Re-barrel TC Hawken

[bigted]

Hello all. Just received my new kit from Track O The Wolf containing a finished 15/16ths 1 in 66 inch twist rate in 54 cal Green Mountain barrel. Has the under rib, sights and barrel end plug with the bolster. The wedge thimble and ram rod thimbles included . Blued a hunter blue that is not shiny.

I have not cleaned it yet. Just loosely installed in the stock. Fit is surprisingly good. Not much to do which I had heard is not the norm.

Really makes my rifle look more and more like a historic rifle. It looks more n more like some pictures of historic and genuine S Hawkins rifles with single wedges and 32 thru 36 inch barrels. If this shoots as good as it looks I may have to attack the cosmetics and color choices. Maybe a different trigger guard.

Can we have a discussion on the quality and shootability as well as bore smoothness as well as ideas on possible things to do for best accuracy.

I have desired one of these kits since they came out.

[koger]

I must confess, I am prejudiced when it comes to Green Mtn barrels. I love them, have 12 of them on assorted rifles, several on TC Hawkens and Renegades. I have never had any issue with them fitting, and they all shoot like a house afire, every one of them. I have shot my way to 31 medals at NMLRA events with GM barrels, and placed very well in an international match or two. I have also done well at local matches, Bluegrass state games as well. I have never had to break one in per se, and one reason, is that GM stress releives the steel between each process during the barrels being made. The .54 you have, I have the same one on a Hawken, that shoots small groups with 60grs 2FFg, PRB at 25 and 50 yds, and for hunting it likes 100-105 grains with a PRB, shooting about 1 inch or so higher, and knocks the thunder out of whitetails here in KY. The stock and other furniture had seen a rough life but I bought it back to life with hand rubbed oil finish. Also, I have glass bedded every one of the factory TC stocks, and every one of them, shot some better overall. I heartily recommend that. In 36+ years of gunsmithing, I have never glass bedded a wooden stock rifle, of any type, that did not shoot better afterwards, and that numbers a little over 200. I currently have them in the following caliber,.32 .36, .40, .45, .50, .54 and a .50 LRH. I have had several custom barrels on my ML's over the years, about every one made in the USA during the last 40 years, and I have never had another barrel that would outshoot them, and had very few that would shoot with them. I have one with over 10,000 rounds thru it, still bright and shiny, and shoots better than ever. When I shot competition regularly, I would put between 2000-4000 rounds a year downrange with ML's, shooting my target guns in practice and competition, hunting rifles and other folks rifles I worked on. Well I will stop rambling on but I don't think you can go wrong with the barrel you bought.

[bigted]

Thanks for that. Gotta get the factory crud cleaned off it and then hope to smoke it up.

[koger]

I also use the Dutch Shultz method of patching, and swab between each shot with one or two damp patches.

[hylander]

The GM barrels are great.
However, make sure you clean it good before shooting.
They leave a lot of crud in the breech.
Looks like lapping compound.

[KCSO]

The rifle will now shoot better than most folks can hold. Make sure the hooked breech is tight, I want it to spring down a little when I push it into the stock. Back before Track put out the conversions I rebarreled several T/C with Green Mountain barrels and traditional sights.

[scattershot]

I got one of those years ago (like 30 or so) and it dropped right in and shoots like a dream. As far as best accuracy goes, just shoot it. likely it will shoot better than you do right out of the box.

[bigted]

Really lookin forward to smokin it up. Have 99 percent of the breech cleaned but still need to do some more scrubbin in that breech. Kinda wish I had the breech plug out for a good scrubbin and use some sand paper to make a mirror polish in there.

On My smoothie 62 I polished the breech plug and cleanup is a snap even after shooting almost a pound of 2F thru it.