T/C thunderhawk

Hey I just got a used T/C thunderhawk 54 cal with a stainless barrel. got it from my inlaw for $75. Need to get powder and ammo for it and figure out what caps I need.

From what I have read you should use a #11 musket cap or a 209 primer, but Ihink you should still look around.

my Father-in-law said he thought it was a 12 but he hadnt shot the gun in years. he likes traditional muzzleloaders thats why I got a good deal on this one. So I am thinking 11's.
I have been looking at ammo on Cabelas and midway. thinking of trying this ammo first;
Barnes Muzzleloader MZ™ Sabots
. 54 cal 325 Gr. Expander MZ
I guess I can use loose powder but I think im going to get the pellets instead for now.
I checked the barrel and it looks great. Got my tags for deer and elk muzzleloader and have a couple friends willing to let me tag along this year. Hope I have some great experiences.
Been out the last couple years trying to hunt modern firearm and its just silly. To many people dumping out of thier trucks with empty beer cans flowing out the door. Ive actually seen that more than once. not funny.
So i think I will learn the same lessons and tactics with a muzzleloader and the game will not be so spooked which will give me a better chance at harvesting some meat. My wife makes a venison stew I could eat for months before it got old.

You ought to be able to get the manual in a pdf file from T/C. I can't remember if the Thunderhawk uses shotgun primers, regular caps, or musket caps. If it has a nipple, measure it. If it has a hole, it uses 209 primers. If you have a choice, try both and see which gives better accuracy and which lets you replace with a fresh one faster. I have been shooting a .54 Renegade for 30 years, which I upgraded from #11 to musket caps several years ago. I shoot prb's, maxiballs, and sabots in it. The most accurate and best performing sabot loads use my own .44 or .45 soft lead cast bullets with the appropriate sabots. There is no need to go out and spend big money for fancy bullets - when you drill a .54 hole through the boiler room of anything up to and including an elephant, it is going down. "Needing" a fancy copper HP bullet at up to $3 a shot is a lot of fertilizer. With the sabot/bullet, the hole is a bit smaller, but still quite effective. None of the deer in the freezer have made any comments. If you cannot get loose .54 sabots (not an easy mission these days), I have a good stash of a couple of different kinds and will sell you some with or without bullets. PM me if interested and we'll work something out.

Loose Pyrodex RS will let you tune the load with the most accurate charge. Pellets may or may not give you optimum accuracy, but they are convenient in the field. I don't think that makes much difference, though. You don't have time for a second shot with a M/L. It is nice to reload just in case you need a coup de gras, but the fraction of a second longer it takes to load the loose powder is negligible in the field. My caplock doesn't allow the use of pellets, but I don't notice they give my inline toting friends any edge in the field, and I get noticably better accuracy. You carry either pellets or loose powder in the same kind of tube to pour into the muzzle when you're in the field. IME, more time can be saved by getting the right capping tool for whatever kind of primer/cap you need. And yes, T/C makes and sells one for musket caps, too - that's what I use on mine.

Thanx again!! Do you need to use a patch with loose powder and a sabot? I was thinking of getting pellets for ease of use to get started but its sounds like it will be better to get loose powder. I've still got some time to get used to the gun and learn to load and shoot it so I can spend that time learning what works best.
I tried downlaoding the .pdf for my M/L but it kept screwing up. so I emailed them.
The bullets I listed are $30 for a box of 24 so after powder and primers it must get close to the $3 a shot you mentioned. ouch. I'm assuming this gun will deal out a heck of a wallop for and aft.
I'll keep looking and get back to you.

No, you only need a patch with a rb. The sabot functions the same way: the soft plastic is engraved by the rifling when rammed home. A MaxiBall, MaxiHunter, or REAL needs no patch either as the driving bands of the bullet are engraved upon loading also.

The loose powder will be more economical to use, and with a little experimenting, you may find more than one "sweet spot" where your groups tighten up. (It has to do with barrel resonance, just like with a centerfire.) If so, you can have a lighter practice load and a heavier hunting load, but you'll have to remember to readjust your sights before hunting season. If your hunting load works out close to one of the increments that a combination of the pellets add up to (they come in different weights), there's no reason not to give them a try if you are curious. Make sure you get the harder to find .54's and not the much more common .50's. As long as you can keep all your shots on the pieplate, many hunters don't mind sacrificing a little accuracy for convenience in the field. While I personally don't think it makes much difference, there are plenty out there who do, so it's your call. If one of your hunting buddies uses a .50 inline, go to the range together and see for yourself.

Be aware that you need to clean the rifle as soon after firing as possible, stainless will still rust. Never leave it sitting uncleaned even overnight. Pyrodex residue is even more corrosive than that of black powder and your bore will rust up quickly if unattended. The more humid the air, the faster it will happen. Use the hottest water you can and a good bp solvent, dry the barrel thoroughly after (I lay it on a woodstove or stick it in the oven for 15min to get the last of the water evaporated), then oil it up good for storage, or very lightly for continued use.

Yes, the recoil is a bit stout, but it is different than a centerfire rifle, not as sharp and not as quick. Be very glad you don't have a &*%$ing metal buttplate! I removed the cursed thing and put a 1" recoil pad on the wood stock of my Renegade after a back injury. It's a pussycat to shoot now, even with heavy bullets. If necessary, it's no big job to fit one on a synthetic stock. Remember, the lighter the bullet, the less the recoil. Sabot loads are relatively light (200-250gr) compared to a MaxiBall (400gr) with a comparable charge of powder.

I was serious about my offer of sabots/bullets. I'm the only one I know who shoots a .54 and I have enough supplies for about five normal lifetimes.