TC 50 caliber 1:66:round ball load recommendation

[kelljp]

I traded for a TC round ball barrel, and can't dial in the load it likes.
Started at 70 grains FFFG goex, .490 ball and .15 pillow tick lubed patch.
Shoots dead on at 50 yards but is 3" high. Dropped powder to 60 grain and shot low 2 ". Tried several variations of powder charge and patches but can't get consistent accuracy.
Anybody shooting this barrel have a load that works for them, I would like the recipe.

 

[SDSmlf]

Started at 70 grains FFFG goex, .490 ball and .15 pillow tick lubed patch.
Shoots dead on at 50 yards but is 3" high. Dropped powder to 60 grain and shot low 2 ".

Would appear that your barrel is happy with 70 grains FFFG goex, .490 ball and .15 pillow tick lubed patch. If consistent, may be time to adjust your sights. Or am I missing something?

 

[kelljp]

Played with sights but couldn't get 2 rounds to impact together. Sandbagged gun trying to take me out of the equation. Sighting 3 other rifles with no problem. Barrel rifling looks excellent with bore scope.

 

[kyron4]

Maybe try a .018" pillow ticking patch or a .495" ball. Maybe bore is on the big side. Just a thought.

 

[Danny Ross]

I shoot 95grs of 2F in the same barrel using real Black Powder, with a .490 ball and a pillow ticking patch. When I was using Pyrodex I had issues with group consistency, Black Powder no issues. If you are shooting groups and shooting 3 inches high at 50yds, then just lower the rear sight. You don't need to play with powder charges to lower impact with an adjustable sight, if it is grouping. I shoot mine in at 1-2 inches high at 50yds using a 6 o'clock hold on a 1-1.5 inch orange dot, and just aim dead on when I am hunting. I am good out to 100yds at minute of deer, if I do my part. DANNY

 

[kelljp]

I'll try the FFG load and see. The problem I'm seeing is inconsistent grouping of shots. The 3 " high reference I stated, was the 1st shot after adjusting the rear sights it continues to drift. No 2 shots hit on the paper very close. Trying to eliminate my bad shooting, I always sandbag the gun. I sighted in 3 other rifles yesterday and had each shooting good groups in a few minutes.
This 1:66 roundball barrel is the hardest one to shoot groups I've ever had. Bore looks excellent with bore scope.

 

[Notchy Bob]

Unlikely, but another possibility might be your sights are shifting. I have an unmentionable revolver whose adjustable rear sight drifts. Again, it may be unlikely, but it would be a simple thing to check that screws and dovetails are snug.

Another somewhat remote possibility may be stress on the barrel, e.g. a wedge that is too tight, that may affect point of impact as the barrel warms with repeated shots.

Old-timers liked heavy barrels to absorb heat and vibration, or "whip." Barrels in the really early guns, and even the Hawken brothers' St. Louis rifles of the mid-century, were made of "dead iron," very soft metal with minimal springiness. These eventually gave way to steel many years ago, but I believe the trend toward thin-walled barrels really got traction in the mid to late 20th century.

Does your barrel have the QLA feature? This is a somewhat relieved bore at the muzzle to make loading easier. I have no experience with it, but some of the discussion on this forum indicates these don't always shoot as well as T/C's rifles without this feature.

Good luck with all of this!

Best regards,

Notchy Bob

 

[deermanok]

I have a Traditions Tennessee rifle, 1/66 twist barrel. That gun shot pretty horrible for me until I saw a video by Idaho Lewis last year.
I tried his method which was a .495 ball and 80 grains of 2f Swiss. He used a lightly lubed patch over the powder then the patched ball. .015 thick patch.
I tried it in my gun and couldn't believe the difference.
At 50 yards, all my shots were almost touching.
I was ready to just keep that gun as a wall hanger.

 

[kelljp]

I have a Traditions Tennessee rifle, 1/66 twist barrel. That gun shot pretty horrible for me until I saw a video by Idaho Lewis last year.
I tried his method which was a .495 ball and 80 grains of 2f Swiss. He used a lightly lubed patch over the powder then the patched ball. .015 thick patch.
I tried it in my gun and couldn't believe the difference.
At 50 yards, all my shots were almost touching.
I was ready to just keep that gun as a wall hanger.

I'll give it a try, I've always wanted one of these barrels.
I've found patches to be more important than I use to think. The TC manual references FFG in all it's loads. So there might be something to it.
I'm pretty sure it does not have the QLA feature.

