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.54 Renegade

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My ever expanding 'pile of stuff' completed a T/C Renegade in .54 percussion. This new contraption has what i vaguely remember a QLA at the muzzle ... it looks as though the rifling stops about an inch and a half before the crown.

I put a factory Vernier rear sight on it, and i'm searching for a front sight.

So: 'dumb question' time ... what sort of accuracy should i expect from my new (frankengun) rifle?
 
What kind of accuracy?
That depends mainly on what your load is and on your abilities.

All of these muzzleloading rifles have definite likes and dislikes when it comes to the loads you use in them and each gun is different.

If you're using patched roundballs, the size of the ball, the thickness of the patch, the type of powder (2Fg, 3Fg), the amount of powder, the patch lube and even the ramrod force when you seat the ball can effect the accuracy. That's why people take the time to test different combinations, (plus it is a good excuse to shoot the gun).

If you already have worked out a good powder,/ powder load,/patch/ball combination the vernier sight will probably improve the accuracy but how much is really up to your ability to control the trigger and follow thru after the gun fires.
 
I have a .54 cal. T/C Renegade and am very happy with the accuracy. A couple of weeks ago I lined up four 2 lt. bottles at 35 yards. Using 70 grains of FFFG Triple 7, a .530 round ball and lubed pillow ticking took them out in five shots. First shot hit, second shot hit, third shot miss, fourth shot hit and fifth shot hit.........four dead bottles.
 
My Renegade's best combos are:
80 grains of 3f with a .018" pillow ticking patch lubed with mink oil, and a .530 RB. Go light on the mink oil, it is very slick and doesn't take much.
100 grains of 2f with a Hornady GPB. This conical is now discontinued, but thought I'd share anyway.

It shoots decent with 75 grains of 2f. I'm sure it would shoot decent with a higher charge of 2f, but I haven't tested too extensively with 2f like I have 3f. 80 grains or higher of 2f showed bad patch failure, but that was with a .015" patch and a different lube when I was first starting out.
It also shoots decent with Hoppes BP solvent and patch lube, Frontier's anti-rust and patch lube, and a 6:1 ratio Dutch Schultz style dry lube with Castor oil and denatured alcohol. Store bought .015" TC pre-lubed patches with Natural Loob 1000 also shoot well if they aren't too old.
 
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I have gotten pretty good results shooting 90 grains of 2F (RS) Pyrodex and T/C pre-lubed patches in mine with both .530 and .535 rb. The .535 were pretty hard to load with the pre-lubed patches but was considerably easier when I tried them with pillow ticking. Not really sure the thickness of the pillow ticking I have but I think its old because my patches are in really bad condition after shooting but accuracy doesn't seem to suffer.
 
I shoot a .530 RB with .010 lubed patch with 100grns. FF, and sometimes a 435 grain lubed Maxi-ball with 100grns. FF.
I used to have a .54 cal. Rennie with a cut down 19" barrel (that I bought for $50 in 2001) that I shot that Maxi-ball with 120grns. FF.
 
I bought my first Renegade some 40 years ago. Back then when the bore was new and shiny, using home cast maxi-balls (440 grs. as cast), 105 grs. Pyrodex RS, TC lube (the brown stuff they sold then), the rifle would shoot 5 shot cloverleaf groups at 50 yards on a regular basis. This was and still is my elk hunting load when I use that rifle.
 
Back when i had young eyes 70gr pyrodex RS gehind a .535 ball with a wally-world pre-lubed patch and 90gr pyrodex RS behind a bore butter lubed maxi ball would shoot three-shot cloverleafs at 75yds and shot to the same point of aim.
 
For a plain Jane, Nutnfancy rifle those Renegades seem to be some rugged, very dependable rifles. I've had my .50 cal. for over 30 years and the only time I had any failures it was my fault, not the rifles.
 
Back in the '70's my step dad had a T/C Hawken with the brass patch box, nose cap, etc., etc. that he used for hunting but he had all the brass taped up with brown tape. I asked him why and he said "So it doesn't reflect sunlight and scare the deer". What? The Hawken then cost about $50 - $75 more than the Renegade. seems like a waste of money for something that wouldn't be seen.........
 
I bought mine in kit form from a place called ‘Bowhunters Discount Warehouse’. I believe it was in either Ohio or Pennsylvania. Me and my brother pooled our money and bought a Renegade kit and a Lyman Great Plains kit. Both in 54cal percussion. With postage the Renegade came to the princely sum of $118.00 the Great Plains clocked in 5 bucks higher at $123.00. The Hawken kit was about 25 bucks higher than the Great Plains at the time.
 
Thank you all for your kind responses. I've had a .50 cal flinter since the early '80s (when i had all of my hair and none of it was white) ... My present contraption sort of assembled itself on my bench after i came into a T/C vernier sight. Wondering if the sight is worth all the bother, or if i'm just trying to B.S. myself ... a slug with paper patching? spirit level front sight?
 
I bought several TCs from the Bowhunters Discount Warehouse. I can't remember if it was there or Ron Shirks Shooters Supply but one of them always had an end of year clearance sale on Renegades, they sold them on sale for $90. This had to be in the mid to late 70s when Alabama was just starting to have either sex M/L hunts on their management areas, prior to the M/L hunts the state was strictly hunting for bucks only.
 
Bought my first on in the mid '80s, and i've had great luck with them ... never had a failure to fire that wasn't my fault ... there are a bunch of folks who look down their noses at 'em, but they always 'get the job done' in my estimation.
 

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