renegade .56

[rudy parnell]

Roamer, I am just getting the hang of the forum and really the computer...so what does that mean...PM ? Sure would like to try some of that stuff. Don't know exactly how to make a secure contact. I do know that you probably don't won't to give out alot of personal information over the net. Perhaps the moderator...can help. They have all the classified information on file...I do know that much. Thanks!

 

[pennsyltucky]

20ga overpowder cards wont go down my 20ga bore because of the modified choke. fiber wads have alot of troubles too. so i doubt u will get them down ur bore. if u did u would get a ton of recoil from the extreme drag on their way out.

 

[roundball]

Texan, I took the tc/56 down to the local gunshop today and a couple of the fellars confirmed the bore size to be .568 with a micrometer. The gauge tool went in also and it is bigger than a 20ga. full choke. Realize that a 20ga. is .620, I think. I'm wondering if 20ga. cards and wads won't get it done? And finally, no doubt you can hit the bucket with your 54cal. but, think you'd do better with the .550 ball. But, there I go....thinking again. Preciate all you guys in the forum...this has added greatly to my overall enjoyment of the sport. Thanks! everybody.

.20's will be too big...you need to get .28ga sets of overpowder, cushion, and overshot wads for the .56cal.

 

[rudy parnell]

Roundball, I found the website for October Country. I read you "load and clear" on the 28ga. What do you think about the 24ga. over shot card that Texan has mentioned. I would just as soon stay inside the 28ga. since you can use the same size for over/powder and over/shot...correct? Would you please speak to the charge issue....musket cap or #11 rifle? Many thanks for your attention and your patience.

 

[roundball]

Roundball, I found the website for October Country. I read you "load and clear" on the 28ga. What do you think about the 24ga. over shot card that Texan has mentioned. I would just as soon stay inside the 28ga. since you can use the same size for over/powder and over/shot...correct? Would you please speak to the charge issue....musket cap or #11 rifle? Many thanks for your attention and your patience.

I experimented with:
80grns PyrodexRS and 70grns Goex 3F
.28ga Overpowder card
.28ga lubed cushion wad...sliced 1/2" wads in half and used 3 halves layered (three .58cal oxyoke wonderwads also work fine)
Paper shotcup
1+1/8oz #6's
.28ga overshot card
CCI#11 Magnum caps

Be sure you get an actual "flat" shotgun jag...if you try to use a "cup shaped" ball jag when seating the overshot card, it will curve the card into a "dome shape", thus making it's diameter shorter than if flat, and it won't grip the walls of the bore tight enough.

Never worked the .56cal percussion smoothbore beyond range testing as I was transitioning into Flintlocks at that time, got a .62cal Flint smoothbore, and all smoothbore activity since then has been with the Flintlock.
:hmm:...wonder if I could get TC to convert a .56 SB barrel to Flint...

 

[Rebel]

Rudy, PM means private message. You do this by clicking on the persons name. Yhis will take you to a page with all there info on it(Profile page). At the bottom of the page, on the left side, you will see a line that says send personal message. Click on that and it will take you to where you type in your PM. then go down to the bottom, after you finish typing it, and click SEND.

 

[roundball]

This is worth bookmarking too...

http://www.circlefly.com/

 

[rudy parnell]

Hey! Texan, I must have been snoozing when I read your post. There sure ain't nothing wrong with a 6" group off-hand at fifty yards...really with most anything. I will say that your reports might be more of a test of your shooting skill than the load, however....make sense? Suggest you try the sand bag and very the light available to your iron sights...maybe blacken the sights...and very your trips to the range over several days. Ain't say'in that you can't slap something silly with what you got...just maybe there is something alittle better..out there. I will tell you, if I find it. Thanks again for your attention.

 

[taylorh]

Went home and checked the bore with a micrometer. It measured exactly .555, no more. The first posting I made was a misprint, sorry. Otherwise the .550 balls wouldn't go in obviously. I checked it with a bore gauge and it registered 26 gauge. I used a 24 gauge over-shot card, and it is a tight fit (curling at the edges). Don't know why the differences. :hmm:

 

[pennsyltucky]

Roundball
:hmm:...wonder if I could get TC to convert a .56 SB barrel to Flint...

u could do it yourself like i did mine..... works very well.

 

[roundball]

Roundball
:hmm:...wonder if I could get TC to convert a .56 SB barrel to Flint...

u could do it yourself like i did mine..... works very well.

