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

[isaacdavis1214]

From what i can tell my T/C doesn't require a allen wrench.Do you know what size my T/C Renegade Hunter would be for extra nipples?I will probably buy a short starter (i believe i saw them going for $5-6) and some other supplies in a day or two.

[mongrel]

The Renegade and Hawken models both take a 1/4-28 nipple for #11 caps. However, there is minimal clearance between the hammer nose and the top of the nipple, when the lock is at half-cock. T/C makes a specific nipple for their rifles and I'm not sure whether or not anyone else makes one as short. The T/C-brand nipples are a little pricey (in my opinion, but then I'm accustomed to buying them out of cigar boxes at flea markets and events so I'm not the best judge of "pricey") but you buy them knowing they'll work with your rifle.

Numerous auction-site sellers offer these nipples and I'm sure most stores with a halfway well-stocked black powder inventory will have them as well.

[isaacdavis1214]

I went to walmart today and they had Pyrodex RS but it was $20 for just 456 grains (i believe) which in my opinion seems to be a rip off so i didn't buy it.I did buy a can of specialist WD-40 for cleaning the gun it was expensive,it was $11.87 i believe for a 6.5 ounce can but it did come with a nozzle which should make it easier to spray down the barrel of the gun,it is used for long term storage so i hope it will last me a while and i picked the right one for my muzzleloader.So far that is all i have got.

[mongrel]

Just to clarify -- on a muzzleloader shot with either black powder or one of the substitutes, DO NOT actually clean the gun with any form of lubricant. Not WD-40, not Hoppe's, not "gun oil" of any kind. You clean modern firearms loaded with smokeless with solvent-based chemicals. Do that with BP or a substitute and you will wind up with a gooey mess on your hands. Oils and solvent-based items are for rust prevention ONLY.

[William]

Just to clarify -- on a muzzleloader shot with either black powder or one of the substitutes, DO NOT actually clean the gun with any form of lubricant. Not WD-40, not Hoppe's, not "gun oil" of any kind. You clean modern firearms loaded with smokeless with solvent-based chemicals. do that with BP or a substitute and you will wind up with a gooey mess on your hands. Oils and solvent-based items are for rust prevention ONLY.

IBID; learn from my/our mistakes, we were all beginners at one point or another.

[isaacdavis1214]

So clean the gun with hot soapy water and then use WD-40 to lubricate the inside and outside of the barrel and hammer ect. after cleaning it and letting it dry?Also i feel retarded,i must have been sleepy or something when i said the Pyrodex RS they had was only 456 grains lol,it was actually 454 GRAMS A.K.A. a whole POUND of powder lol.I was like ''s---!!'' when i realized this,so i went back up there tonight and exchanged the over expensive WD-40 Specialist for a big 18 oz can of ''big blast'' WD-40 that i got some money back on.Bought the 1lb can of Pyrodex RS,and also bought a Bullet Starter,100 #11 CCI Magnum Caps for my gun,100 cleaning patches,and a Range Rod that is 31 inches long and accepts 10-32 attachments (what i have.) so now all i need is some hearing protection (should have got some from Wal-Mart) patches to shoot my gun,and balls and i'm ready to shoot so it turned out to be a great day.

Will say i wished i would have asked the fine people on here that if you shot a #11 cap by itself how loud it would be,as there was no way i thought a super small cap like that would make such a loud noise lol.It was also 1:30 in the morning so hope the cops don't show up.Most likely i'll need to invest in a spout for the powder can as it's going to be hard not to spill said powder everywhere when trying to put it into the powder measure from the can.I think my #11 cap disentigrated when i shot it as well,is that normal?I'd just like to add the range rod,cleaning patches,and ball starter were all coincidently made by Thompson Center lol.And does anyone else here use WD-40 as a rust prevenative?

Here is the cost of everything as per my receipt

Bullet Starter for .45-.58 Cal muzzleloader: $3.97
100 General Cleaning patches for .45-.54 Cal Black Powder and .375-.45 Centerfire: $3.97
100 Winchester Magnum #11 BP caps: $6.97
Universal Power Rod for barrels up to ''31 inches'' (it's a range rod,looks like one and came with a bullet starter?I think that's what there called and it can thread the Jag Renegade sent me): $21.97
and finally Pyrodex RS: $19.97

So not sure if i paid too much or not.But it's nice to know Wal-Mart carried most of the stuff i need to shoot except pre lubed patches or balls.


Mongrel added --
Tiny edit and no big deal, but that particular term for fecal matter is one that has to be avoided here -- even when it very definitely applies.

