Renegade Wedge Pin

[Omega218r]

Hi all

Have a question for you all. I have been shooting one of my Renegade's and the first range session went very well, nice grouping at 50 yards with a PRB. Did another range session to find the sights needed adjusting and didn't have a drift so took it home and made adjustments. This range session it was a consistent shooter at 100 yards but was way right. The 50 yard session it was shooting to the right as well and it made sense it would shoot even further right at 100 yards. Took it home, removed the barrel and did a full clean.

Since then I have been in an epic battle with its accuracy or lack of accuracy. Went back to the range and shot at 100 yards you couldn't call where the ball was going to hit, there could easily be 12-18" between shots with some very low, very high and the occasional shot where I aimed. I was shooting very carefully but couldn't get any form of accuracy. I switched to conicals with the same result, all over the place no matter how careful the shot. Took it home frustrated.

Went out for another session with the same result, all over the place with no idea where the conical was going to hit and tried 10 grains more powder, loading pressure and other things to no avail even back to PRB. The last thing I did was take the wedge pin out and turn it around, it fit much tighter turned around. I shot two patches round balls before running out of the proper patches and was encouraged, 2 next to each other about 2" apart at 85 yards. I then shot one conical before I ran out of time and had to go. The conical hit right where I aimed. Those last three shots were the most consistent shots in a row I had in many shots. Sadly have not been back to the range since.

So my question and theory is the barrel was moving around but need to get back to the range to test the theory some more. I do not remember how the wedge pin was installed before as this is a relatively recent Renegade I had purchased. The last time the wedge pin was put in it would go most of the way in with thumb pressure and had to be tapped the last 1/4 of and inch at most.

Your thoughts please

Mark

 

[Howie1968]

I mark my wedge pins with fingernail polish I experienced the same now I know my best accuracy comes from the wedge pin the same direction every time

 

[bubba.50]

simple enough thing to check. shoot it a couple times & if every shot looks like a flier turn the wedge over & see if it changes anything. if it doesn't check the fit of the barrel itself in the barrel channel.

 

[don hepler]

I have a rifle or two marked with a center punch mark, up near the top. I also install all wedges from the right to left, so the pin goes back the same each time. I don't know how much difference it makes, but that's the way it fits the best.

 

[pwbsmokey]

I scratched a "T" on the top of my wedge pins.

 

[Black Hand]

I made the wedges captive - no worries about loss or returning them to the same position. They come out enough to remove the barrel but can't be removed from the stock without removing the escutcheon inlay....

 

[SgtMaj65]

I've always put my Renegade wedge pin in left to right, and don't pay attention if it goes in the same way every time or not. I have seen zero difference in my target shooting accuracy, which is quite good with the Renegade. But, I'm certainly no expert.

 

[Maven]

I do what you do SgtMaj. Also, after cleaning & reassembling my Renegade the other day, I noticed the wedge was a tighter fit if oriented (top/bottom) one way rather than another.

All, You can mark your wedges in various ways, but if you look carefully, you'll see a small circle near the tip, which should serve the same purpose.

 

[robinsroost]

I always put the wedge pins in left to right, on all of my guns. I hold the fore arm with my left hand and I want the smoothest part of the pin against my hand. Keep yer powder dry..........robin :hmm:

 

[jpm1963]

One thing I did on my Lyman GPR was to fold up a patch and put some WD-40 on it (just so it would not attract moisture and rust) then put the patch under the barrel half way to the wedge.

This put some tension on the whole affair - helped tighten up the group and keep the wedge from loosening.

Jim

 

[Rifleman1776]

With my two TC half-breed rifles (Douglas barrels with target sights), one a 'hawken', the other a Seneca, I have put a strip of leather in the barrel channel just forward of the breech area. Been there of decades. Both these rifles can find the 'X' if I'm doing my job right.

 

[SgtMaj65]

Just a thought, but when you did your shooting, was your ramrod in your Renegade or did you leave it out for loading/cleaning? I'm not sure if that would make any difference at all, but when I'm target shooting, my wood ramrod is always in my .50-cal. and I use a range rod. My wood rammer fits in VERY snug under the barrel in the pipes. Maybe I'm over thinking this or I'm full of beans. Anyone ... would having the wood rammer in place in the pipes make any difference? Just something to think about.

 

[azmntman]

Dunno but I always stick it back in too. If nuthin else it would slightly affect the overall weight of the rifle?

 

[Omega218r]

I actually never shoot with the ramrod in regardless of target shooting or hunting.

 

[Rifleman1776]

My wood rammer fits in VERY snug under the barrel in the pipes.

Very common condition with almost all rifles, factory and custom made. In humid weather it can be a real issue, sometimes making puttting or even removing an impossibility. All my rods, even synthetic, that go on the rifle get tapered. I do use my lathe but hold while sanding down. Rods (wiping sticks) I see in museums usually are tapered.

 

[azmntman]

I actually never shoot with the ramrod in regardless of target shooting or hunting.

so when hunting you carry the ram rod outside the gun, like in the other hand? :hmm:

 

[Black Hand]

I actually never shoot with the ramrod in regardless of target shooting or hunting.

Why?
The little tube-shaped thingies below the barrel are made to hold the rammer when not in use.... :grin:

 

[Black Hand]

My wood rammer fits in VERY snug under the barrel in the pipes.

Scrape until a little less snug...

 

[Omega218r]

No, I remove the ramrod when hunting and it is in the thimbles when walking to and from the stand. I remove it simply because I target shoot without it in.

 

[azmntman]

I actually never shoot with the ramrod in regardless of target shooting or hunting.

I must have mis read :idunno: