Loading shot in my smoothbore

[dcalef3]

Anybody shoot the .56 Thompson renegade with shot? I have been wanting to try it out and was wondering if someone had some good load ideas. Also, what kind of powder is everyone shooting? I have had great results with the black mag but cant find it anymore. I was thinking of switching over to the goex or maybe the tripple 7. Ive shot the pyrodex before and gave it away after my fourth shot cause it was so dirty. Any and all opinions welcomed, thanks.

 

[Lonegun1894]

Any loads you see for your .56, or a .54 smoothbore, or a 28ga (which should be a .55 if a TRUE 28ga) will work in your gun, with the exception of possibly people like me that punch out our own cards to a specific size, .550" in my case, which would probably be a bit too small to use in yours, you would have to adjust the exact card diameter.

Here is what I use in my .54 smoothbore:

60gr FFFg, 2 cardboard OP cards, 1 oz #6 shot, 1 OS card

70gr FFFg, 1 cardboard OP card, 6" jute cord frayed into a ball of fiber for use as TOW, 1 more cardboard OP card, 1 3/4 oz #6 shot, 1 OS card

70 gr FFFg, 2 leather OP wad/cards, patched .527 RB

On that PRB load, I have acquired a .515" RB mold, because the .527" was not allowing me to use a patch with any real thickness to it so it didn't hold much lube at all. With the .515" RBs, I have been playing with using pillow ticking cloth and just loading it like a rifle without the leather wads/cards, with very good results so far. So now my PRB load is just powder, then the PRB down on top of that.

The first shot load listed is my light load, which is plenty for rabbit and squirrel, and I'm planning on trying for dove this next season, and should be safe in any .54-.56" smoothbore in good condition. HOWEVER, the second, that fires the 1 3/4oz of shot, I know is safe in my 15/16" full octagon straight smoothbore barrel, and would assume it should be in you TC Renegade .56" which IIRC is 1" straight octagon. But since people other than you and I will read this, who may have a weaker weapon than you and I are using, well, this load may turn their gun into a pipe bomb for all I know, so the rest of y'all better work up slowly, or better yet, not use a load that heavy to keep safe. That is my turkey load for my .54 smoothbore, and definitely not needed for small game. Actually, let me back up. That WAS my turkey load, til I found out I can legally use a single PRB fired out of this smoothbore, so I will be using the PRB load from here on out. No reason to beat myself and my gun up more than needed. As to powders, mine is a flinter, so I have to use real BP for reliable ignition, and use it for my caplocks also, so can't really comment on any of the substitute powders, but do know that real BP works great.

 

[ohio ramrod]

For my 28 gauge which is about the same I shoot 55 grain FF, two 1/4 inch leather wads, and 3/4 ounce shot in a paper shot cartridge made of three thickness of newspaper, tied with kite string, filled, twisted over and tied shut. I load the paper cartridge folded end out and don't use an over shot card.

 

[VEARL]

I use 60 Gr. of 2F black powder. Then I use 2 over shot cards atop of the powder. 1 1/8 OZ #6 shot. Top it all off with one overshot card.
I tried using the over powder wads , but they kept blowing out the center of the pattern.
Good load for rabbits, tree rats and cans.

 

[pmwest]

My favorite squirrel load is ¾ oz #5 chilled lead over an equal volume of FFg powder. Two oiled felt wads between shot and powder with one overshot.