My "Ugly Duckling" Renegade

[tom in nc]

Some years back, in resolving shipping damages with what turned out to be an unscrupulous dealer, I ended up with an older T/C Renegade .50 caplock in a condition not as described. The bore wasn't excellent, it has a few scattered rough spots. The trigger guard is pretty scratched up, the stock gouged here and the, the ramrod missing, and a sling swivel stud placed too far up on the butt stock. Functionally it seems okay but the lock plate stands proud of the mortise and the original rear sight had been replaced a Williams aperture sight set quite a distance rear of the factory sight position. The front sight was the original blade found on the Renegade.

Fast forward to the past couple of months. Smelling an opportunity to move this Renegade from a dusty corner to a new owner I cleaned the rifle and toted it to the range to check function and accuracy. I didn't want to send a problem on to anyone. Well, the gun grouped fine at 50 yards despite the awkward sighting arrangement but shot low by 9"-10" with the rear sight set to the maximum elevation. I contacted the folks at Williams Gunsight to obtain a correct front sight, the one intended for use with their rear aperture. The people at Williams were really helpful.

While all of this was happening my window of opportunity to sell was rapidly closing. The fellow who wanted a muzzleloader lives 600 miles away and the plan was for me to bring him the rifle on a visit I'd planned. I wasn't going to have the new front sight replaced in time. I ended up taking a very nice T/C Hawken .50 I sold him instead. So now my focus is getting the new front sight installed and getting the Renegade checked out.

I recognized long ago I'm pretty much all thumbs so I had a guy at my club install the new front sight. I met him at our range yesterday and retrieved the barrel. The sight installation was perfect. I slid the elevation to what I guesstimated a correct distance and set a target at 25 yards. I next discovered I'd not checked my shooting box before leaving home. I had just enough stuff to shoot a five shot group or two. I was able to get four shots off from an improvised rest before someone called a target check. Those four shots hit dead on for windage and elevation with two cutting a figure eight.

I'm heading back to the range in a few days, after the weather warms up. I'll be well equipped this time for an extended shooting session. I'm hoping my "Ugly Duckling" Renegade turns out to be a winner.

Do you have an "Ugly Duckling"?

I was just about to say at least your gun has not been painted camo or had damn tacks stuck in the stock but...

 

[smokeum54]

My ugly duckling would have to be my dads old cva Kentucky hunter. Chunck missing from stock, ugly adjustable sights, backwards sights and cva hawken trigger guard. I luv my cva's but this combo looks goofy.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I've been away from here for quite a spell dealing with life. My "Ugly Duckling", the one in the initiating post, is shaping up to be a pretty fair shooter. The orange target shows the first four shots at 25 yards after installing the new, lower, front sight. The other target is five shots at 50 yards. The load for both, 70 grains FFG, .010 cotton ticking spit lubed patch wrapped around a .490 cast ball.

After viewing some of the responses here I'm not sure my Renegade could win an "Ugly Duckling" pageant. You fellows have some pretty good contenders identified here.

I might have another dog for the race, another of my internet adventures. It a Dimick style Mountain Arms Inc, Ozark MO .54 caliber percussion rifle. It's rear sight has been removed and a T/C peep sight added to the tang. The poured nose cap has a crack and the gun is in very used condition but the bore is excellent and it functions perfectly. I haven't shot it for quite a while but if I recall correctly it shot extremely well at 50 yards. I'll be taking it to the range soon.

 

[Big Tom 52]

LSB, nice work dressing up your Renegade! What make peep sight is that?

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

HA HA Yup it's actually a 40 cal with a 3/4" Douglass Barrel, siler locked percussion gun, its using TC Hawken Triggers, A hand made crude welded up trigger guard, and no but plate, 1/2 stock gun. I literally made this gun from scrap parts so the neighbor kid I mentored could go to the Rendezvous with us. The gun literally was built in a rush, and finished in half a day. The ram rod hole drifted left and came through forearm some. And it was stained with whatever stain I had on the shelf. The lil'gun was dubbed "Turd-Stick" but with the 4-letter version. But man does that gun shoot, it has won so many youth events and even used in victory by a few ladies. Its such an ugly gun though. I have promised to restock it so many times, but then it will kill the mystic and legendary status this gun has. So I haven't done it yet and maybe never will. I'll try and get a pic of this beauty posted later tonight.

 

[OldNo7]

I might have another dog for the race...

No, not true -- one dog was shot a few postings back, and the other ran off -- there are no more dogs on this posting.

Ugly Ducklings? Most likely!

Old No7

 

[LSB]

LSB, nice work dressing up your Renegade! What make peep sight is that?

It was an old CVA branded peep sight. I found it hanging on a rack of MZ supplies in a sporting good store in Pierre, South Dakota. The package was yellowed, dusty, and curled up. It looked like it had been hanging there for decades. Two drilled and tapped holes and it was installed. I really like it.

 

[Buff1958]

way back in the 1900s…… 1975ish I bought a really rough renegade in a pawn shop for $50.00.
I saved up and bought a green Mountain drop in round ball barrel and a decent set of triggers.
It was so ugly it was funny but….. If I didn’t win every shoot I went to, I was in the top 3 or 4.
I really miss that gun…. as well as 20 year old eyes and steadiness

 

[Bad Karma]

This one’s ugly, and a sleeper. White Mountain Carbine stock Hawken bbl Hoyt lined and bored/rifled .400/.408” 1:14” twist… it doesn’t look like much but oh boy, does she shoot. My great granddaughter has it now, learning to shoot long range muzzleloaders.