Came across a Greyhawk yesterday...

[newton]

Well, I came across a TC Greyhawk yesterday. Heard some about them, but simply like the idea of having a stainless sidelock. I also wanted to fill the niche in my collection with a .50 1:48 twist.

Anyone have one and can comment on loads and such? I am planning on just plinking some roundballs with it for now. Seeing how I do not have my custom built yet, I am also planning on taking it to a muzzle loader shoot they have each year not far from me. They only allow sidelock/flintlock(except in one category) and only round balls. They also restrict the sights used which nulls out the other sidelocks I have.

Seems that when I get a gun I cannot leave it alone and have to tinker with it. So I am needing some good roundball loads to shoot this 'tournament' with. I think that I'll be shooting 25, 50, 75, and 100 yard targets. My plan is to start with just a small 50 grain load as they are all paper targets, but I am curious if the trajectory is going to be so outragious that adjusting the rear stock TC sight will be out of the question.

Any input?

[10 ga]

Should be a nice shooter. I have 1 .50 cal with a 48 twist hammer gun. It shoots PRB just fine. 50 gr. of FFF is an accurate load. Easy to shoot and load. For 100yd. w/o changing sights or hold you have to go pretty hot loads. 85-90 grains and 0 poa at 100 and then be good at the shorter ranges. The 50 gr. load be good out to 50 yd. but drop at 75 and more at 100. With practice you can use the 50 gr. load and just hold over at 75 and 100. Didn't take long for me to be able to bust clay birds 8/10 out to 100 yd. shooting the 50 gr. load and shooting offhand, with a rest 10/10. Practice, practice, practice! I use the .490 RB and pillow tick patch and beeswax/deer tallow/grape oil cakes for lube. I did retrofit all my hammerguns with "Spitfire" musket nipples and there are no problems with ignition. The Spitfire nipples are available from most retailers that have ML gear.

[newton]

Interestingly enough it has a musket nipple on it. I know that they were not made that way, so I am sure that someone retrofitted it.

[skullmount]

Guy acroos the road from me has a musket nipple on his too. Could not get it to go off reliably with the #11 and the subs. Use black if you want to go back to the #11

[johnson1942]

newton. if you hunt with it try a mmp sabot made for a .451 or .452 .45 pistol bullet. i just sent track of the wolf a thompson 1/48 twist barrel, as it was an extra, to sell. i did sight it in at 100 yards with 100 grains of 2f black, a mmp sabot and a 250 grain flat nose .452 pistol bullet. 1 inch groups at 100 yards. it shot round balls ok but dont go over 70 grains. that sabot load is a accurate deer and antelope getter. when you start your new gun project keep us all posted.

[shane438]

I shoot 75 gr of ffg (only black powder). No ignition problems. I cast my own .490 rb and patch with anything thats snug enough. I have killed many deer with it.

[newton]

Yea, this was just one of those deals that you don't pass up when it comes along. It was really only meant for light target shooting, specifically for the traditional shoot coming up. They are strict about the rules and I want to play.

The new build wont fit in there shoots except for the one that is unlimited. It will be my hunting gun. After seeing what a BIG slow moving boolit does it's hard to go to anything lighter.

[quilbilly]

I have had my Grey Hawk for well over a decade and it has taken many deer and a couple elk. It is my gun for the "monsoon season" which is our late deer/elk muzzleloader season starting around Thanksgiving when if it isn't raining, it is sleeting. The only problem with it is that it had a terrible trigger. Should have had the factory fix it but got used to it instead. I use 78 gr of Goex FFF and PRB for both deer and elk.

[OverMax]

Like quilbilly said. Single trigger is the only draw back (when left in its original condition.) I have a w/mtn carbine in 54 here that's been shot at best maybe 3 or 4 times in 25 years. With its single trigger (if there all the same) I find it amazing how anyone could get use to them. Anyhow. No powder/shooting recipe I can offer you Sir. I don't shoot a 50 cal. But for the activity your intending.(wanting little or no sight adjustment) I would think you would have to know and be able to shoot your rifle using that term called: Kentucky windage. To have those skills. That calls for a lot of experimenting. Any how good luck with that Grey Hawk

[subiker]

I was just shooting my grey hawk this past weekend. Somewhat new to muzzleloading but was doing fine at 100yds. I was shooting 90 gr pyrodex, hornady ball with a lube patch, using #11 caps at about a 6 inch group. This was a bench rest shoot but pretty good as i dont consistentaly shoot rifles. The guy i bought my grey hawk from supposibly won a shoot using this rifle. At 50 yds i was shooting 70gr and had no problems putting up 2 inch groups.

[newton]

Good info guys. Thanks.

[quilbilly]

Overmax; I also have a White Mtn Carbine and its trigger is worse than the Greyhawk but once I got used to it, that rifle is so accurate out to 250 yards I named it "Sweet-Thing". Sweet-Thing shoots better than I do.

[majg1234]

I've got 3 GH in all.2 50 cal and one 54 The 50's like 80gr goex ffg with a hand cast 490 ball patched with 018 ticking and a felt wad over the powder.One of these has killed over 15 whitetail.the other load they seem to like is a hand cast MAXIHUNTER with 90gr RS pyrodex.....a real whitetail slapper

[speedball]

i also have a greyhawk 50 cal im one of those that likes the modern and classic style muzzy's, my hawk is a converted 209 primer and has the t/c scope mount and 3x9 swift scope on top, this is a fifty yard pioneering range event that my 19 year old daughter shot most of this group, 90 grains 777 with a 348 powerbelt, not bad but im gonna tweek it, any ideas here guys or just leave it?, i was thinking going up or down 5 or ten grains to tighten the group??88350

[speedball]

here she is, i love mine!!88352

[Lefty Red]

I had a TreeHawk and it was a shooter!