Don't have the skills or the tools...I'd let TC do it...$85 includes a flint breechplug, vent liner, complete reblue, lifetime warranty, and shipping

 

[rudy parnell]

Thanks for the report on the exact measure. That clears up any confusion on my part and reveals an interesting curiosity as to the variant in individual barrels. I'll report on my loading proceedures and range results as soon as I can. I just got to believe that with that fellar in NY killing a big Jake that"the little 56" will do nicely on squirrel. I probably will stick to my 50ca. T/C Heavy Barrel Renegade for the whitetail. You wouldn't believe how thick and heavy this gun is. I like storytelling...but this ain't no story...I can hit 6" bulls at 150 yards...and consistently. I know that ain't Buffalo hunting at over a thousand yards...I read from Larry McMurrtry that Buffalo Bill killed a big bull at 1500 yards. I don't know about all that, but I feel that 150 yards is not an ethical shot on whitetail with traditional black powder and pure lead projectiles....what do you think about that? Thanks again Texan...really appreciate you and all the folks in the forum..and thank you very much to the MusketMan for doing his part.

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

Don't have the skills or the tools...I'd let TC do it...$85 includes a flint breechplug, vent liner, complete reblue, lifetime warranty, and shipping

Don't forget 'bout me... don't have the "patience" to do it too! Actually, if that is the real total price for it, that's not all that bad a deal! In fact, it sounds like a great deal! Gunsmithing is awfully expensive around here--since the one guy I knew very well retired.

Now, I just need to find (the money first!) another Renegade .56 for around a $100 or so--and then, save up the next $100 for my shipping costs and the money to pay T/C to do the transformation job.

If I had more good sense that the "wants", I'd have kept every muzzleloader that I've ever had, and I probably wouldn't need ANY other guns anymore. It's just a shame that I never considered there'd come a day when the finances required a lot of shuffling, and trading of the muzzleloader(s) I have/had--to get the one(s) I "wanted". Live and learn--hopefully...

Has anybody out there had that conversion done? I'd like to hear how well it worked for you.

I know the T/C "Renny" .56 SB caplock will work on squirrels out to at least 30yds if I'm careful with loading procedures.

Shoot Safely!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[rudy parnell]

Shot the 56cal. smoothbore at 25yds for the very first time. I was alittle anxious since the gun came from the flea market and I actually purchased it from someone that happened by [not a real dealer not even a wheeler dealer]. I shot a 20lb. dry dog food bag draped over a wire sign hanger, like you'd see a realestate sale sign affixed too. The target area is 23 or 24 inches tall and 15 or 16 inches wide...depending on how the bag lay. Reading from the top left ,section off the bag into 4 quadrants. There were a total of 89 pellets or hits. The hits were...20% 1st quadrant, 30% 2nd quadrant, 20% 3rd quadrant, and 30% 4th quadrant. I used 60gr. pyrodex and probably... 1 and 1/8 ounces of #9 shot. I'm not sure about the shot measure and need a little help. QUESTION: Mec 700 shotbar #302-118....how much is that ? I don't have a chart anymore...it's been so long since I actually loaded anything. By the way...General Musketman...thanks for the graphic on the correct way to load a smoothbore...I used one piece each, of a triple sectioned shot card for over/powder and over/shot....then I cut a 1/2 inch shotcushion wad in half....that would be a 1/4 inch cushion and covered it in duck butter....[Lube 1000]. I am pretty sure the wads came from CircleFly, thanks to Roamer. Next shot will be the round ball and I'm going to look in the reloading cabinet for some 7 1/2 shot. Again, someone please let me know about the shot volume. Thanks.

 

[Rebel]

Do you have an adjustable powder meaurer? If so the 70 gr setting equals 1 oz of lead shot. The 80 gr equals 1 1/8 oz. The 90 gr equals 1 1/4 oz. Each 10 gr increment is 1/8 oz of shot.

 

[rudy parnell]

Rebel, that is an extremly valuable piece of information...about the volumic measure as it correlates to both shot and powder. I will not hesitate to use that in my trips to the range and in the field...er' WOODS. And, just to let everyone know...I shot the roundball in the "little 56" and she is a keeper. I'm beginning to think that I might of got WV Hillbilly's old gun when I made that purchase at the Hillsville Flea Market on Labor Day! I used 80gr. of Pyrodex and 1/4 of an Army Issue Cleaning Patch for the old M-14 ,that I had left over from my time in service. The patches were issued at 2&1/2" by 2&1/2". So, I folded the patch and cut it into 2 equal pieces and then folded each of the pieces and cut them also. The result is a 1&1/4" patch upon which, I put a dab of duck butter [T/C Lube 1000]. I then placed the Warren .550 spruless ball square in the middle and pushed it HOME. The load is deadly accurate and ,if you join up with me and the" ARMY OF THE EAST " you'll get to see for yourself. You sure don't want to be downrange OR on the other side from this "little 56".

 

[Rebel]

Glad to be of help. Sounds like ya got a winner there. Have fun.

 

[taylorh]

Just to cap things off, I have found that the best shot load for this gun (.56 renegade) is 70gr pyrodex, 28 gauge circle-fly overpowder card and wad, 1 ounce shot (70gr by volume), followed by a 24 gauge overshot card. I have tried various types of shotcups (paper, plastic, etc) and have found that all of these loads leave some holes in the pattern. Thats my experience for what it is worth.