Renegade .54

[lorren68]

I done some trading and picked up a T/C renegade in .54 today, I need to clean it up a little and try it at the range. I got some of the 420grain buffalo bullets with it, but I want to use roundball to. I will be picking brains during load development. Where can I get factory load data for it?

 

[necchi]

Right here;
there's load data,, http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals/noncurrent/Shooting_TC_Side_Lock_Black_Powder_Guns.pdf

 

[lorren68]

I jus finished looking there. They do not list the renegade, but I found load data for a .54. It appears that 120gr FFg is max load, that is what I was looking for. I cant wait to go to the range and try it.

 

[cynthialee]

I have that gun.
I have been trying to get it figured out with somewhat acceptable results, but I am starting to think it wants more powder than I can handle. I got up to 85 grains of 3f powder with a round ball and it was starting beat me up.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I shoot 90 gr FFg out of my .54 Renegade and it will blow through both sides of a whitetail with a .53" round ball. You might lose accuracy with a round ball at 120 grains.

 

[lorren68]

I dont plan on shooting max loads, I just like to know where it is. I hope it will group best below 90gr of powder, I am not a big fan of mule kicks. I shoot 75gr of FFFg Goex in my .50 Hawken, low recoil and good accuracy.

 

[VEARL]

I shoot 80 Gr. of 3F in my Renegade 54 Cal.
It shoots RB better than conical.
I put a cloth or fiber wad between powder and patched ball. Seems to help my groups a lot.
Enjoy that rifle. They are good hunting guns.
I'm working up a load for a recently purchased 58 Cal Big Bore T. C.
Vearl

 

[Ken Rummer]

I was putting the butt of my 54 renegade on my shoulder and 90 gr 3F hurt. I bought a Past recoil pad so I could shoot in the summer in a tee shirt.
I finally took the advice of this forums veteran shooters and started putting the butt plate on my upper arm. No more recoil problems at 90 gr 3F.
However at 120 gr the hurt is sneaking up on me again but I don't need this load very often.

 

[Rat Trapper]

For recoil take an old shirt and sew in some foam rubber padding. Or you could get one of those cloth NRA high power rifle shooting jackets.

I shot a lot of 120 grains of Triple Seven 2F with Hornady great plains bullets and got great accuracy.

With round balls I've had good luck with 90-100 grains of either Goex or Triple seven. With these loads never felt the need to use a padded shirt either.

 

[necchi]

I jus finished looking there. They do not list the renegade, but I found load data for a .54

Well yeah, I think the part that says
"For Use With .54 Caliber T/C Rifles"
Applies in this case,,
I'm sorry, I read that you wanted "Factory" data and offered that data for you as the TC factory provides it for us.

 

[lorren68]

I was refering to finding the data there after your post. Although it did not have a manuel for the renegade I looked at the very post you refrenced in your last post for the max load data for a .54. You actually found (or new where it was already) exactly what I was looking for, I want to thank you for the link and taking the time to post it for me.

 

[lorren68]

Well I done some more trading and the .54 is gone. :cursing: I never even got to fire it :cursing: :cursing: but I could not pass up the offer.

Never tell someone to make an offer unless you plan on getting rid of it! :haha:

 

[cynthialee]

I have done that on occasion.

But after the trade is done I start to guilt myself for not making sure it would fire safely before I let it go out of my hands.

 

[lorren68]

I must confess to the whole story! I worked out a trade for the express purpose of trading it to my friend Tim. He had a .54 years ago (15 or more)that he introduced me to muzzleloaders with, unfortunatly due to financial conditions (His wife is in bad shape) he had to sell the gun to pay bills. At the time I was into high powered rifles (think 300mag with bull barrel) so I ws not intrested in it, now that all I want to shoot are muzzleloader I wanted my friend to have one to. He knew I was working on the trade for the gun as soon as talks began, as soon as the deal was done he was ready to come look at it. I took an old Savage 30/06 as trade for the rifle, horn, powder, bullets, flask, and starter (I gave him a shooting pouch last year to use with his "other muzzleloader". Now my friend can enjoy the "life style" he helped to get me started in with me.

 

[Huntin_Dawg1215]

Good deal

 

[BillinOregon]

Cynthia, try using FFg and you'll get a bit less pressure and recoil.
I'm dusting off the TC data in my old brain pan, and one thing I recall is that with the shallow rifling and 1:48 twist you need a pretty tight ball and batch combo for best accuracy. Also, the sweet spot is going to be smaller than it would be with a dedicated roundball barrel with slower twist and deeper rifling. In other words, you might get best accuracy within a range of 10 grains, say 80 to 90, in the TC barrel vs. 40 grains, say 80-to 120, in a Green Mountain round ball barrel with slower twist and deeper grooves.
That old steel Renegade buttplate is not shoulder friendly.

 

[aeatwood]

+1 on the 2F being a slightly softer shooting load, even w/ a scootch extra to match the velocity of 3f.

I have a Renegade w/ a 32" GM .58 barrel, and it does get a bit snappy w/ 120 2f. :grin:

 

[David Wittkopf]

I am also thinking of getting a Renegade or a Lymans trade rifle in 54cal. I like the straight stock on the renegade for hunting, opposed to the curved one on my 50cal. \Austin&Halleck.