[speedball]

excess, what sabots in 240-70? were good for your .50

[speedball]

ok well since im kinda new to muzzleloading im gonna try the hornady prb 350 grn next, i know most guys who are in the know dont like the powerbelts but since we got the 348 to shoot like that in the photo its not too bad, i heard the PRB is a better choice? (hard to load)?

[speedball]

duh my mistake i meant the hornady FPB 350 grain sorry[smilie=b:

[speedball]

excess, maybe in the future i will "cast" my own, for right now though yes its a money thing although im positive its cheaper for you to make them i dont have any molds or the know how to do it correctly, i have 2 boxes of great plains 385's that i began to shoot when i first mounted the scope, and they seemed all over at best, i still swab with a 777 solution clothe and swab twice with a dry one every shot, ive just seen the hornady fpb after and animal and it looks like it held together exceptionally well, thank you very much for your input about this rifle i want to learn all i can its a beautiful gun and it will make a great family treasure, Rick..........

[speedball]

wierd how they went 1in48 for this gun and the New Englander, why not 1-20"? its supposed to be a middle of the road twist or something?

[speedball]

thanks excess, ive found that as little as 5 grains up or down can help produce better groups does that hold true for your greyhawks as well?

[bucks/trucks]

Hi Speedball,
How did you convert the Greyhawk to 209 primer very interested!
Thanks!

[speedball]

88544 its a conversion nipple from Warren Outdoor products right up the road from me, just take out the #11 nipple and put in the base nipple with a allen wrench using anti-sieze in the barrel, then you drop in the 209 primer and screw in the cap which in turn raises the case hardened rod that gets struck when hammer falls onto it. you can find them on the net.

[bucks/trucks]

That is perfect! I have heard that if I use just #11 caps with 777 it can be a problem with ignition. I have used it and it seems to work but have you tried the pellets? Don't think they would work but might be able to using the 209 primers. I will order that today Thanks Speedball!

[speedball]

bucks/trucks, i would "not" use 50 grain pre-formed powder, it might still not burn correctly, even though the 209 primer is considerably hotter then the #11 cap, you have to remember the ignition is kinda sideways into the barrel. i would if i were you (which i am not), just measure loose 777, and really enjoy the benefit of the "no hesitation" 209 primer. Plus the cap system makes it really water resistant as well!

[bucks/trucks]

Hi Excess,
I decided to go with either the hot shot nipple or musket nipple. I hear what you are saying in 777 and I use pyrodex as well with no issues. I want to try the musket nipple with the 777
like you said they are much hotter. I never use the pellets only in my Omega.
Thanks Guys!

[Kylongrifle]

Musket nipples work well..

[bucks/trucks]

Went to the club yesterday and just wanted to shoot the greyhawk. Used old reliable pyrodex rs with #11 caps. All worked well as usual and got a nice group used saboted hornady 250 grain
bullets think I will stick with that until I mess with the musket caps or 209 conversion a bit more.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

99% of ignition problems at the range are a dirty, plugged or oily ,flash channel or plugged nipple


loose 3fg 777 with a clean clear dry flash channel should have no hesitation with #11 or #11 mag

oil in the flash channel is one of the biggest problems

so you cleaned your gun and flushed it well then oiled it up to protect it , then set it in the safe muzzle up and any extra oil ran down into your flash channel , a few caps fired before loading will help to push that oil out of the flash channel , storing them muzzle down may also help , but a few caps fired is still a good idea it drys and purges the flash channel before you pour powder down the barrel that would get contaminated with the oil and fail to ignite or even if it does ignite it forms a hard fouling restricting the flash channel , I suspect this is the culprit when you are able to fire the first shot fine then have ignition issues.

the procedure we teach the kids it when removing the gun form its case to place the ram rod in the barrel , all the ram rods are cut to the length of the barrel , so they are sure no charge was left in the gun

then they run a clean patch to remove oil left int he barrel , this helps push air thru the flash channel also clearing oil from it . then fire 2 caps (down range) , then find a blade of grass just in front of the shooting lane and place the muzzle to it pop a third cap you should see the blade of grass move from the gasses expelled down the barrel from the cap. then run a very lightly moistened patch then load powder , patched ball , take to the firing line and cap , fire when ready. those steps make a #11 work fine without delay we usually then fire 80-100 rounds per gun and kid with consistent ignition all day

If we can make this work for a bunch of kids on Wisconsin April days , we always seem to have delightful weather always damp but sometimes with mixed snow or an all day drizzle and usually about 35-40 degrees , it should work for you

I prefer to use real black , and have found a good source of it for out 4H program at 1/2 the cost of 777 but we have been using up what we have left for 777

[marquette]

I am shooting a Tree Hawk using Alliant Black MZ powder with #11 caps and getting as good of ignition as Goex FFF. I started with Goex but it fouled the 1:20 barrel so fast loading was a problem MZ burns cleaner and marginally hotter so fouling is not a problem.
For any one interested about 10 days ago I saw a flintlock PA Hunter in the bargain area of Cabelas in Rogers, Mn for a pretty reasonable price. I think the PA Hunter is basically the Greyhawk in flint version.

[quilbilly]

Just finished out my tag with the Greyhawk today using PRB, of course. It was an old, old buck that was now just a spike with grey muzzle, worn teeth, skin problems, blind in one eye, and chasing two young does he couldn't catch. Except for the blind in one eye, we would be twins.
Dropped like a stone, never took another step. He was undoubtedly the fattest blackmail I have seen in years and a good physical specimen in spite his age (also like me). At 50 yards the ball went through and on to the next county.