# 43 years ago 12-25.



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Christmas morning I find a package under the tree. About 4 feet long 6 inches wide and 2 to 3 inches thick.
I do not know why it was wrapped in Christmas paper as I have been a custom to have many of them wrapped in birthday paper also since my birthday was not all that long passed.
My family is a rip and tear family do not save paper to use next year.
So I tear the paper off and see a yellow orangish color with white. Big TC letters on it.
dig deeper into the package to find a TC Hawkins rifle kit. MY first Muzzle loader rifle.

That kept me busy for about a month sanding, polishing, boneing to end up with a fine rifle.
Used that rifle for Michigans ML season for years but also was able to join in with the group my brother belonged to who shoot their ml's at least two days a week and some times more.
Can't even begin to guess how much powder I have burnt in the barrel of the Hawkins, how many balls I sat and cast with my brother for it.

My eyes are older than my teeth and started going bad at roughly age 50. I found I could not shoot the old Hawkins worth a hoot with those Buck horn sights.

I stopped in *Ye Old Black Powder Shop Alburn Mi.* to see about buying a new smoke pole I could put a scope on. Ended up with a TC plains rifle. The owner brought out about a dozen rifles for me to choose the one that would go home with me.
Boy that sure was a great place to just brows in too. Saddly we lost the place in the late 1990's
A TC quick release scope mount, a $5.00 yard sale Weaver K4 fit the bill, I was shooting a smoke pole accrite again.

My brother took his TC hawkin factory assembled to a smith and had it drilled and taped for a scope when his eyes went south.
A nice July day 2002 or 2003 He and I were shooting at a range near his home with some other guys he knew. One asked about my plains rifle as you just don't see or hear of them.
I told about the Plains rifle and mentioned my eye sight is why I wasn't shooting my Hawkins.

Figured that was the end of that till one day a package came to my home from Jolly Old England.
I do not know any one from Jolly Old England so was baffled, open the package and there is a original package TC tang mount Peep site.

Kind of funny the guy I had talked to at the range had gotten a Email from his brother asking if he knew any one that could use the Peep Site. He contacted my brother for my address.
I can now again shoot the Hawkins and be accrete, thanks to that peep sight.I had planed on taking it out Christmas day as birthday shoot I did not feel good and still don't today burt did feel better. Plus the weather was a lot warmer.

The weather was and has been great for late December and now January.

 Al


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

So here it is at the table I am useing till I get around and build a new booger portable shooting bench.

















I have two of these boxes I got for sending in Proof of purchase from 2 cases of vavlione oil.
One is for my side lock 50 cals. the other is for my 54 cal inline. I have a seprate box I use for my 50 cal inline.










The last of my real black I used today. But these Side lock along with my Plains rifle will shoot Triple as well just fine.










I am going away from Round balls as I don't have a mold and am out right now. So I am useing TC Maxi balls. Thinking awful strong to useing them in all my 50 cal rifles.










I swab the bores with these. But today I didn't swab the bore.I attemped to after the first shot but lost the it in the barrel. thought I had a patch jag but coudn't find it in any of my shooting boxes. I removed the nipple added a bit of powder then shot it out.










I didn't take the time to put up paper so was just shooting a small bit of 2x6 I had painted a black circle on. 
Was hitting it every time at 50 yards.
I do need to get a lot better with the set trigger how ever to tighten up groups.

 Al


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

the best patch worm I have found is a Track of the wolf ball puller , it has a good sharp screw and good geometry send it down thee barrel about 3 turns and pull the patch back out speared on the screw.

bonus it is 2 tools in 1


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Great story. I love gun love stories. I hope you have a good time sighting in that rifle.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I know I have one of these some place.








Will look where I keep my 45 cleaning kit, thought I had a straight nipple puller too.











 Al


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

alleyyooper said:


> I know I have one of these some place.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have a few of those , the screw on the track of the wolf ball puller works better

part of it may that most of the guns have a patent breach so the screw does a better jb of trapping the patch at the breach. and it is sharper than the little wires 

there is another style of patch worm that looks like a cork screw that I figured would also work but with the ball puller serving both purposes well I didn't bother looking for one


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I have a screw type ball puller never cared to try to pull balls just use a bit of powder under the nipple or a co2 charge to blow it out.

 Al


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

some how teen boys next to teen girls on a firing line produces patched round balls in the bottom of the barrel sans powder.

move them to opposite ends of the firing line and it gets better.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Have never dry balled a ball in the hawkins of plains rifle.
Just lost swab patches.

 Al


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