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Broke out the old smoke pole

Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 09:33 PM

I haven't shot a deer with this gun since 1985, so I thought it was about time to give her some exercise. I bought this gun back in 1972, and shot it a lot back in those days. I even used it on prairie dogs. It's a T/C Hawken 50 cal and use to be very accurate, probably still is more than I am. I shot it in a metalic silhouette league, as well as used it for hunting. I have found some pyrodex and some maxi-balls, but am still on the hunt for some #11 percussion caps.

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Nessmuck

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 09:40 PM

Caps.....lure trade...lol

ill look..I might have some in the bottom of my shooting box
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 09:41 PM

Originally Posted by Nessmuck
Caps.....lure trade...lol


I'm game.
Posted By: 330-Trapper

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 09:46 PM

Nice Hawken
Posted By: Nessmuck

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 09:52 PM

When I get home from work ..I'll look.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 10:12 PM

https://www.selwayarmory.com/cci-no-11-percussion-caps-box-of-100.html

better jump fast
Posted By: DaveP

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by danny clifton



Add in the crazy high shipping and Hazmat fee, and those are some expensive caps!
Posted By: BvrRetriever

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 10:27 PM

If Nessy can’t help you out, I’ve got a some I no longer need. Tin looks to be mostly full so probably just short of 100.
Posted By: k snow

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 10:27 PM

Good luck finding caps. Rare and expensive right now.

Nice looking muzzleloader. Those TC's were good shooting guns.
Posted By: Nessmuck

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 10:30 PM

Originally Posted by BvrRetriever
If Nessy can’t help you out, I’ve got a some I no longer need. Tin looks to be mostly full so probably just short of 100.


You can take ovah...and help out the boss man.
Posted By: 160user

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 11:01 PM

Paul if the others can't help you out I believe I have a roll of 1,000. You would be set for life. Let me know and I could get them headed your way tomorrow.
Posted By: danny clifton

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 11:05 PM

You need a hazmat contract to ship caps
Posted By: Jtrapper

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 11:12 PM

You wear your coonskin hat too when you hunt with that?
Posted By: DaveP

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Jtrapper
You wear your coonskin hat too when you hunt with that?



Possum loincloth...
Posted By: Hanger

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/02/22 11:32 PM

Just give me an address and I’ll ship you a new pack of #11.
Posted By: Moosetrot

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 12:38 AM

That gun is old enough it may have a barrel made by the Sharon Barrel Co. I have one I bought in '76 and it has a Sharon Barrel. I can't even remember all the stuff I won shooting that thing in competition.

When you take the barrel off the stock, take a look at the bottom flat, between the barrel wedge lug and the lock. Sharon Barrels are stamped with a "spade" (like in cards) shape. If so that's one of the best barrels ever made.

Moosetrot
Posted By: John-Chagnon

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 12:52 AM

nice
Posted By: 160user

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 12:56 AM

Originally Posted by Moosetrot
That gun is old enough it may have a barrel made by the Sharon Barrel Co. I have one I bought in '76 and it has a Sharon Barrel. I can't even remember all the stuff I won shooting that thing in competition.

When you take the barrel off the stock, take a look at the bottom flat, between the barrel wedge lug and the lock. Sharon Barrels are stamped with a "spade" (like in cards) shape. If so that's one of the best barrels ever made.

Moosetrot


I have a couple of them sitting in the "cull pile" to get rid of and I will have to look and see if they are marked that way. Thanks!
Posted By: charles

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 01:04 AM

I bought a TC Renegade in 50 cal in the 80's. Killed several deer with it. Moved to the beach and sold it for $50 at a yard sale. Sort of wish I still had it. A lot of fun if your eyes are still good.
Posted By: Yukon John

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 01:07 AM

I thought this was going in a WAY different direction! Lol
Posted By: Hawkin

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 01:10 AM

Love the old T/C’s. Shot my very first buck ever with a T/C New Englander. Got a 12 gauge barrel with it too. My daughter shot a nice gobbler with it. Just bought her a nice .45 Seneca from the T/C custom shop for deer hunting this year. Got a great deal on it
Posted By: Jurassic Park

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 01:49 AM

That’s cool! I hope you shoot a deer again with it!
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 02:11 AM

Originally Posted by Moosetrot
That gun is old enough it may have a barrel made by the Sharon Barrel Co. I have one I bought in '76 and it has a Sharon Barrel. I can't even remember all the stuff I won shooting that thing in competition.

When you take the barrel off the stock, take a look at the bottom flat, between the barrel wedge lug and the lock. Sharon Barrels are stamped with a "spade" (like in cards) shape. If so that's one of the best barrels ever made.

