T/C Greyhawk

[recurve59]

I have a new SS T/C Greyhawk 50 cal., 1/48 twist does anyone have any expirence with a good load for this? And also the sights are solid black can I can get some fiber optics to replace them? Where should I look. Thanks

[Semisane]

My brother-in-law has the same gun.  His shoots 385 Hornady Great Plains bullets over 90 grains Pyrodex RS real well - 2 1/2" 100 yard groups.

[rks1949]

I have a grey hawk in 54 cal. It likes 80grs 777/w/ RPB,and 70grs,777 w/ 300gr. Lee REAL bullet. Yes you can order the fiber optic sights from T/C. Ron   

[smokepolehall]

I have one in 50 cal. it like 3F & Pyro P from 60grs on up to 100grs. I use PRB's, PA. conical, maxi-balls, Real 320grs plus a few others!

[rks1949]

I took the Grey Hawk out to the range yesterday. I had cast some Lee "real" bullets for it,and wanted to see how they shot. At 50yds. the first shot cut the bullseye,on the right. I moved the rear sight,and the second shot was dead center. I was using 80grs. of T7. Now I started shooting,and the longer I shot it,the farther it would go to the left,so I would give the rear sight a couple of clicks to the right. I switched over to RPB and the same thing would happen. I've checked all the sights (front,and rear) and they are tight. I was shooting pretty fast,could the barrel have been too hot? This one has me stumped Any ideas are welcome. Ron

[smokepolehall]

Sounds like yer barrel got warm and started walking on you. May have a pressure point on the right side causing it to hit left as it gets hot.

[rks1949]

smokepolehall  You are prouably right! I tend to shoot very fast. I need a guideline on sighting in,as how long to wait between shots. Maybe 2-3 minutes between shots? Ron

[MONGO]

I love GBO, I just picked up a .50cal Grey Hawk today myself and have entered into the new world of Black powder. I came here first to check the threads, and .......well nuff said. So my question so far is the use of powder vs. pellet. Can you use pellets in this cap type firearm or is that for in lines only. I plan on just using ball ammo at first and work my way up. I'm sure I will have lots of questions as I grow.


Take care and let me have some opinions

[smokepolehall]

It takes me several min. too load from scratch, ain't in no hurry. I am thinking you have a pressure pt. causing it to string like that. Mongo, pellets take serious fire to ignite them. Very hot caps with lots of flame time. I personally have never tried it but have read on forums of others that did. They usually went with musket caps or converted nipple fer shotgun primers.

[MONGO]

Thanks smokepolehall, I do have one more question. Can I load this as a shot gun as well as a rifle/muzzle loader or because of possible fowling of the rifling I should avoid this?
May be a dumb question, but for now I just don't know the answer.


Thanks

Mongo

[smokepolehall]

 It will shoot the lead shot, but not good patterns because of the rifling.

[captchee]

 the shot may also lead your rifling  quickly  and thus reduce the accuracy  if you dont remove it before going back to  a solid projectile

[forest2]

Can I load this as a shot gun as well as a rifle/muzzle loader or because of possible fowling of the rifling I should avoid this?Mongo

Your right Mongo, you should maybe avoid that. Shot don't shoot well out of a rifle, and usually leeds too rifle shooters being disheartened with the accuracy of their rifle. Same kind of info was on another thread about modern stuff. Seem's some feller shoot's full lead slugs out of a rifled 20ga. Well he get's 2-3 shot ok.(so he say's) But lead fouling of the rifled bore will be a never ending battle for him for the best accuracy the rifle can give him, nuff said.

[slabsides]

Hey Guys...this is the first time I've visited the Traditional BP forum on GBO...and what do i find but a recent thread on my one-and-only T/C Grey Hawk rifle! I'v e been a rifle shooter and hunter for 50 years or more, but it was only a couple of years ago that I traded for my used but like new Grey Hawk. It has all the features that make sense to me as an occasional BP shooter: all stainless construction with its ease of cleaning being the most important! As an inexperienced BP shooter, I didn't expect much of my new acquisition. Boy was I surprised at how much enjoyment I got from shooting it. My gun is strictly a round ball shooter. I use swedged Speer .490's with T/C wonderlubed patches, and 70 grs equiv of Pyrodex, and get one-hole groups with the factory open sights at 25 yards, and 1-1/2" clusters at 50. This load shoots as comfortably as a .22, and doesn't mess up the gun. I'd never shoot lead bullets unpatched in a closed breech piece like this, as I hate scrubbing lead out of fouled bores.
I took the gun to a BP club nearby. Members are SERIOUS BP buckskinners. Handmade or custom $2000 rifles are seen on the line. I heard surly muttering when I won my first ever meat shoot with my "...crumby $200 Walmart rifle." (Actually, I traded a POS Russian surplus semi-auto and a few bucks for the 'Hawk at my local gun shop. I don't buy guns at Wal-Mart.)
Incidentally, I quieted the somewhat noisy synthetic stock by stuffing it with Dacron pillow filler from my wifes sewing room.
I clean with hot water and Murphy's Oil Soap, and leave a film of that T/C wonderlube in the bore for storage in readiness for the next session.
Nice to see how others are enjoying this model...best of the traditional and the modern, IMO. And waterproof, too.
Good shooting!

