The fast food junk guns killed these beautiful rifles. The Savages, Marlin, & Ruger junk is what the weekend warriors want. These guns were not cheap but the Icons are overbuilt & a quality heirloom rifle!

About 12 years ago I bought a new TC Icon in 243 for a very good price. Bass Pro was clearing their TC rifles. Its been so long I forget how much I paid for the rifle - seems like it was somewhere around $500...brand new in the box. My rifle stock in TC's rubberized/all weather stock. It is probably the most accurate centerfire rifle I have ever owned. With 5r rifling and that big heavy bolt it locks up like a high quality target rifle. I took it to the range last summer just to shoot paper and make sure the zero was still good. BTW I put a Bushnell Elite scope on the rifle. At 100 yards it shot a number of sub 1" MOA groups using Winchester factory ammo. I LOVE my TC Icon. Will never sell it. I can only hope my son and his grandsons will appreciate this rifle as much as I do.

I have owned hundreds of guns over the 60+ years of collecting rifles but I have never owned a Thompson! I have heard a lot of good thing about them for the price! Can’t wait to see how they shoot for you two! There is only one thing better then having a great hobby and that is to have a good friend to share that hobby with!

@jdboutdoors4709

Жыл бұрын

So true and we can’t wait to get started.

@jasonbuck489

Жыл бұрын

I've bought and sold hundreds and still have over a hundred firearms.... I've never owned a Thompson either....

I'll tell ya, Tom&Joey you guys have something that strikes near and dear to my heart. So my ex wife's dad worked for many years at Thomson when it was in New Hampshire. I've toured the plant the dipping processes for the metals seen them machined. It's very extensive the work they did. My father inlaw was one of three that tested each rifle. The groups they had to achieve were pretty darn tight. You really have something special beyond the video.

@jdboutdoors4709

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot.

"I could finish projects if new projects wouldn't appear." That's a phrase I used to tell my wife about completing/not completing a honey-do, maintenance, etc. Now might be a good time to try that phrase out. LOL, good luck and God bless.

Close friends that share a common passion isn't as common anymore. Cherish it.

I was a gun nut in high school 1980's. Ive glass bedded and free floated the barrel on every rifle I have owned since then. Pillar bedding is nice. An aluminum bedding block is a game changer.👍👍

outstanding !! What a find !! Looking forward to some range time with you guys.

I purchased one in 30TC when they first came to market. Great gun. Easy carry decent accuracy. I use the ball handle.

That was a fun video! It isn't often when a person gets to do the unboxing on an older rifle, and in this case TWO!!! For myself when I think of Thompson/Center it is their classic Hawken Rifles that was a huge part of the muzzleloading resurgence in the 1970's that comes to my mind. That is in no small part because my father back in the 1980's assembled their caplock variant. For myself I have a 4 digit serial number flintlock variant. Both are well made and fun rifles.

I owned many hunting rifle over the years also. I bought a T/C Venture in a 270WSM a few years back. Utterly amazing accuracy with 5R rifling. I have many custom bolt hunting rifles that won’t hold a candle to the T/ C. Shoots sub MOA with Barnes bullets

Not much beats unboxing a brand new rifle. Hard to beat a .243, too! I have a fairly new Ruger American Go Wild .243 that I haven't gotten to shoot much. Hopefully, I can get to hunt with it this season.

What a great find. Great looking rifles. I remember you discussing the aluminum bedding in wood stocks. I have always enjoyed my .243s and while always Stevens or Savage they were all very accurate. My most accurate was a factory load Hornady Custom with 75 gr HP flat base. With a Stock Stevens 200 (pre-accutrigger) and a $50 Tasco 3-9X32 it shot a .38 inch three shot group at 100 yards. It was more a testament on the accuracy of the .243 with its low recoil than anything I did. My latest and only .243 at this time is a Model 10 Predator Max1 with a 24 in. medium heavy fluted barrel.

My favorite caliber hardly any kick and very accurate and a deadly combo on a Deer What a find them are some beautiful rifles

Hello Tom, I’m very happy for you and your friend. Them rifles look like some fine shooters. Enjoy & God bless. 😎👍

Been reloading for 243 for 30yrs. Get yall some sierra 85 grain hollow point boattails. Work up a load and they will cut holes and kill deer like lightning.

Love the ICON'S I also have the same gun in 243 and one in 7mm 08 with the Weathertech stock. Both easy sub minute of angle.

Except for the funky safety, I love that gun!

