Thompson Center Northwest Explorer

[kerrdog]

Are there any Northwest Explorer owners out there?  I like the rifle, but would love to put fiber optic sites on.  I've also had problems with ignition reliability.  Of course one idea was to try to change the nipple to musket caps.  Why does it use #11 caps?  Musket caps are legal in Wa, and I'm pretty sure you can use them in Oregon too.  Isn't a hotter cap better when you're in the wet Northwest?  Several times the CCI caps I was using didn't go off the first time.  So I pulled the hammer back and it went the second time.  A couple times the cap went off, but not the charge.  That's a bummer.

So I bought some of those german caps; the dynamit noble. I have not used enough of them to say if they are better, but I will.  I've also heard that cci makes an upgraded #11 cap.  I forget the name; magnums or something?

As far as ammo, it really seems to shoot whatever you put in it. I've been using powerbelts, and was using some TC bullet with sabots; I forget the exact name.  Either way I usually hit.  I'm gonna try the maxi balls since they say that's what the 1/48 twist rate is for. Anyway.....

The NW explorer is like the Omega?  Will the Omega stocks work?  What about the Omega 209 breach plug? Fiber optic sights?  Musket caps?

[BoomWhop]

My buddy has one and likes it.  killed a nice Buck on opening day.  He put some kick ass fiber peep sites on it.  The musket caps do not work very well, the hammer does not seem to hit it hard enough.   make sure the action is clear of all junk, dirt, broken pieces of those #11 caps.

[kerrdog]

I'd like to know what kind of fiber optic sites he has.  The rear site is a peep?  I love that.

[teanawayslayer]

I bet they are the tru glo sights.

[teanawayslayer]

kerrdog what kind of groups where you hitting and how far? 

[kerrdog]

At 50 yards my shots are 1-3 inch groups.  At 100 yards I'm like 6-10 inch groups or so; sometimes better or worse. I don't use a bench rest or sandbags or anything.  Most of my shots are braced on a tree or my knee and elbow.  The sights on this rifle are pretty bad.  I didn't notice how bad until I shot my buddy's TC hawken.  His sights seemed sharp and precise after shooting mine for awhile. But my sights seem VERY durable!


Since it seems like I'm stuck with the #11 cap, I'm going to try the dynamit noble caps and I'm thinking of switching to black powder instead of pyrodex, since read that Pyrodex has a hotter ignition point than regular powder.  Any tips on powder?

[Whitelightning]

I switched to Triple Seven years ago. T7 is not as corrosive as Pyrodex and I have not had a misfire with it to date. The issue with the CCI caps I have also experienced and switched to RWS (dynamit nobel). Make sure you press the cap onto the nipple with a good amount of pressure to ensure it is seated. #11 caps will seat tight enough to give a water tight seal. I have actually sanded a few nipples to get caps to seat properly, the circumference was to large and the nipple would not seat on the face of the nipple.  Black powder in Washington in my experience is hard to find a reliable supply due to regulations on storage.
Buffalo Arms stocks and ships Swiss and Schuetzen Black Powder, they are in Idaho Sandpoint area.

[Dirty Mike]

 Your caps not going off could also be a weak hammer spring. My buddy who is a member on this site had problems with his traditions pursuit nw. Did the same thing with not firing the other this is make sure you really really clean around the firing pin really well my buddy who is a member here shot it about 10 times and all the black nasty stuff get stuck around the firing pin which made it stick out just enough so when he closed the action it fired.off a 405 grain powerbelt

[Dirty Mike]

 Also 6 to 10 inch groups? Hope your not serious  that in my opinion is.horrible my bighorn shoot 1.5 at 150.yards with williams peep my wolverine shoots 1.5 @ 100 with open sites shooting 290 grain tmz ive been down to 1 inch groups shooting the sst but didnt like how the bullet performed. I would get a peep site for sure but also shoot alot there is no reason you should get under 3 inch groups 6 to 10 buy something else. Also just be carefull im not sold on the safety of any converted muzzy

[kerrdog]

Thanks everyone.  I'll let you know how the maxiballs work out.  Can you believe that they don't stock them at Sportsmans Warehouse?  I'm also pretty jazzed about a fiber optic peep sight.  I like peep sights since I got comfortable with them on the M16 in the Army.  How do you know which brand and type will fit?  Asking guys at the gun counters is hit and miss.  Some know alot, and some don't.

[Dirty Mike]

You will have to look online to fine one