Just starting the journey...

[Russ Clagett]

I'm just getting into the BP cap rifle journey but I've been fascinated by them for most of my life. Ended up finding a Renegade 54 that looks unfired, so I thought if I need to tinker with it that would be fine. My thinking was I would start the learning curve and if I reach a point where I could enjoy a nicer rifle, maybe then I would get one.

In the meantime I've realized this is a pretty nice rifle.

I got a mold for the 54 REAL and cast up some bullets since I do some of that anyway. At first I tried Pyrodex cause it was what I could find, but then found some Triple 7. The pyrodex didn't work out well at all, and ended up spilled out in the yard.

The T7 works great though...and I get really nice groups at 25 which is where I started. Groups at 50 are still pretty tight, and now that I have the rifle zeroed I feel pretty confident about hunting with it.

Right now I'm using the 54 caliber REAL over 60 grains of T7 and it seems decently stout enough to kill a deer or wild hog in South Texas.

Since I don't see as well as I did when I was younger I had to change out the sights. I installed a Lyman peep on the tang and a red fiber optic on the front.

I tried 530 balls with prelubed patches but it was clownshoes....8 inch groups at 50 yards. I did have to pound the ball down into the barrel so I'm sure its a fit issue. Now I have 526 balls and an assortment of dry patches so I'll start the process of figuring out what combination it likes.

I also just received 10lbs of Schuetzen 3F powder so now I can begin shooting real black powder. I'm really interested in seeing the differences.

So on Thursday I am headed down into the South Texas brush country to hunt for a couple days and hopefully I'll have a chance to do a bit of live testing. Shots down there in that brush are pretty close so I should have some good opportunities.

 

[Bad Karma]

I'm just getting into the BP cap rifle journey but I've been fascinated by them for most of my life. Ended up finding a Renegade 54 that looks unfired, so I thought if I need to tinker with it that would be fine. My thinking was I would start the learning curve and if I reach a point where I could enjoy a nicer rifle, maybe then I would get one.

In the meantime I've realized this is a pretty nice rifle.

I got a mold for the 54 REAL and cast up some bullets since I do some of that anyway. At first I tried Pyrodex cause it was what I could find, but then found some Triple 7. The pyrodex didn't work out well at all, and ended up spilled out in the yard.

The T7 works great though...and I get really nice groups at 25 which is where I started. Groups at 50 are still pretty tight, and now that I have the rifle zeroed I feel pretty confident about hunting with it.

Right now I'm using the 54 caliber REAL over 60 grains of T7 and it seems decently stout enough to kill a deer or wild hog in South Texas.

Since I don't see as well as I did when I was younger I had to change out the sights. I installed a Lyman peep on the tang and a red fiber optic on the front.

I tried 530 balls with prelubed patches but it was clownshoes....8 inch groups at 50 yards. I did have to pound the ball down into the barrel so I'm sure its a fit issue. Now I have 526 balls and an assortment of dry patches so I'll start the process of figuring out what combination it likes.

I also just received 10lbs of Schuetzen 3F powder so now I can begin shooting real black powder. I'm really interested in seeing the differences.

So on Thursday I am headed down into the South Texas brush country to hunt for a couple days and hopefully I'll have a chance to do a bit of live testing. Shots down there in that brush are pretty close so I should have some good opportunities.

Happy hunting Russ! That Renegade will be a hammer for hogs!

 

[jackpine54]

Welcome to the addiction....I mean club. Good luck on the hunt! Don't forget to post the pictures.

 

[Des52]

There isn't a dam thing wrong with a Renegade as a first BP rifle. It was my first as well, a no frills good gun. Mine has put down more deer than any other gun I own. I was using mine before we had a black powder season here because I knew it would get the job done. Mine likes 90gr of 2F for round balls and 110gr for maxis. You will buy more BP guns that are more HC and better looking but better I don't know.

 

[Jim]

. . . . . .You will buy more BP guns that are more HC and better looking but better I don't know.

Des52 . . . .Please educate me . . . .

What does “HC” mean?

 

[mooman76]

I think he meant PC.

 

[Cherrybow]

HC= historically correct

 

[Grenadier1758]

PC is Period Correct.

During the time period, (the whatever the item under discussion is) existed. Fire pistons existed during the 18th century, but were unheard of in colonial America. Philippines Islands​

HC is Historically Correct.

At a specific place and specific time frame the item under discussion can be documented to have been in use. Long Land Pattern Muskets during the French and Indian War.​

​

Something can be Period Correct but not be Historically Correct. The wearing of bifocal glasses is probably one of these debatable topics. Ben Franklin developed the half frame bifocal reading glasses in the colonial time period. These would be very rare and can not be placed as part of a soldier's wear in a historical context. Nor would safety glasses be historically correct or period correct. We accept multiform glasses and safety glasses for protection and corrective lens glasses so we can enjoy the hobby.

Let's not make starting the journey in this very enjoyable hobby too difficult by obsessing about HC and PC distinctions.

 

[Russ Clagett]

So I've done some more work and have a progress report.

I went down to South Texas to a friend's ranch for a final hunt for the season. I zeroed the rifle after putting the Lyman peep on the tang, and was able to hit well out to the length of his berm, which is about 85 yards.

Then I tried the 54 maxi balls and the rifle loved them, so I'll be ordering a mold for those.

Then I went to real black powder and starting sorting out the patched round ball thing. It turns out my rifle likes a 526 ball with a spit patch of .15 and 100 grains of 3F powder. I didn't shoot it on paper but I was able to hit the smaller sized clay pigeons at 85 yards every time. After a short time I started shooting golf balls, and when I didn't hit them I at least moved them.

