New guy looking for advice

[shcnnlly]

I've been wanting to get a .54cal or larger muzzleloader for hunting and range work (fun); shooting both conicals and round balls. Lyman's Trade Rifle and the Cabela's Hawken seem to draw consistant praise from this and other forums and are both within my price range.

I prefer the looks and the more traditional sights of the Trade Rifle but the Cabela's Hawken's double triggers also has me intrigued. Also, I found a used CVA in .58 Cal at a local gun shop. I live in Alaska, so bigger is better. The previous owner built it from a kit. I was tempted to snatch it up, but I nor anybody else at the shop knew anything about the barrel twist of the rifle. I still might go by and grab it if it is still there.

What say you?

 

[mark fish]

I bought a lyman GPR kit from sportsman warehouse here in Anchorage it turned out well and an accurate
shooter.
Gun Traders on tudor road have a few used .54's old TC that look to be in good condition.
If budjet is an issue. Good luck in your search And welcome. You soon will find out Blackpowder is a blast.

 

CVA with .58 cal, will probably be a roundball gun. It probably has 1 in 66 twist. To check it out run a patch all the way down it. Mark the ramrod at the end of the barrel with a pencil, for the end of barrel and the top flat. then pull it out slowly until it makes a quarter turn. the mark will now be on one of the side flats. Measure the distance the ramrod came out of the barrel and multiply by four, and you will have the twist rate. 1 in 66 will be a little over 16 inches. Early CVA kits had very good barrels. If it's in decent shape, and has a reasonable price, say around $200 or less, I'd go for it. Bill

 

[crockett]

Bigger is better, but that's bullet weight not bore size. A 54 conical will weight more than a 58 round ball. Go with whatever shoots the heaviest bullet the most accurately. If the twist on the 58 is 1/66 but the 54 in 1/48 or less, the 54 may be better.

 

[shcnnlly]

Thats what I'm thinkin' too. I like PRBs for target shooting and practice at the range; less bullet wieght = less recoil. Not that I think that PRBs can't be effective in the field, I just personally find more comfort in the heavier weight of conicals. Thats why I'm wanting a rifle that can do both. Hmm, maybe what I really need is two guns.

 

[amccall]

Another option is get a T/C used and buy a drop in barrel for the caliber that you do not have.
I have a T/C that I built when I was a teenager, many moons ago, with a 54 cal. barrel. I have been hunting with it ever since and love it. Lately I have been getting into competition shooting and bought a 40 cal. dropin barrel.
Lyman will do the same thing but I think there is less choices in barrels and the cost is a little more. If you can buy two rifles then go for it. Being married I have a thing my wife likes to call compromise. I looked up the word and what she calls compromise is nothing like the definition, oh well. :v

 

[shcnnlly]

Well, I did it. Actually, I had my wife do it. Saturday, I went over to Gun Traders in Anchorage and found a .50 cal TC Renegade priced pretty reasonably.(Thanks for the tip, oldguardguy.) I went home, thought about it, and realized I should've snagged the rifle then and there. My ever-gracious wife was more than happy to go pick it up for me today as I normally work late.

.50 cal is smaller than what I was hoping for so I plan on getting a GM barrel in a larger calibre for this rifle. For now, however, I'll just enjoy the rifle as it is.

 

[harryo]

.50 cal is smaller than what I was hoping for so I plan on getting a GM barrel in a larger calibre for this rifle. For now, however, I'll just enjoy the rifle as it is.

You should be quite happy with the Renegade. T/C's quality and service is great. The Renegade has a 1" barrel so you can get a GM drop in barrel in .58cal, for a rifled barrel, and it is a real hammer and if it is like mine, and all others I have heard about, it will be a tackdriver.

 

[harryo]

Well, I did it. Actually, I had my wife do it. Saturday, I went over to Gun Traders in Anchorage and found a .50 cal TC Renegade priced pretty reasonably.(Thanks for the tip, oldguardguy.) I went home, thought about it, and realized I should've snagged the rifle then and there. My ever-gracious wife was more than happy to go pick it up for me today as I normally work late.

I forgot to mention that if your Renegade is one of the older ones, when TC used a polyurethane type varnish on the stock, it will look 100% better if you strip the old varnish and refinish the stock with an oil finish, IMO.

Any paste type paint and varnish remover will easily remove the old finish. Paint it on the stock generously, let sit for about 15 minutes and remove it with medium steel wool. Repeat this once more and all the old varnish should be removed. Sand the whole stock with 220 grit sandpaper, buff with fine steel wool and apply some type of oil finish according to the directions. I have used tung oil and Danish oil finishes and both work great. TC's walnut stocks don't have a lot of character in the grain but the oil finish is much better than the varnish.

 

[shcnnlly]

I think my rifle is an older one; it has double triggers and a steel butt plate. I know that the newer ones have a rubber butt pad and a single trigger.