Wondering what i need for cleaning and shooting a .50 caliber Renegade Hunter?

[isaacdavis1214]

The title says it all,i am buying a .50 cal Renegade Hunter Rifle off of Renegade the poster on here.And i'm wondering what i need to clean and shoot the rifle,like what is necessary for cleaning or shooting and what is either extra accessories or things you think might make something easier ect.This weeks paycheck will be going towards the rifle,and next weeks will be going towards gear to clean and shoot said rifle.

Wondering what you knowledgable bunch of folks opinion is on this,thanks.

[Dogshirt]

One thing I find handy is a "Range Box". Since I shoot multiple calibers mine is a rather large tackle box.
But my wife has just a small one, one of the single tray types.
These are great for all the things you will acquire along the way, spare nipples, extra patches, brushes, balls, etc.
Anything not immediately need for shooting can go in the box and be ready to go, and be easily found.
Not everything needs to go in your bag, and this is an easy way to organize it.

And a nipple wrench! A very neccessary item for many things.

[old salt]

Cleaning items needed.  A cleaning jag of proper cal, a cleaning solution,
lube and cleaning patches.

Now I personally perfer the old GI cleaning patches as they are littel thicker and a lot tougher than most of the other patches I have used. I also use a metal cleaning/range rod with a T handle on it.

As Dogshirt suggested a range box is very handy. In my case as I shoot very thing for 32 to 62 cal rifles shot guns and cap and ball revlovers. And it seems that I been nominated club gun smith/supply point my range box is a machinist toll box.

Some other items you should thing about are a ball puller and a patch worm.

I am sure there some things I have forgoten, so the rest of you folks jump in  with any thing I forgot.

[isaacdavis1214]

I have seen a range rod mentioned before,will it take the place of my ram rod?Or is it a rod where you can screw a Jag and other items into in order to clean,pull a ball ect?Also should i shoot Conicals or patched balls?Or is this more preference than anything?I THINK with conicals you don't have to have patches to go with them,but they cost more.

[Dogshirt]

I only use my range rod for cleaning, pulling balls and such. They are usually longer than a regular ramrod and
give you more to grip. But I have an unbreakable ramrod, so I'm not concerned with the possibilty of it breaking when I load at the range or rendezvous. But some solutions for swabbing out your bore can leave your hands and rod
quite slick, and it can sometimes be a challange to get grip enough on your ramrod to pull it out.
I believe TCs have a 1:48 twist, and you could shoot either RB or conicals. But as you pointed out, RB is much cheaper to shoot, about 1/4-1/3 the cost of conicals.

[pilgrim]

      I would ask Renegade what the rifle prefers and go from there.   Also, if you are just starting out in Muzzleloading, I would suggest starting with patched round ball.  Besides, if you attend any black powder shoots, Roundball is the only projectile allowed, at least around my area.  Best to get proficient with patched roundball,  and experiment with conicals later.   Look for black powder clubs in you area, attend a shoot and learn.  Just like here on TMC, the riflemen at the black powder shoots will be only too glad to help a new shooter.  And you will learn alot first hand.  Sort of like "on the job training". 

[pilgrim]

http://www.nmlra.org/clubs.asp?WhichState=TN

[William]

...i'm wondering what i need to clean and shoot the rifle,like what is necessary for cleaning or shooting and what is either extra accessories or things you think might make something easier ect. Wondering what you knowledgeable bunch of folks opinion is on this,thanks.

Here's what a range rod looks like; http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/7-900079  I prefer one that has a free spinning handle as it allows the cleaning patches to follow the rifling and really clean the bore well. This will take the place of your ramrod but learn how to use it to load with in case you forget the range rod at home or are out hunting.  A large tackle box, wooden tool box or anything in between will work as a range box to keep everything together but I would pick up a couple of old hinged tin boxes such as are used by Altoids and Fisheman's Friend cough drops for keeping small things inside.  Extra jags, nipples, wedges or patches go inside the tins and these fit handily into your shooting bag in case you decide to use one.  Some shooting events feature stages that require the shooter to stand at the firing line and load from a bag, so you may want to think about either buying one or making your own.  A short starter is another item that isn't necessary but makes loading easier and can be made at home.  Last is your powder container, which you don't need but makes things easier and can even be a distinct part of your outfit and persona should you wish to go that route.  You can pour powder from the can into the powder measure, then into the barrel (never pour directly into the barrel from any container) or use a powder container such as a horn, metal/wooden flask.  If you get a powder horn I recommend one with a push button spout but again, do not pour powder directly into the barrel from your powder container.  Here is the spout that I am referring to; http://www.cainsoutdoor.com/shop/item.asp?item=16336

[old salt]

I recommend that you get powder horn or a powder flask as most clubs (at least in my area) will not allow an open powder can on or near the firing line for saftey reasons.

[William]

I recommend that you get powder horn or a powder flask as most clubs (at least in my area) will not allow an open powder can on or near the firing line for saftey reasons.

I hadn't thought about that.  Yep, you will eventually need some type of powder container.

[Dogshirt]

I am NOT going against what William says, I am not. I use flasks with pre-measure spouts from time to time,
but the push button tip on a horn just looks wrong to me. PURELY a matter of aesthetics, not any thing else. I just like the look of a horn with a wooden stopper better. Just my $0.02 on that one.
A powder flask with interchangeable spouts is a good way to go, but you must STILL pour into another measure or container! I/WE can't stress this enough! DO NOT pour straight into the barrel!

[isaacdavis1214]

Thanks everyone,i prefer my powder flask to look like this: http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shooting/Black-Powder/Loading-Accessories%7C/pc/104792580/c/104701680/sc/104436180/Pedersoli-Tubular-Powder-Flask/734693.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fshooting-black-powder-loading-accessories%2F_%2FN-1100209&WTz_l=SEO%3Bcat104436180#BVRRWidgetID nothing fancy but it appeals to me.My paycheck this week isn't enough for the gun only $177,i sent Renegade a e-mail telling him i made less than i thought i was.But next week i will definitely have enough for the gun so i'm hoping he can wait 6 days for me to send him the money,so right now i'm thinking of buying patches,balls,stuff to clean with anything i can for the gun with this paycheck.And next paycheck if Renegade is willing to wait of course i will then buy the gun.

[William]

That is a good, sturdy powder flask and should serve you well.

[isaacdavis1214]

Thanks William,so i have atleast picked one good item out so far lol.

[Dogshirt]

I have a CVA flask that looks exactly like that one that I have had for 35 years. It still functions just
fine. It won't take some of my bigger spouts, but since I pour into a measure anyway, I just leave the 25 gr
spout I use for the pistol on it. A very functional piece of gear.