After about 8 shots I started swabbing the bore just so I could shoot some more and that's when we noticed two javelina walk onto the range...and the fun began.

It takes a minute to swab the bore and get the rifle reloaded, but we got it done. Now came the field test.

Once I had a patched ball loaded up I stalked the javy through the brush and shot one of them at about 40 yards. I could not believe how hard and fast that round ball put down that javelina.

Javy's are not big animals, but still. It hit like a hammer, and I have no issues hunting deer or hogs with it after seeing that.

Now I need a mold for a 526 round ball, and I'll likely get one for the maxi too, just in case I really want to crush something.

The real black was great fun to shoot with, but as y'all know, it is much dirtier. The fouling seemed easier to deal with and I was able to load and shoot several shots before I needed to swab the barrel.

At the end of the day, a little water and a shot of Dawn cleaned it up really quick.

Now that the season is over for me, I'll do some range work and really dial in the load. I'll probly bump up the charge and see what happens too.

Then it's time to start in on the feral hogs.

I can't believe how much fun this is, and how effective these black powder rifles really are.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Welcome to the dark side, Enjoy the never-ending journey.

 

[user 48679]

It sounds like you've hit the ground running, Russ - Nice going ! !

 

[Phil Coffins]

Now that you’ve seen what a round ball will do it makes shooting slugs the expensive way to get more recoil and the same results.

 

[BoomStick]

An early 70's renegade was also my first BP gun (new to me in '93), served me well for 20 years before I started picking up other guns. Just a note of caution (as you mentioned bump up the charge), if yours didn't have the manual, T/C has the max load in .54 cal at 120 grains of 2F. I generally believe 3F has 10% more energy for volume, so you might be at an equivalent of 110 or so in 2F. Certainly within the safe limits, but I have seen new shooters given advice when working up loads to try some unnecessarily stout charges for a gun 30+ years old...

 

[dave951]

Welcome to the addiction. If you want see how deep this rabbit hole can go, try North South Skirmish Association competition with Civil War era guns including artillery. We ain't reenactors, we shoot live rounds in competition. While I used to Civil War reenact, there's no thrill in reenacting to equal pulling the lanyard on a live howitzer.

 

[Stony Broke]

So I've done some more work and have a progress report.

I went down to South Texas to a friend's ranch for a final hunt for the season. I zeroed the rifle after putting the Lyman peep on the tang, and was able to hit well out to the length of his berm, which is about 85 yards.

Then I tried the 54 maxi balls and the rifle loved them, so I'll be ordering a mold for those.

Then I went to real black powder and starting sorting out the patched round ball thing. It turns out my rifle likes a 526 ball with a spit patch of .15 and 100 grains of 3F powder. I didn't shoot it on paper but I was able to hit the smaller sized clay pigeons at 85 yards every time. After a short time I started shooting golf balls, and when I didn't hit them I at least moved them.

After about 8 shots I started swabbing the bore just so I could shoot some more and that's when we noticed two javelina walk onto the range...and the fun began.

It takes a minute to swab the bore and get the rifle reloaded, but we got it done. Now came the field test.

Once I had a patched ball loaded up I stalked the javy through the brush and shot one of them at about 40 yards. I could not believe how hard and fast that round ball put down that javelina.

Javy's are not big animals, but still. It hit like a hammer, and I have no issues hunting deer or hogs with it after seeing thateverything

Now I need a mold for a 526 round ball, and I'll likely get one for the maxi too, just in case I really want to crush something.

The real black was great fun to shoot with, but as y'all know, it is much dirtier. The fouling seemed easier to deal with and I was able to load and shoot several shots before I needed to swab the barrel.

At the end of the day, a little water and a shot of Dawn cleaned it up really quick.

Now that the season is over for me, I'll do some range work and really dial in the load. I'll probly bump up the charge and see what happens too.

Then it's time to start in on the feral hogs.

I can't believe how much fun this is, and how effective these black powder rifles really are.

You are going to have a lot of fun with that rifle. It's got everything you'll need for some really fun hunting and maybe match shooting too. Have a ball keep us updated !!

 

[CyrusP]

Excellent story!!! Congrats on getting it blooded. I had a TC Renegade many years ago. It shot really well. Not sure why I sold it.

 

[Omahkapi'si]

My "other" rifles don't see much action anymore since I got hooked on muzzleloading. Good luck & enjoy.

 

[nchawkeye]

A couple of things you might try, drop your charge to 80grs FFF, less powder, less fouling, still more than enough for hunting...Second, start trying to find a good patch lube...For years I have used SnoSeal, yep the stuff you waterproof leather with ...There are 567,987 different patch lube out there, I'm sure others will chime in with their favorites as well...

 

[deerstalkert]

10# of Schuetzen? what is your address? when will you be gone?
the wonderful thing about the Renegade and Hawkens is the quick handling. and the accuracy. and the weight. and the price point you can get them for.
I have several things in my bucket list. A Javy, a Russian Boar, and a Alligator. i envy you the proximity to all those.
it sounds like you have found your rifles sweet spot load wise. by all means play around with load combos, that is what we live and breathe for.
May your journey be long and pleasant!

 

[Russ Clagett]

Deerstalkert....I got the powder from a place outside Amarillo, in Claude, Texas. American traders or something like that. Just in case you need some.

I envy you sir...north Idaho...I hunted there a few years ago and fell in love with the place. You have critters, plenty of public land, and those amazing mountains.

Are you close to Sandpoint or Bonners Ferry?