[slabsides]

OOOps...don't see how to edit posts here...but noticed that in my Grey Hawk post I got it wrong.
My ammo is the .490 round ball by Speer...not the .451 as I erroneously stated. Knew there
was SOMETHING wrong with my post, but it took until four pages of reading later to realize
what I'd said that was wrong. In any case, my patched round ball loads, Speer/T/C, shoot
really well in the GH rifle, and it's all the BP rifle I'll ever want. (I don't hunt with it...)

SHEESH......and it's only after posting THIS that I noticed the 'modify' button.
Dang, I've got to pay better attention!!!

[mcwoodduck]

I have one.   We are going back 15 years now but...  The instruction book that came with mine said to use 80 grains of black powder for a lead round ball.  I had Pyrodex RS and it said to use an 80% load to get the same performance as the black powder.  I loaded the powder measure to 64 grains by volume and seated my first round ball on the lubed patch.  I had a log on a stump with an orange dot on the log about 80 yards away.  I capped the rifle took careful aim and squeezed the trigger.  When the smoke cleared the log was nit there and resetting the log showed a hole in the orange dot.  The next loading produced the same results and I have not touched the sights since.  I have tried a few maxi slugs through it and it was close enough with the same 64 grain Pyrodex load that I left it alone.  When I am able to take it hunting I will work up the load for it by adding powder to get a velocity and hit at 100 yards I want.  But the round ball is leaving the barrel around 1800 FPS with the 180 grain round ball.  Similar to .44 mag out of a carbine.  Unless I go for something really big with the smoke pole I will most likely use the round ball load for deer.
I have learned that you do not need the lubed patches if you are just plinking or shooting in a shoot.  Put the patch on your tongue when you are measuring and loading the powder and the whole mess just slides in using your spit as the lube.  
Do you have the other items that make shooting easier like a powder measure and ball starter?  The first time I went I had a bear of a time just using the ram rod to seat the ball.  My roommate showed me a ball starter and holly cow does it help a lot.  Also if you have not done so throw out your wooden ram rod and replace it with fiberglass.  
Hope this was helpful.

[gooser]

mcwoodduck, personally I wouldn't throw out the wooden ram rod. Yes get a fiberglass one to use, but keep the wooden one. If nothing else you can use it to make a starter. I have seen people break the wooden rods and run it through their hand.          So fiberglass for sure.   

[mcwoodduck]

Gooser,
Mine is in the footlocker in the Garage with a whole slew of other items that were taaken off of factory guns and sit out there in case I deside to sell it.   Simply ment to not use it.  I need to not be so literal.
Why would you cut it up and make a ball starter when they are so cheap?

[slabsides]

It's been a while since we posted on this topic (last Dec.) and I just re-read it. Mention of a ball starter: I made one for myself out of some 3/8" doweling, and a chunk of antler. Short stub to start the ball, a 5" rod to seat it. The other end of the thing has a drilled hole to fit the ramrod, so that I can slide the PRB down with a good solid grip. I have the original black wooden ramrod, and bought a T/C metal one. Plus I made a range rod with a  hardwood T-handle out of a length of fiberglass rod. Wound that with vinyl tape to protect the bore from abrasion by fiberglass, and put on a threaded ferrule made of a .357 mag. case with the primer pocket drilled and tapped to fit the T/C jag-seater. An adjustable powder measure was another inexpensive accessory, although I mostly just use an old .45-70 case as a measure. I like the Wonderlube patches for the RB, something in me says: "Don't spit on your ammo!" I've used both CCI and Remington caps, both work well for me.
I still love my Grey Hawk...so easy to clean, no corrosion worries, and mine at least is scary accurate. I haven't hunted with it...almost did during our Maine BP season, but my arthritic bones wouldn't let me.
I've been giving some thought to painting my boring black Rynite stock...maybe in snow camo. Would be useful up here in the snowbelt for more months of the year than green-tan-brown all-purpose.
The Grey Hawk has kind of a sharp narrow trigger. Feels lighter and smoother if you press it near the end, but the point is uncomfortable. I cut a half-inch piece of neoprene tubing and slipped it on. Instant trigger shoe (more like a trigger sandal, really!)