Moosetrot


No, mine has a maltese cross. Apparently, it is a Douglas barrel. The serial number is 61891. I also have another newer barrel for it, and the serial number on it is 159037. That second barrel has a diamond stamped on it.
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 02:57 AM

I found this on one of the forums. It appears the second barrel is a Sharon. I also found that Sharon didn't start making black powder barrels until 1973. Since I purchased mine in 1972, it stands to reason it wouldn't be a Sharon barrel.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?320400-Pre-Warning-TC-Renegade

"A diamond or a spade stamped in the underside of the barrel indicates Sharon. Sharon provided T/Cs barrels until the late 70's. Douglas Stamped a cross in the under side of the barrel. They supplied their barrels till the early 80s."
Posted By: Trapper Dahlgren

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 10:38 AM

good luck paul and keep us posted on your hunt
Posted By: Gator Foot

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 11:30 AM

That’s a fine rifle!! With all these muzzle loading rifles , everyone is showing. Y’all are giving me the fever bad!
Posted By: Wright Brothers

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 11:56 AM

Always interesting about barrel stamps.
I have same one about same year.
But it is flint (Pa deer hunting law at the time),
and has K in front of SN, kit I assume.
Soon to be wife bought it for me and
I shot a buck fawn with it before blued.

I told of this 20 +- years ago on here and got a much different review.
Shows the accuracy of web reviews.
Have had a lot of fun with it.
I'd load it without charge and ball, just prime the frizzen, hand it to a "pro",
and watch him flinch lol.

TLC from here was the authority on black powder guns in my eyes.
Posted By: Lufkin Trapper

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Paul Dobbins
I haven't shot a deer with this gun since 1985, so I thought it was about time to give her some exercise. I bought this gun back in 1972, and shot it a lot back in those days. I even used it on prairie dogs. It's a T/C Hawken 50 cal and use to be very accurate, probably still is more than I am. I shot it in a metalic silhouette league, as well as used it for hunting. I have found some pyrodex and some maxi-balls, but am still on the hunt for some #11 percussion caps.

[Linked Image]

How long does it have to charge before it's ready to go?
Posted By: Tom cat

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 04:40 PM

A dang nice looking hawkin you've got there Mr. Paul!! If you were needing 209s I could help you out.
Posted By: boncoon

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 06:54 PM

I have that exact same gun. Killed a spike buck 2 weeks ago today, in my yard. 240 grain hp sabot, he went down and stayed down. I have very few caps left didn't know they were hard to come by or I would have been looking earlier.
Posted By: bhugo

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 08:49 PM

Nice looking muzzleloader. Did it get more precise the more you shot it? My old Thompson Center Hawken .45 sure did.
Posted By: trapperkeck

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 09:10 PM

I stumbled across #11 percussion caps today at our local Fleet Farm. They were like $12/100, which seemed stupidly expensive to me.
Posted By: Nessmuck

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by Lufkin Trapper
Originally Posted by Paul Dobbins
I haven't shot a deer with this gun since 1985, so I thought it was about time to give her some exercise. I bought this gun back in 1972, and shot it a lot back in those days. I even used it on prairie dogs. It's a T/C Hawken 50 cal and use to be very accurate, probably still is more than I am. I shot it in a metalic silhouette league, as well as used it for hunting. I have found some pyrodex and some maxi-balls, but am still on the hunt for some #11 percussion caps.

[Linked Image]

How long does it have to charge before it's ready to go?


No that right there..is funny !
Posted By: Paul Dobbins

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by bhugo
Nice looking muzzleloader. Did it get more precise the more you shot it? My old Thompson Center Hawken .45 sure did.


It was amazingly accurate right out of the box.
Posted By: k snow

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by trapperkeck
I stumbled across #11 percussion caps today at our local Fleet Farm. They were like $12/100, which seemed stupidly expensive to me.


Welcome to the new price of caps.
Posted By: Animals Only

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 10:31 PM

Gees Paul by the title i thought you were going medical. Never heard it called a smoke pole.
Posted By: Canvasback2

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 11:33 PM

Cabelas has them. $14.99 for 100 , but they charge $22.00 for hazardous shipping fee
Posted By: Feedinggrounds

Re: Broke out the old smoke pole - 11/03/22 11:58 PM

Paul, I have a 1972 Hawken also, belonged to My older brother. I was a kid tagging along with him when he bought it. Inspired by the movie Jerimiah Johnson that showed in 1972. Pretty sure I started out trapping muskrats and snaring rabbits that same year.
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