Thompson carbine muzzle loader

bassassassin007

Hello all,

I am buying my first muzzle loader and have decided to go with a Thompson pro hunter. I am torn between the 20 inch carbine and the longer barrel version. I have a concern that the shorter barreled gun will not give me the range I am looking for, about 125 yards. The salesman told me the effectice range with the shorter barrel was 150 yards. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks, Dave

allen griggs

The salesman is right. No problem with 120 yard shots with a 20 inch barrel.

derfhunter

Hi; Dave,

I have a 20" barrel on a Remington 700 ml and using 100 gr. of pyrodex powder and the hornady XTP 245 grain bullets and the harvester sabots it will shoot right with the same gun with a 24" barrel and the same loads out to 125 yards. I haven,t tried it out any farther than 125 at a range , but I feel it will do fine at 150 - 175 yards. It will hold a 3" group at 100 yards.

Fred

oldgunner

Shorter one will be fine, Bass. Unless you just like carrying extra weight.

HandgunHTR52

I agree with everything that has been said so far and will add this. If you plan on shooting more than 100 grains of powder then you should opt for the longer barrel. In the 20" barrel the increased powder charge will be wasted.

mongrel1776

My only objection to shorter barrels is muzzle blast and recoil. If neither particularly bother you, the accuracy potential is there.

My featherweight deer rifle is a 10 1/2 pound flintlock with a 43" barrel. I will admit that humping this thing around all day will cause you to realize, in a hurry, why our pioneer ancestors wore out and died at 40-50 years old.

You guys are operating in a different century than I am [:D]. Bet you wear gore-tex an' ins'lated boots an' all that newfangled fooferaw. Use them nipple-huggin' cap-thangs, too.

What's the world comin' to?

andersk

Man, if you are planning on shooting that far, why not get the longer barrel? Then you are all set for 150 grain loads, too. What's a little extra wight anyway ... if you are shooting that far it is not a brush gun that you want. The Thompson/Center pro hunter is a great choice. I wish I could use it here in MA. I had to go with the T/C Omega 50 and have no regrets, except that it is in SS & camo, and it does not look like a gun!