Unfired. 54 Renegade

[rusticbob]

I just picked up a T/C Renegade, unfired for a really great price. Owner bought it back in the 1980's. I have never shot a 54 before so I was wondering if anyone else has tried shooting patched round balls out of theirs? I intend to use this rifle to hunt whitetails here in Vermont. Should I use round balls, or go to a Max I ball type bullet. If I use round balls, I intend to lube the patch with Dutch's lube system, it works great in my 45 Seneca.Any suggestions about bulletloads, maxi-ball, vs Great Plains, etc..Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas.

[Dogshirt]

I shoot a .54 GPR and ALL I shoot is PRB.  60gr of 2f for target, 95 gr for hunting. Always a .535 ball with a 20 patch.
None of that really means anything because even 2 of the same model are unlikely to like the same thing.

[rusticbob]

Thanks, sounds like a good place to start.

[beowulf]

great little rifle I`ve owned three, a .50 flint and percussion, and a.54 flint . all three were fine shooters ,and handled round ball and maxi balls equally well ! they make a great brush gun ! would own another if I could snag one at a fair price ! 

[Patocazador]

I have a .54 T/C New Englander that shoots the same as Beowulf's rifles.

[Red Badger]

Most of my rifles are .54's  I shoot rb with a patch and Lee R.E.A.L. 's with no patch and like the results on most game... Squirrel is one exception... 
 

[Hanshi]

Being "stodgy", I shoot prb exclusively.  I've never encountered a rifle that would not accurately shoot prb.  In my opinion, prb kills game better.

[Patocazador]

In my opinion, prb kills game better.

I think PBR kills time better.

[flintboomer]

I must be the exception, my TC Renegade has never liked patched ball so I use Maxi ball to hunt with it. It does ok with 40-45 gr of black and a .530 ball but will not group with more than 45 gr.

I have owned one TC Hawken that would shoot ball but not Maxi and as I just stated, my Renegade will shoot Maxi but not ball with a hunting load.

Ask your rifle what it likes. In other words: shoot it and find out what it likes! 

[Hawken50]

   What Flintboomer says......I have had numerous TC Hawkens..most shot RB the best,,,one of the bunch wouldnt shoot RB accurately at all but would put REAL's through one hole all day long....

[rusticbob]

Thanks for the advice about PRB's. One reason for buying this rifle is the larger round ball in .54 .I'm sure with the proper placement a .45 or .50 would be sufficient, but, I just love the larger ball available in .54.
Have not thought about conicals yet, somebody suggested Buffalo Bullets in .54, but I can't seem to find them . I'll post pictures after a range trip.

[Hanshi]

It is true that some rifles with very shallow rifling - say, under .005" - simply won't shoot prb but will shoot conicals very accurately.  I have never owned one of those.  The rifling r.o.t. isn't that important unless you're talking a truly fast twist.  What's more important is the DEPTH of that rifling.  A twist of 1-48" was very common in the 18th and 19th century and quite common with European rifles even earlier.  Rifles with a rot up to at least 1-66" usually shoot extremely well with prb and light to heavy powder charges; conicals, not so much (usually).  Prb needs deeper grooves that conicals do.

[flintboomer]

Just to be clear, that Renegade will do fine on deer and elk once you find out what it likes. Mine likes a Maxi and any load from 80 to 100 gr with that Maxi will and has taken many elk and deer. They also tend to shoot high with the factory rear sight even when it is bottomed out so you may need to do some file work to get it where you want it.

[rusticbob]

With all this time on my hands , I decided to strip the crummy factory finish off this old/new Renegade. Beautiful piece of black walnut underneath!. After stripping and sanding I gave it 8-10 coats of Boiled Linseed Oil , hand rubbing the coats, and it came out beautiful! I'll post pictures later, trying to get to the local range before it starts snowing here.(Vermont), yes its still cold here in New England.

[Hanshi]

[/quote]
I think PBR kills time better.
[/quote]


Uhhh...yeah, it does that too.  My only experience with T/C is a .50 "Hawken" I owned for a short while nearly 40 years ago; so I can't really comment on them.  I always thought the Renegade looked the best anyhow. 

My only .54 is a percussion (1-66") that is incredible with prb but mediocre with conicals.  I've killed deer using, ready for this? 110 grains of 3F.  I don't do that any longer.  I found 60 grains of 3F shoots into around 1" at 60 yards and velocity is around 1300 fps or a bit less.  The barrel is only 33".