Why a .56 smoothbore???

I'm not at all new to the muzzleloading game, actually I have been hunting and shooting one of some kind or another for around 20 years. I Prefer my .54 Renegade with .530 PRB and 90gr 777 over any gun in my cabinet for deer and just a day out shooting but for the life of me for some reason I just can't figure out what the heck a fellow could use a .56 smoothbore rifle for shooting PRB's??? Am I missing something here or what? Just how accurate are they or can they be? What was/is their actual intended purpose? Looking for all the info I can find on this topic. i guess it is just me, Heck as far as a smoothbore goes I honestly didn't even know such existed until I found this website, unless I had seen/heard of one and it just didn't interest me for some odd reason. Again looking forward to some info on the topic.

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

I've seen and shot a few smooth bores that were surprisingly accurate when shooting RB's. Having such a firearm that can deliver a deadly RB at 100 yards or shot at 40 yards would be an advantage for most folks on the frontier and I'm sure there are those who want that versatility today.

Not sure this is correct, but my understanding is that it was Thompson Centers solution to a Pennslyvania law about what type of firearm could be used during their black powder only season. I am sure others will chime in here with more information for you.

I believe the .56's by T/C were originally intended for use in states that only allowed smooth bored muzzleloaders for big game season. I only tried mine with shot loads and got satisfactory results for small game loads out to 25 yards. I think most folks are happy with deer accuracy out to 60-70 yards with most smoothbores, although some claim better.

The regulation for smoothbore may have been for Massachusetts. Pa never required smoothbore, but still has a flintlock only, late MLer season.

I bought one cheap and knew it had some issues and found it to be pitted so I sent the barrel to bob hoyt and got a 62 rifle. I have been playing again with my renegade 54 cal it is the go to gun.

The booklet titled,
"SHOOTING THOMPSON/CENTER SIDELOCK BLACK POWDER MUZZLELOADING FIREARMS" c. 2006 speaking of roundballs says:

".550" DIAMETER (265 grs.) Use with patch material No.7034, No.7044,
No.7133, or No.7137 in .56 caliber models." (p 68).

Unfortunately, they don't say where to get these odd .550 diameter roundballs.

It's just my humble opinion but I don't think a shot at a range further than 50 yards at a deer should be taken with a smoothbore.

Even with a good shooting smoothbore it can be difficult to hold shots inside a 7 inch circle at that distance.

smoke-pole said:

I just can't figure out what the heck a fellow could use a .56 smoothbore rifle for

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Haveing owned one and giving a full work out with roundball and assorted shot sizes and charges,
I have to agree with you 100%. I never figured it out either.

I guess it was OK, but when compared to a rilfed bore and/or shot preformance with a 20ga, the thing was ready to pass on to another feller to experiment with.

“... what the heck a fellow could use a .56 smooth bore ...”

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If the choice came down to, do you want a 54 cal rifle or a 56 cal smooth bore, which would you choose? :hmm:
The answer is obvious and I suspect everyone would choose the 54 cal rifle. :grin:
And to further add to the why, a 56 cal SB in a hex barrel? Not my first choice either.
Do they work? Probably, but again given the choice why would you want one?

Zonie,

A friend won a match with a TC renegade in 56 cal, shooting against all sorts of rifles :grin:

I have a 50 cal flint smooth rifle which easily shoots 6 inch groups at 75 yds offhand.

excess650 said:

The regulation for smoothbore may have been for Massachusetts. Pa never required smoothbore, but still has a flintlock only, late MLer season.

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This is correct a long with R.I who had an old 1840's law on the books which required a smooth bore. T/C answer was the .56 Renegade. Not sure when Mass changed it's regs but we finally abolished the old law and allowed rifled muzzle loaders here back in 1983. I worked at a bait & Tackle shop at the time and actually bought my first rifled Renegade for hunting then with many others. The .56 and stuff for it stuck around a couple more years but I remember balls and stuff got harder and harder to get until the last die hards finally hung em up or sold em off here.

Identity 56 cal equal to 28 ga?

Buttonbuck, what is Bob Hoyt's turn-around time for rebores?

Zonie said:

It's just my humble opinion but I don't think a shot at a range further than 50 yards at a deer should be taken with a smoothbore.

Even with a good shooting smoothbore it can be difficult to hold shots inside a 7 inch circle at that distance.

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Well, you couldn't be more wrong. Those 56s indeed did arise from a Mass & RI law and cast RB could be found in every sport shop back in the day.

Also, like all older T/C products, they were built well and shot great too! Before I got HC on my BP arms I had rigged a 56 Renegade w/ an aperture peep off the wrist and using pillow ticking for a patch, along w/ W-Lube, that 56 would put 5-shots into one ragged hole off the bench @ 50-yards!

My buddy still has that particular gun and the grain and figure in the stock is to die for. I only sold it as I sold off all my "cap" guns when I discovered flintlocks and matchlocks ...

I was in town earlier this year at a gun store. The owner was closing out on all of his traditional muzzleloading items.
He gave me 50% off of everything I purchased. I bought a new T.C. .550 RB Mould for $15.00. They are hard to find. They appear to be similar to a Lyman mould. My Lyman mould handles do fit them.

He did an awesome job in about 4-6 weeks as memory serves. I had to push up my shooting schedule he tells people longer to be on the safe side.