Nice looking rifles. I must confess, I don't know much about TC rifles. I was was shopping for another hunting rifle several years ago, and looked into several different brands, some I had no experience with, but Thompson Center wasn't one of them. Not because I'd never heard of them, but because I never found one to look at in any of the retailers I was shopping at. Really a damn shame too after seeing yours out of the stock. If memory serves me TC Icon was priced a bit more competitive than the Browning X-Bolt and Winchester Model 70. I really like that mounting block. Looks really well thought out.

I can't wait to see what you guys do with your rifles!

Those are cool rifles guys I'd get more excited over finding those then any new rifle

I hope you guy’s check the accuracy on those soon,I wasn’t aware of their special bedding system,should be a recipe for success ,can’t wait to see what they are capable of,Love to see you guy’s team up in these video’s 🤙

I had a TC Venture in .204, it was a tack driver. I always wanted an Icon but couldn't find one, and now Smith and Wesson quit making the TC after their short time of owning them, wish they still made them, at least they were made in USA. 👍🏻

Those bases remind me of the bases on my Sako rifles but being Weaver it will be easier to find rings to fit it!

An iconic rifle.

I have four TC rifles 3 being muzzleloaders and 1 of those is a Hawkin I got in 96 I believe and it's never been fired the fourth TC is a Compass in 30-06. Always loved Thompson Center.

Wow those are some great looking rifles im not crazy about the safety but it looks like both are gonna be shooter's

It will work with shot placement like anything else. The 7mm-08 is as small as I go personally but I have little doubt that even my .223 would efficiently harvest deer if I wanted to.

I remember reading a story years ago about Inuits in the Arctic using the 243 as their "big rifle". But they would use it for everything and anything.

I had one of these rifles and loved it. I sent it back under warranty repair for some pitting on their corrosion resistant coating, and without even a phone call the scrapped it. They never said anything to me until I had called for an update a few months after sending it in. I was told it was because they don't produce that model anymore even though all they would have to do is replace the barrel at worst. Their customer service department was very unhelpful either.

2 nice rifles enjoy bolts.

Can’t wait for you guys to get to the range and shoot these guns.

hoow’s life?. Love it. awesome unboxing! take care!Tom.

Ya'll have a couple nice rifles. I have one I bought probably 15 years ago now. It's chambered in .30tc and wears a Leopold vx2 3x9x40. I've shot quite a few deer with it. I really like the Thompson center icons. Wish they still made them

Really cool find. Yeah it broke my hart when I found out that Smith & Wesson wasn't interested in producing any more TC rifles. I love my Contender pistols and my Encore rifle. I would have loved one of the Icons too, but they are far and few between these days. I'm looking forward to the fun load workups you two come up with. Congrats on the find and thanks for the video.

@jerroldshelton9367

Жыл бұрын

Winchester never had anything to do with making T/C rifles. Your broken heart is Smith and Wesson's fault. Not FN/Browning/Winchester's.

@cervus-venator

Жыл бұрын

@@jerroldshelton9367 Thanks for keeping me straight Jerrold!! I could have sworn it was Winchester mentioned in the article that I read some time back, but obviously not. I guess it is a good thing that I don't own anything S&W other than the TC's which were TC at time of purchase. (I'll correct my comment above, but keep this here so anyone reading will know I originally stated incorrectly Winchester) Thanks Again.

Gentlemen, may you both use those rifles in good health & enjoy them for many decades to come.

ps great guns you will love them

best factory hunting rifle is a sako next in line tikka t3x. Great barrel great trigger smooth action And they are shooters

@edwardabrams4972

Жыл бұрын

Love them Sako’s!

I have a T/C in 7mm08. It is the most accurate rifle I own. It is an honest .67 MOA rifle. .....now if I can only shoot that well consistantly.

I might be wrong but I think Thompson contacted Hornady and wanted an exclusive cartridge, thus the .30 TC. Those are 2 fine rifles! Makes me want to try one! Thanks

Looking forward to the shooting video with groups.

I hear TC Icons are very accurate. Please take us along on the range test that we all know you are already planning.

Hard to beat that...

My 243 shoots those Nosler 70 grain Varmageddon bullets very well.

BTW 2 Good Luck on beating the factory accuracy with there load.. Have a 7WSM that havent been able to match factory 140 ABs n BTs Yet Close but not matched..At least that lot of ammo.

New Ol Toys Woooo Wooooo 23:10

Bought an unshooted Mauser 98 sporter in 6,5x57 Mauser last week . Tomorrow it will get the first shot.

