... slower... gently sqeeze.....

alright Venision Stew tonight....

But after those misfires from the Scout, I'm downright jittery...

HELP ME...

would you goto the range and put 20 boxes of 3" Lightfields through your shoulder as punishment.. hoping to shock yourself out of this funk..

What would you do??

HELP..

I'm also taking "Ol Betsy"  My 40 yr old TC .54 cal Hawkens out of the closet and I loading her with a conical in front of 100g 7773Fg.  Next deer will be in her sights.... All but one of my deer have been taken by her, but her barrel is getting tired..  she's really only a 50 yrd shooter now..

I know I missed this Buck, cuz he didn't run away, he just stood there...
and I freaked out and didn't rack a new round correctly and jammed the 870.. I cleared it, put a fresh round in, and all the time this PUNK is 40yrds away watching me... I pick up on him and he takes off. I let 2 more bad shot go...all I see is the Flag... I follow him into the swamp, but he never gives me a good shot again. But he is OK... I hope to see him tomorrow...

[harryo]

He takes off. I honestly don't think I hit him. I'm checking for blood trail this morning. Really hard to find spurts of blood in the Fall leaves.
I'm NOT used to this.. I haven't missed in 23yrs...
every deer I've hit with BP has dropped in its tracks... first time I've hunted with this Pistol. and I sighted in for 25 yrds. I could consistently hit center of paper at 25yrds. I honestly think I blew this shot... I can't see how a deer of that size could have been hit buy a .54 round ball and jog off like that.

I fail to see what this has to do with the effectiveness of a roundball to down game with a proper hit.  If you blew the shot, as it appears you did, how is the roundball itself to blame?  FWIW, I believe you did blow the shot, which would have been very easy to do with the adrenaline that was pumping after the misfires.  Your problem was not with the roundball but with other factors.  Perhaps the nipple was not clear and fouled with oil.  Triple Seven has a a higher ignition temperature than blackpowder, or even Pyrodex, and I"ve heard others complain of ignition failures when using it with percussion caps.  Again, if you don't put the roundball into the heart/lungs of the deer, how can you condemn it?  Don't give up on roundballs.  I believe they are the most effective projectiles for deer inside of 100 yds.

I have 5 of the GM IBS barrels, in various calibers, in roundball twist and all of them are tackdrivers.  Personally, I would put a .58cal on your TC Hawkens for hunting purposes.  The .58 cal ball is devasting on game and the rifle would be lighter than with a .54 barrel.  If I were getting a second barrel, I would probably get the .50 cal.  It is still plenty for hunting deer with roundballs and when loaded light, is easy on the shoulder when punching paper.

[equinoxbuilders]

Thank you Harryo,

I like your thinking... .58 and .50.....
 :grin:
 I've taken a few deer with roundball, but I've never had a passthrough with them..  My father and I have found our .50 and .54 round ball just under the skin on the other side of the deer we've hit.  there has been a few.  he 80gr. and I 100gr. 3Fg  Although this is great performance with proper shot placement, it doesn't make for good trailing in bad situations.

hmmmmmmmm  I think a .58 with roundball twist and .50 with conical twist is in the future.

I set up my 2 person treestand this afternoon in the area I missed in the morning, and I'll be taking my daughter and .54 Ol Betsy with 100g 3Fg and 525g kieth nose conical in with me tomorrow morning.

[lostid]

hunting with my .54 cal Scout Pistol... I put the reddot on him just behind the shoulder centerbody, and pulled the trigger..SNAP. #11 cap went off, but no powder. ""Really hard to find spurts of blood in the Fall leaves."" OK, this morning I went back to this spot with Rem. 870 1-4 scope with 3" Lightfields. I called in a 200 lb. 8 pointer this morning, 10 minutes into the woods, and I missed an easy 40 yd shot with my scoped 870

 And then??? great story equi.builders guy,,i think I've read about 100 stories just like yours of, coulda/shoulda/ if only kinda things.
 So how can we at Greay Beards Traditional Black Powder Firearms help you?
 Beyond being OK at story telling. Do you have a question?

[Ramrod]

Red dot scopes on muzzleloading pistols? Ackk, this is a traditional forum. Missing deer at 25 YARDS? Don't blame it on the roundball, must be a technical malfunction! :-D  Missing a deer at 40 yards with a shotgun? Sorry, but I don't care if you are using roundballs or sabots, slugs or a .300 magnum, only alot more time in the woods will get you over that kind of buck fever.