T/C Cleland rifle

[Rockingkj]

Does anybody own a T/C Cleland match rifle? .40 cal muzzle loader. Rarely have seen one for sale and am curious as to how well it shoots.

[Rockingkj]

Found one on guns international tagged as a Cleland but I’m thinking it’s T/C with a .40 Green Mountain drop in barrel. Anyone else look at it? Opinions?

[Jedman]

The guy who made the rifle is Chad Cleland, he still works as a gunsmith at Clelands Outdoor World in Swanton, OH. He was a successful muzzleloader shooter for many years, maybe still ? I use to live only a couple miles from their family store. I has new Owners but they kept the Cleland name from from his parents that started it back in the 1960’s.
As far as what brand of barrel he used on the rifle you are looking at ? I bought several of the factory take off barrels that he replaced and made 50-70 single shots with them.
If you wanted to know more about it you could call the business and possibly talk to Chad if you can catch him when he is a work there. All I know is he built round ball muzzleloaders for offhand shooting.

Correction, After reading the next post I realized I put in Matt Cleland name when it was Chad who built and shot the muzzleloaders. I use to shoot archery with his brother Matt many years ago and his name was stuck in my memory.

Jedman

[JRD]

I don't own one and can't answer your question, but because your post seems kind of lonely, I'll at least say that I know what you are talking about. They were roll stamped in block outlined letters as "CLELAND MATCH RIFLE" on the top flat behind the rear sight. A friend who used to work for T/C says the Cleland rifle was more of a promotional item and they probably only built 200 of them.
Somewhat related, Marnie McCausland was a friend before she died of cancer 20 years ago. She was a sponsored T/C shooter back at the same time as Chad Cleland and won multiple women's muzzleloading championships.

[Rockingkj]

I don't own one and can't answer your question, but because your post seems kind of lonely, I'll at least say that I know what you are talking about. They were roll stamped in block outlined letters as "CLELAND MATCH RIFLE" on the top flat behind the rear sight. A friend who used to work for T/C says the Cleland rifle was more of a promotional item and they probably only built 200 of them.
Somewhat related, Marnie McCausland was a friend before she died of cancer 20 years ago. She was a sponsored T/C shooter back at the same time as Chad Cleland and won multiple women's muzzleloading championships.

Thanks for the info. Explains why that rifle is seldom seen. The one on gun broker only has a .40 Green Mountain barrel and not the markings associated with Cleland Match Rifle. Seller is insisting it’s a T/C Cleland. I’m having my doubts

[Rockingkj]

The guy who made the rifle is Matt Cleland, he still works as a gunsmith at Clelands Outdoor World in Swanton, OH. He was a successful muzzleloader shooter for many years, maybe still ? I use to live only a couple miles from their family store. I has new Owners but they kept the Cleland name from from his parents that started it back in the 1960’s.
As far as what brand of barrel he used on the rifle you are looking at ? I bought several of the factory take off barrels that he replaced and made 50-70 single shots with them.
If you wanted to know more about it you could call the business and possibly talk to Matt if you can catch him when he is a work there. All I know is he built round ball muzzleloaders for offhand shooting.

Jedman

Sounds like Matt Cleland makes a fine rifle. But the Cleland Match Rifle I was asking about was made by Thompson Center.

[1Hawkeye]

The wood looks to plain too be a t/c Cleland and it's kind of odd that the seller doesn't show the t/c barrel marking if there are any. Cleland hawken rifles had wood that was top grade with a lot of burl in it and the best way to describe the bluing is black chrome cause they were very highly polished. Green mtn was a contractor for t/c's barrels but they didn't put their logo on them just a production code on the bottom side.

[Rockingkj]

Thanks. That’s my opinion but when I emailed the seller he was quite adamant he knew his stuff and the rifle was put together for/by a T/C employee. There was special marking on the barrel, special rear sight and “Chad Cleland” engraved on the patch box absent from that rifle. The seller has a good rep but I think description is incorrect. I would be very interested in owning a T/C Cleland but thinking a pass on the one offered on guns international.

[1Hawkeye]

Good choice, its definetly a misrepresented parts gun as for the rear sight thats the one T/C use to use on the renegade model.