See if this goes better... New Ol Toys Wooooo Wooooo. Congrats on the find. It stinks what S & W did with TC.. its also surprisingly sad that no one has took them up. Same with H&R on theres. Good Luck With Them. Will be waiting for the range reports. Tell Joey Who cares how many same caliber rifles he has..Ya likes, can, Gets... Enjoy.. Have several 06s n had more somebody needed them more than me..still miss them though. Tom.. hate to hear you develop allergic reactions to Deer.. Is this by chance related to the tick borne red meat allergy bites?? Hopefully that passes asap. God Bless All.

I have a buddy in Alaska that uses 243 on sheep and mountain goats. He's even shot black bear with it. So, i think its plenty of gun for deer sized game.

@willrowell3218

Жыл бұрын

You'd be amazed at what has been accomplished with the humble little .243. Honestly, stick to GOOD bullets, Partitions, TTSX, TSX, Accubonds, etc. .223 works pretty well on deer at sane ranges.

Those icons were solid rifles when they came out. It’s a shame they don’t make them anymore.

Tom, I thoroughly enjoy your videos. If possible, your audio could use an upgrade. 👍🏻

Brand new rifles are always fun but in the last 15 years older, abused and neglected rifles always seem to find their way into my hands and never for over $100. Everything from a Savage 12FV in 6.5 Creedmoor to a Weatherby Mk5 in 375 H&H, every one a crap shoot, bought for a C note out of closets or the back of a garage. All including two M1 Garand's, one with a welded receiver and a barrel so fouled you could barely see light down it, that one took a visit to Orien7 on Long Island and a grand to straighten out and another so dirty the action wouldn't open that turned out to be a Mk2, mod 1 with a barrel made by AMF and marked 308 WIN ended up great shooters and looked like they were ready for the Prom. My latest, a Ruger M77 in 270 with a busted off rear scope ring, looked great but again it looked like it was never cleaned. It was built in 1973, shot patterns down the express sights but cleaned up really nice with gorgeous wood and the deep bluing looked like a Colt Pythons. A blued EGW Rail replaced the busted ring set and hid the old, boogered mounting holes that held the included Redfield Wideview scope in a set of polished Weaver rings. It looked better than my Weatherby, shot almost as tight as my Savage (sub moa) with the vintage scope and functioned as smooth as warm bacon grease. A real tribute to Bill Ruger and his design. Except for the Garands I never had more than $150 into any of them fixing them up, just a lot of elbow grease.

Ive always wanted one and was dissapointed when they went out of production

Iv killed plenty deer with 243s through the years using basic 100 grain Remington corlokts.. It's hard to believe they sat there for 16 years. Got to be more to that story

I would like to know if y’all gonna use cup n core, bonded, or copper? Just bought a 243, do to a recent shoulder injury I will be using for deer season this year. Any advice you could give me would be appreciated.

I had one in a 22-250,,it would fire when you closed the bolt...sold it as a gunsmith special..afraid to get another one.

I love when I hear people say ".243 isn't big enough for [animal x]." Because then I get to tell them my .243 was used by my Father in Law through the 80's in Alaska to put Moose in the freezer, and since I've had it it's only gotten more accurate with the work ive put into it. Would I use it for a grizzly? No. But I'll be more thany happily take it with me into the woods looking for just about anything else.

Hi Tom, looking for some advice please about cleaning an old walnut rifle stock that has seen service. There is a lot of oil and dirt engrained in the wood. What method would you consider appropriate to clean the stock and refinish without damaging the wood? Many thanks and keep up the good work. Very best wishes, John

We lost a national treasure when Thompson Center ended.

RIP Thompson Center, S&W did you DIRTY!

I need a magazine for a .243 T/C Icon and haven’t had any luck finding one online.

Very nice. Always look forward to new rifle projects. Off subject but did Joey do anymore load development on the 270wsm or did he send it down the road?

@jdboutdoors4709

Жыл бұрын

I did get the 270 wsm nailed down. The load was with 140 sst and mag pro.with a velocity of 3215 fps.

I've killed a lot of deer with 243 including a 255 pound 11pt. Buck with a100 gr. Hornady partition bullet .

75 grn V-max, 46 grn AA2700 ,fed primer.................................stomper coyote load

@jdboutdoors4709

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot I will try that one out.

