Another which bullet to cast for TC 1:48 twist question

[awebbersr]

In my 54 TC, I run 70 grains FFFG Goex under .530 ball with .018 pillow ticking. Takes out the bulls eye at 100 yards all day.

 

[fourbore]

I am definitely going to do some shooting with bullets (and balls). I ordered the REAL molds. I replaced the sights with a ladder/aperture rear and Lyman globe front. The front is a medium ht, not the x-high version TC offered. I test fired 5 rounds (using balls) and was able to zero at 50 yards with some (little)adjustment to spare. I stopped shooting when it became real hard to load. That was with only 60 gr FF, 530 swagged balls and pre-cut and lubed patches. I have balls and will shoot those as well.

Should I have run something down the barrel and kept shooting? I did not want to fill the patnt breach with residue. I have a funky shoulder. I can shoot easy - no pain with much bigger guns than this. But; ramming hard - not so much.

I forgot to say, this was a 54 Renegade.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have a T/C "Hawken" which has the same breech as your Renegade. I run patches down the bore on a regular basis. You do need a jag (and patch) that slides over the fouling and bunches up on the jag to pull the fouling out. After about 5 shots I will run the damp patch down to the breech. I then fire a cap to blow fouling from the breech chamber into the patch to be pulled out. That keeps the chamber clear.

Those REAL bullets will not necessarily be kind to your shoulder. Maxi balls in my 50 caliber left serious bruises.

 

[fourbore]

Thanks, I will try that - bunching up. I guess I will experiment with windex or something like that?

 

[SPQR70AD]

I think they are all 1:48. Designed for maxiballs. I will look at the Lee REAL family.

Edit:
I found Track of the Wolf carries those. I assume I want the heavier mold with 4 bands.

I have a 58 caliber Italian hawken chrome bore 1x48 twist. the Lee REAL bullet is very accurate in my rifle and so easy to load. I bought the Lee mold for it

 

[brassell31]

I started using the TC maxiball in my .54 Renegade about 1981. I used store bought at first but did not get great accuracy (good enough for hunting, though). I weighed some and discovered plus or minus 5 grain variations in weight. I started casting my own then and with the better consistency started shooting cloverleaf groups at 50 yards! I never played with the lube much, just used what TC was selling then, which was before bore butter. The tube came with an optional cap that had a hollow tube you could insert the bullet into and squeeze the lube right out of the tube into the lands. Very convenient. Pure lead is my first choice for bullet material as the front driving band is engraved at loading, wheel weights are much harder to push down the barrel. I did use wheel weights for awhile as it was the only economical lead available to me at the time. I found both kinds of lead worked equally well on deer and elk. Elk was the main reason I went with such a heavy bullet (440 grains from my mold). I came from a modern firearm background and the bigger the bullet, for hunting elk, the better was the thinking at the time. Still is. That said, I hunt more now with my .54 flint and round balls, and proper shot placement kills them just as dead as the maxiballs. When shooting maxis at the range, I found that the fouling and engraving makes it hard to load more than 2 shots in a row and so swab after every shot. Just a water dampened patch, not dripping, followed by a dry patch. My hunting load used to be 105 grains of Pyrodex RS, but in the last 15 years have started using real blackpowder only, usually Goex 2f. That gives me 3-1/2" groups off the bench at 100 yards, as accurate as I can shoot any open sighted rifle at that distance. A buddy of mine uses the Lee R.E.A.L bullets in his ml and gets similar results.