T/C Renegade in 50 cal with a bonus

[justtim]

Howdy boys and girls. I have not been to the forum for quite some time. Sometimes I think I have way too many irons in the fire. LOL
Yesterday at our monthly muzzle loading shoot a fellow brought for a friend a gun to try and sell. T/C Renegade in 50 caliber.But the bonus part is, it also had a Green Mt drop in in 62 caliber smooth. The 62 was in the stock and quite frankly I do not think the rifle barrel has ever been shot. There is not a hint of it. And it's a 1-66" twist.
I have been debating what to do for my now 9 year old grandson for deer hunting next year. He's been accompanying me on hunts this year and has bagged a few squirrels with his .410. When big enough and old enough he'll have his choice of two or three of my flintlock deer rifles so what I have been needing is a "bridge the gap" gun. I believe this Renegade will fill the bill.
The seller wanted $400, I got him down to $350 and think I came out all right on it. I have looked at GMs website and it appears they no longer offer the 62 smoothbore drop in and that T/C no longer makes the Renegade. Correct on both ? I really never kept track much of the factory gun scene and figure most have gone inline exclusively.
When the boy makes the move up into one of the longrifles I'll probably sell the Renegade, so I think my investment is sound.

 

[BrownBear]

You done good. I've seen the 62 barrels going for as high as $250 lately, though $200 is more the norm. Makes for a pretty cheap Renegade!

 

[ryoung14]

I think you came out just fine. Those slow twist PRB barrels, whether GM or TC, are sweet shooters.

However, I do think that gun will be a bit of a handful for a boy. The Renegade uses 1" barrels and they are heavy, especially in .50 cal.

 

[longrifle346]

There's a deal there sir. But I agree that the Renegade is gonna be a handful for a boy. A lot can be done to help him out with it though. Shorten up the stock, slim it down a bit, maybe bore that 50 to 54...and find him a good set of shooting sticks!

 

[justtim]

All good points to ponder. I suppose I could shorten the stock and cut back the 50 cal barrel to make it more juvenile friendly and sell off the 62 smooth barrel. At $200 for it that leaves me a quality gun for $150. That will barely buy a barrel today.
I know I'm "gun" spoiling the boy but ain't it fun ? Before he was born I had a .22 cal flintlock rifle waiting for him. Very cute gun but not real practical. For his 5th I made him a 20 ga English flint shotgun. That's why he does not need the 62 drop in. He has a .32 for paper punching, so a deer gun is needed. Something to think about.

 

[BrownBear]

Speaking only for kids I know and not your own, you might find that even cut down, the Renegade is still pretty hefty for small shooters. I went along similar paths for my granddaughter (now 12), but to this day her favorite and all her buds' favorite is the Pedersoli 50 cal Frontier Carbine. At around 6 pounds it's easy for them to hold and shoot, and to their young eyes looks more like a "real" muzzleloader, whatever that means. In any case, with about a dozen to pick from in my racks, that's the one that gets the most play.

Doesn't mean you should pass on the Renegade and continue down the mod path, but I'd sure keep your eyes open for the Frontier carbine too.