@mikedesensi6391

Жыл бұрын

@@jdboutdoors4709 check your cook books its a stock load and shoots bug holes out of My first gen rem 700VLS

BTW 243 and am sure you guys know gotta use Deer Bullets not Varmint Bullets for Bambi. Like all things.

i just got a wichester 66 made in 1966 never been out of box untill i bought it in june 2023 .the owner bought it in 1966 september 3 1966 for125.00 2.50 tax from longiland ny i have the invoice . gold plated

@NCWoodlandRoamer

Жыл бұрын

Wow that’s amazing!!

Hurray for "new old stock" or "safe queens".

Twist rate? Thy 95 grain berger classic Hunter with hybrid v 100

Whoooaaa what happened to browning a bolts?

I own 2 never shot a .308 and .22-250

Tc never made a bad gun.

I forgot to add to my last comment that my neighbor told me that the only good use for a .243 is to toss it in the trash.😅 Some people just have some silly opinions.

as a smart guy i know said smith and wesson never bought any thing they did not f up .bought tc for their barrel making tooling

He's a talker😂😂

Tom, does Mrs River know about this?

You Know.....

Can somebody mash this up and insert that meme clip of danny devito saying "and then i whipped out my other gun".

Great video, but the one thing that caught me was the allergy to deer meat. Tom, did you get the tick borne disease that causes an allergy to red meat?

@cbsbass4142

Жыл бұрын

Alpha Gal is what he has stated in the past. I paid close attention because I found a lone start tick imbedded in my calf. So far no symptoms I can pinpoint.

.243 is too light for deer lol.. meanwhile up here in Canada, 75lb 12 year old girls are killing moose

Where did yall buy the t/c rifles at since s&w shut down the t/c plant

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

Жыл бұрын

We mentioned it in the video but it was at a pawnshop that also carried a few new rifles and these had been in the gun rack there for 16 years.

piękna broń, niestety nie produkowana . naprawdę wygląda lepiej niż sauer 100 czy obecne Tureckie ATA Turqua sprzedawana w stanach pod nazwa steven's 334 . czekałem wiele lat żebym mógł kupić ale niestety nie udało się - może kiedyś.

To bad there outa biz . You better buy all the replacement parts u can find online if there is anything. Tc is gone for good . S&w has no reason or incentive to keep them going.

First boyz😂

It looks like a tikka

Tom, You have to tell my how you became allergic to deer meat and when? What happens when you eat it?

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

Жыл бұрын

MrH, I'm allergic to all mamals so red meet and the condition is called alpha gail syndrome and it's from the lone star tick. Sadly alpha gail syndrome is becoming more and more common and it affects everyone differently. For me as soon as I eat red meat my stomach starts cramping and I just feel absolutely miserable. And the more I eat the worse I feel. If I eat a small amount it takes a few days for me to get over it and to start feeling human again. If I eat a good bit like a stake it can take me a couple of weeks to get it over it. It hit me when I was 36 years old and it took months for me to figure out what was going on. The way I finally figured out what was happening was I started thinking about what was different for me now than when I first got sick and one of the things I thought of was I have a bad reaction to tick bites now. If I don't get them off immediately they leave a really bad place on me that can take a month to heal. I did a search on the internet for "allergic to ticks" and stumbled on to ticks causing people to be allergic to red meat and the light bulb went off for me. I had an allergy doctor do a blood test where they check for how much of a certain antibody you have in your blood stream and that let's them know if you are allergic to meat and I had the 2nd highest levels that doctor had ever seen. Alpha Gail Syndrom is definitely something people need to be aware of.

@MrHf4l

Жыл бұрын

@@TomRiverSimpleLiving That sounds like a nightmare. Glad to see it hasn’t stopped you from hunting. I’ll have to see if those ticks are in my neck of the woods. MN.

Tom, did you say you cannot eat deer “now” ?

@TomRiverSimpleLiving

Жыл бұрын

I did. I've develop alpha gail syndrome which is an allergy to eating mamals which is all red meat. It's caused by grletting bit by the lone star tick. I don't think y'all have that species of tick that far north but we have plenty of them here.

@justinturdeau2383

Жыл бұрын

😵‍💫 Holy Sh!T That’s rough Tom. Have you had that long?

*PromoSM* 👌

Ich bin ein safetynazi.

sadly smith and wesson , screwed up a perfectly good american gun company

@jdboutdoors4709

Жыл бұрын

TRUE!

Bought an unshooted Mauser 98 sporter in 6,5x57 Mauser last week . Tomorrow it will get the first shot.