TC 56 loads

[410-er]

Co-worker just picked up a TC 56 SB and asked for help with loads.It came with a mold for .550 RB's.He doesn't hunt and gave me wheel weights to use to melt.Little buggers are hard!
Any ideas on patch,powder,and loads for this thing?I never tried a SB.

 

[rabjr]

Talk about a blast from the past. Used to be lots of those here but in 83' the State went from a smoothbore only season to allowing rifling here, that caused the T/C .56 to pretty much go extinct here.

If I remember right a few friends were using that ball with a .10 patch and 70 to 80 grains of 2F Goex powder.

 

[shootemup]

60 grains 2f, .54 Wonder Wad, 100 grains volume equivalent #4 shot, Wonder Wad. Keep the shots close, 25 yards or less. Works fine on squirrels, real good for rabbit.

For roundball, 80 grains 2f, Wonder Wad, .55 roundball (unpatched), Wonder Wad. Gives acceptable hunting accuracy out to 50 yards or so.

I have really enjoyed mine, hope you and your friend enjoy his.
:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[paulvallandigham]

Sorry, but you will get better patterns using a lot less powder. Go to 1.5 drams of powder( 42 grains of FFg powder) and 1/2 oz. to 5/8 oz. of shot. Use 28 gauge OS cards, instead of the wonder wad. The wonder wad weighs too much and blows holes in the patterns. Pierce the OS cards off center with an awl and line 3-4 of them over the powder, so that the holes in the cards don't match. Then add the shot, and cover with 2 OS cards, again with the off center holes to let air out. The air separates the cards when they leave the barrel, and being so light, they quickly are stopped by air, and fall to the ground, leaving your pattern in better shape. A heavy load in a 28 gauge is 3/4 oz of shot, and 2 drams of powder.( 55 grains) Its not needed for small game( squirrel, rabbit, etc.)Read the V.M. Starr article on Bob Spenser's Black Powder notebook site.
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/starr.html[/url]

 

[shootemup]

Sorry, but you will get better patterns using a lot less powder. Go to 1.5 drams of powder( 42 grains of FFg powder) and 1/2 oz. to 5/8 oz. of shot. Use 28 gauge OS cards, instead of the wonder wad. The wonder wad weighs too much and blows holes in the patterns. Pierce the OS cards off center with an awl and line 3-4 of them over the powder, so that the holes in the cards don't match. Then add the shot, and cover with 2 OS cards, again with the off center holes to let air out. The air separates the cards when they leave the barrel, and being so light, they quickly are stopped by air, and fall to the ground, leaving your pattern in better shape. A heavy load in a 28 gauge is 3/4 oz of shot, and 2 drams of powder.( 55 grains) Its not needed for small game( squirrel, rabbit, etc.)Read the V.M. Starr article on Bob Spenser's Black Powder notebook site.
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/starr.html[/url]

Paul,

I've been doing this for a long time, as have you. My experience with the Wonder Wads in the T/C .56 smoothbore is that they work well. They are not the only thing I ever tried in them, just what I have found to work the best.

The Wonder Wad is not so heavy as to blow holes in the pattern in my experience, and even with 60 grains of powder and my admittedly heavy load of shot relative to that powder load, this is a short-range weapon for small game. When we worked up a minimum load for my then nine year-old son with one of these guns I told him he could go squirrel hunting when he had a load that could shoot through a vegetable can. He just began to penetrate the can at 40 grains. A 42-grain load would be less than marginal in my opinion.

I have read the articles you mentioned and have corresponded with Bob Spencer many times. I agree that the articles are excellent as is the entire website. But any advice I give on any question is based on personal experience, and my experience with a T/C .56 smoothbore says 60 grains of 2f, .54 Wonder Wad, 100 grains volume equivalent #4 shot, Wonder Wad.

Do you own one of these guns?

Spot

 

[paulvallandigham]

Spot, no I don't own one of the guns. One of my club members owned one and fiddled with loads years ago, and could never get it to shoot satisfactory. He stopped bringing that barrel to the range, and I don't remember what he did with it. I have been working with light loads in my 20 gauge, which has no choke, and found that less is better.

Have you clocked that load over a chronograph to see what velocity you are getting out of the muzzle? I would be curious. One load or another, these are still 25 yard max. shotguns, and shooters should pick their shots accordingly. I am suspecting that our two recommended loads are not too far off in similar MV, and that your charge of #4 shot gives enough extra pellets to make them equal in punch to a lighter load of 7 1/2 or #8 shot. You load does it with single pellet energy; the load I recommend counts on multiple hits to get the energy even at these short ranges. I suspect we have two solutions to the same problem.

 

[roundball]

Yes, Oxyoke wonderwads work fine...used them in my TC .56 S/B when I used it, then switching to Flint, I continued to use them in my .54cal/.28ga and .62cal/.20ga Flint smoothbores with shot loads and would not do so if they blew holes in patterns...it's always best if people actually go to the range and conduct tests, then follow up with actual hands on hunting experiences, to finally state results with credibility.

For example..a turkey head is a very, very small target way out there, and there was no hole in the patterns when I dropped the first one at 40 yards and the second one at 30 yards this spring.

Have since used them on crows and squirrels...not a problem...the squirrel, also not a very big target, was almost 30 yards and using #4s which give a small pellet count to begin with, was hit with six #4s killing him instantly.

The tiny little 1/8" wool wads weigh next to nothing and have never blown any holes in any pattern that I've ever used them in...so enjoy!

:thumbsup:

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

I had one years ago, and I used 90ffG, a Wonder Wad, and .535 RB patched with old blue jeans.Pretty tight fit, but that load would SHOOT! 1 1/4" groups at 50 yards.

I had mine rifled to .58 caliber, and wish I hadn't.

Luck!

 

[410-er]

Think he is sticking to a RB load and not shot.

 

[roundball]

Think he is sticking to a RB load and not shot.

70grns Goex 3F
Oxyoke .58cal wonderwad
.015" lubed patch
.550 ball

A tight patch/ball combo and a good short starter is needed but very accurate

 

[nightwolf1974]

tell your friend to save himself money and his hair (from pulling it out,lol) and just take a .530 roundball and add (2) .015 patches. i too went through this when i got my T/C 56 cal. smoothbore. i use the above with 100grns. FF and get good result.

those little expensive .550s are a pain in the rear.

good luck dude!