[isaacdavis1214]

I looked online and apparently the Thompson Center Universal Power Rod is supposed to be a Ram Rod,your supposed to cut it down to the size of a ram rod and use it as such,but it doubles as a cleaning rod.I personally installed the threaded tip by tapping it with my wooden bullet starter which worked great,and i am going to use it as a range rod.It is alluminum and has a T-shaped handle so i say why not?With the wooden ram rod that is with the gun i only have about an inch of rod left when it is all the way down the bore.But with the Universal Power Rod where i ddn't bother to cut it down into a ram rod and just installed the tip as is i have 5 1/2 inches left of the rod sticking out,so i believe it will work just fine as a Range/Cleaning Rod.Something i just now noticed is i don't need a nipple wrench,maybe my gun is just awesome or maybe i am blessed with small fingers (probably the case) but i am able to unscrew the nipple on my gun by hand rather easily,and when i screwed it back it was just as tight as it was when i had it unscrewed.I don't think i will need a pipe cleaner to clean it either.I think the water being pumped up through the nipple area when it is removed plus cleaning the nipple bu itself should be more than enough to ensure it is clean.

[Dogshirt]

Glad you got most of your goodies. And yes, a range rod/cleaning rod is just an over length ramrod.However, you WILL need a nipple wrench after you shoot as the fouling will lock that puppy in like Loctite. Also, the nipple should be snugged up well, not torqued, but snugged.
As for hearing protection, the cheap foam ones are all you need and can be found at most any hardware store, farm supply store, just about antwhere.
I bought a whole case at a yard sale for 1$. Buy several and keep them everywhere. In your shooting bag, range box, jacket pocket. That way you will
have them. Also, you can run them through the washer in you pants pocket and clean them, but DON'T run them through the dryer. They don't seem to work after the dryer.

[flintboomer]

You are doing fine, but you WILL need the nipple wrench and something for a powder measure.
Don't forget shooting glasses to go with the ear protection.

When (not "if") you dryball which is when you start the patched ball and either seat it or realize just after short starting it that you forgot to load powder:
seat the ball if you did not do that
remove the nipple
drop some powder in the nipple hole
tap the side of the gun to settle it in
drop some more powder in the nipple hole
tap again
more powder
tap again
reinstall nipple
point gun about 10 yds downrange
cap and fire downrange while watching muzzle and looking for patch & ball to kick up dust

You should see a little bit of smoke, probably see the ball flying downrange, and see the ball kick up a bit of dust where it impacts.

[isaacdavis1214]

Thanks for the helpful replies everyone,i just tried out my cleaning patches and i will say the ram rod that came with the gun doubles as a fine cleaning rod.There is a Tom's Sporting Goods in my area that one of my buddies said they had .44 balls for his .44 bp revolver,so if that's the case i hope they also carry some .50 caliber balls (which are between .490 or .495 if i remember correctly),a nipple wrench and some shooting patches.It will be like killing three birds with one stone lol.

Edit: I have a powder measure that Renegade was nice enough to send me along with a cleaning Jag.The cleaning Jag works perfectly and the powder measure works as well.

[Dogshirt]

If they have shooting supplies, they will probably have the foam ear plugs.

[Rev]

Go to a gun show & get custom fitted plugs, you won't regret it...

[isaacdavis1214]

Wal-Mart has foam ear plugs as well,i just forgot to get some when i went there.It's been awhile since i have tried the disposable ear plugs from Wal Mart.But from what i can remember they were pretty comfortable.Not sure if there is any gun shows around my area right now or not.

[isaacdavis1214]

Hey everyone i found most of the stuff i need to clean/shoot my gun on trackofthewolf.com.I found better rust protectors that they were selling here: http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/385/1 i'm thinking of either getting the Ballistol, Multi Purpose Sportsman's Oil,or the Barricade® Rust Preventative to prevent rust,and just using the WD-40 after i get done scrubbing the barrel to help dry it quicker.And maybe use the WD-40 on the hammer to lubricate it ect.Is this a good nipple wrench? http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/65/1/NW-120 it is at track of the wolf as well.I was going to pick up an extra nipple but decided against it for now,and i forgot what size of nipple my gun takes.The only think trackofthewolf doesn't have that i was hoping they would is a powder spout that will fit my Pyrodex can,oh well.

[William]

That seems like a decent nipple wrench.  I prefer Barricade in this type of container; http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/385/1/BC-PS-4 because I can apply as many drops of oil as I need to the final cleaning patch to coat the bore before storage.  It is also handy for putting one drop on metal to metal parts inside the lock.  I don't not like WD-40 as a lubricant, many better options.  Ballistol can be used as a shooting patch lube, a cleaner as well as a rust preventaive but I can't stand the smell.  Your mileage may differ.