 

[deermanok]

I'll give it a try, I've always wanted one of these barrels.
I've found patches to be more important than I use to think. The TC manual references FFG in all it's loads. So there might be something to it.
I'm pretty sure it does not have the QLA feature.

Patches and even the powder itself. I never thought much about either one myself. I discovered that there really is a difference.
I always shot Goex powder, then tried Swiss and Old Ensyford. Big difference. Too bad we can't get the OE anymore. I like that stuff.
It was cheaper than Swiss and about the same performance wise.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I have a T/C factory "Round Ball Twist" .54 Renegade and it has shot great with every load I have tried. Mostly Goex 2f (60-80 grains) but Pyrodex RS as well. I have used .530 balls (home cast and swagged) wrapped in pre-lubed .010 patches. I have only shot at 25 meters and woods walks but any bad hits were me, not the gun/load. This is one of my favorite rifles and I am surprised at yours, given a good bore, is not grouping consistently. I do have a .45 1:48 T/C barrel that I have not gotten to group yet despite a few attempts. Oh well, the journey is the fun I guess.

 

[user 28522]

Did this gun shoot OK with the previous barrel?It might be time for a new nipple, I recently noticed groups opening up on my GPR. After replacing the nipple it was right back to its old self. The hammer was not being thrown back to half cock but I did notice more fouling around the nipple but ignored it.
Try the simple things first ONE at a time.
Good luck

 

[Tannehill]

I have the tc Hawken with a gun 1:66 barrel. Use 70 grains fffg, .490 RB .15 patch, get consistent 50 yard groups. Might be nipple or sights as mentioned.

I use fffg in all my rifles and ffg in my sxs 12 ga.

 

[kelljp]

I have the tc Hawken with a gun 1:66 barrel. Use 70 grains fffg, .490 RB .15 patch, get consistent 50 yard groups. Might be nipple or sights as mentioned.

I use fffg in all my rifles and ffg in my sxs 12 ga.

I think I'm going switch the rear sight in a few days.
I've always used the caliber size divided by 2 and added back to the caliber size rule for a starting load ( 50 cal /2 + 50= 75 grain).

 

[dave951]

You said you sand bag tested the rifle. Some guns don't respond well to that. Also, the stock T/C sights are not the best for accurate shooting.

 

[LME]

I have a T/C factory "Round Ball Twist" .54 Renegade and it has shot great with every load I have tried. Mostly Goex 2f (60-80 grains) but Pyrodex RS as well. I have used .530 balls (home cast and swagged) wrapped in pre-lubed .010 patches. I have only shot at 25 meters and woods walks but any bad hits were me, not the gun/load. This is one of my favorite rifles and I am surprised at yours, given a good bore, is not grouping consistently. I do have a .45 1:48 T/C barrel that I have not gotten to group yet despite a few attempts. Oh well, the journey is the fun I guess.

I have helped a lot of new shooters get started with M.L.rifles. I personally have owned only four. The fast twist rifles alway shot a lighter load compared to the slow twist rifles. I could go down in the amount of powder and maintain accuracy but could not go over? Once I reached a certain spot. 80 grains for a .54 cal. with a slow twist rifling is exactly what I have found to be optimum load for best accuracy. I also found that a rifle with 1:48 twist and .54 cal ball always took a lighter charge? The last M.L.rifle I shot in for a friend was a T.C. .50 cal 1:48 twist I had to use 60 grains of powder max as accuracy started going off as the charge increased? This pattern has been my experience for many years. I also read of other people shooting charges in certain rifles that were over the amount I find works? I don`'t understand why my results are so different?

 

[hanshi]

I think nearly all the possible problems have been addressed already. But I will offer this: Check everything and make sure you have nothing that is loose/A higher front sight & a file will allow the rifle to be sighted in if they are not loose/Check your patches for cuts and burns, tighter loads are more consistent over all.

 

[kelljp]

I think nearly all the possible problems have been addressed already. But I will offer this: Check everything and make sure you have nothing that is loose/A higher front sight & a file will allow the rifle to be sighted in if they are not loose/Check your patches for cuts and burns, tighter loads are more consistent over all.

I've always heard people mentioned patch inspection for evaluation of their load, but I'm not sure what a post shot patch should look like. Maybe someone can post pictures of good versus bad patch sometime.

 

[Okie Hog]

Also, the stock T/C sights are not the best for accurate shooting.

IMO: The TC factory sights are abysmal.

 

[hanshi]

These are pretty good looking fired patches from my rifle. I most often patch with heavy canvas (.024") and they can be reused as well.