Rediscovered my Renegade

[SgtMaj65]

I've had a .50-cal. T/C Renegade for decades now, and mostly only used it for deer hunting, and not at the range. We had a new outdoor range open a year and a half ago and I've been going out weekly over the past two months trying different configurations of patched ball lube, patches and BP loads, but I'm interested in what others do.
I did all my testing at 25 yards and with excellent results on patched balls. Is 25 yards a good test, or is 50 yards better? Or 35 yards? My 67-year-old eyes aren't as good as they used to be, so the 25-yard seemed logical. Just wondering what others shoot when they are testing various configurations. I'm using bench with sand bags. I've been very impressed with results using patched .490 ball with both .015 linen or .018 ticking patches with TOW mink oil and Goex ff, having only really used Hornady Great Plains 385 grain and T/C 370-grain Maxi-Balls previously. The Renegade is far more accurate than my very average shooting eyes and I only use stock open iron sights. Is 25 yards a good accuracy test, or is 50 more realistic for testing? I live in a breezy state (Oklahoma, where a 10 mph wind is a calm day) so I realize wind is always a factor at greater than 50 yards, as are the eyes.

 

[Boomerang]

25 yards is fine to start out with to see how small you can get your groups, but even at 25 yards, a light cross wind will drift your ball off course. If there is a breeze, I try to shoot into or with it to minimize the effect of it. Once you get it dialed in at 25 then go to 50 and see how you do. Sight it in for the distance you want to shoot at the most.

 

[don hepler]

We are the same age, and I shoot a little better with a peep sight. It allows me to stretch my shooting distances a few yards farther. I shoot pretty good at 60-70 yards and can ring the 12 inch gong at 100 yds. on a regular basis.

Target color, size and shape can make a lot of difference, at our age. Also, I do not hesitate to change out a sight, in order to get the sight picture that I prefer.

The more that you shoot open sights, the better that you will shoot. That's been my observation.

I shoot regularly at 25 and 50 but 60 to 70 is still acceptable. If I'm using the rifle, to hunt with, most of my shots will be less than 40 yards. And....I admit that I have missed a couple of shots at that distance, but probably because of the shooting position, rather than my ability to shoot or see the sights. It is difficult to shoot to my right, being right-handed.

My Renegade has a Green Mountain barrel, which shoots a round ball, very well.

 

[VJM]

I like to shoot 50-60 most of the time for working up loads and general practice. My max for hunting is about the same, maybe 70 or so. Open sights and older eyes limit me. I have had an old bone stock Renegade for a long time and it is a real tack driver. Good guns.

 

[rdstrain49]

Check your in box.

 

[Don Steele]

I don't believe 25 yds is the most reliable range to be testing variations in your load combination.
It's fun to shoot them offhand at 25...we all enjoy good results more than bad ones so 25yds gives us a better chance to enjoy our range time. :thumbsup:
That said...when I want to experiment with a change in any of the components that go into making up a "Shot"...I do it off a good rest from 50 yds. where differences in performance are more likely to show up.

 

[excess650]

I've always started at 50 yards and did my development there. After I was satisfied, I shot 100 yards to check grouping and point of impact. These days most of my range time is other than on the bench. I'll shoot offhand mostly, sometimes sitting or kneeling. As much as I would prefer shots at big game inside 50 yards, I KNOW that I can make the shots at 100 yards.

Sights? As much as I like a peep, most of my rifles have barrel sights. I tend to widen and deepen the rear notch to improve visibility.

Practice should enhance confidence regardless of the distance you're shooting. Spending lots of time shooting at YOUR self imposed maximum range makes the closer shots a breeze. :thumbsup:

 

[Kansas Jake]

I will do initial sighting in at 25, but move to 50 yards for most shooting. The exception is my smaller bore 32 and 36. I shoot them mostly at shorter ranges, but do some shooting at 50 with them.

 

[SgtMaj65]

Gentlemen, good feedback and suggestions all. I shot a target a month ago patched balls at 35 yards and it was basically the same as my 25 yard targets ”” all center grouped and very tidy. So, the next fairly calm day I get, I'm moving the target back to 50, then 75 yards. Gotta shoot a while longer to get out to 100 yds. My range is configured where I almost always have some crosswind.
And, one more question ... I've been using 60 and 70 grains of Goex ff, should I go to 75 or 80 grains ff at 100 yards, and is that overkill and am I just wasting BP? This is on patched ball, not conicals.
My 100-yard range almost exclusively sees AR-15 builds, .223 and scoped .270 and .30-06 deer rifles. I get a real kick and turn heads when I cut loose with 70 grains and a cloud of smoke. I always get a bunch of "damns" and questions. Too many young guys don't "get it" about BP.
A couple of young guys last time out didn't really know what black powder was (sigh).

 

[don hepler]

Get a flintlock, and you'll really get their attention.

 

[Kansas Jake]

60-70 grains should be fine at 100 yards unless you are building a load for hunting out to 100, and even then 60-70 will kill a deer at that range.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I get a real kick and turn heads when I cut loose with 70 grains and a cloud of smoke. I always get a bunch of "damns" and questions. Too many young guys don't "get it" about BP.
A couple of young guys last time out didn't really know what black powder was (sigh).

That's the best part...all the Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot looks and comments! Tell them Davy Crockett and let them give it a while. I've made many a convert that way! :wink: When one asks "What the hell was that?" I just give them a simple "Black powder and white smoke!" :thumbsup:

 

[SgtMaj65]

I've been on the Glocktalk forum way too long. You gentlemen talk more my language!! When I get done at the range with my Renegade or my .58-cal. Enfield, I want to have greasy hands, smeared and smudged with BP ... and my garage smelling of burnt sulphur when I clean 'em up!

 

[Don Steele]

"I've been on the Glocktalk forum way too long"
:rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:
Doesn't take long does it..??? :shake:

Here's another suggestion...before you leave the range, run a couple of patches down your bore with whatever you use to clean. Spit or plain water are fine...or any of the myriad special BP cleaning products out there, homemade or otherwise. Point is, those 2 patches will take out enough of the "gunk" that when you get home for the REAL cleaning...you'll notice a LOT less sulfur smell. Others around your house might appreciate that. :wink:

 

[rdstrain49]

And just what is wrong with the smell of BP residue and cleaning solvent, home made or otherwise? :wink:

 

[Boomerang]

And just what is wrong with the smell of BP residue and cleaning solvent, home made or otherwise? :wink:

Ya, too bad they don't make after shave that smells like that! :haha:

 

[SgtMaj65]

Yeah, wife hates the smell but I kind of like it in a twisted way lol. I do usually run a bore butter patch down the barrel before I leave the range, hadn't thought about a cleaner patch. I'll have to try it.
When I was actively Civil War re-enacting, we always boiled up water in tin bales over a campfire after a battle to clean up our Enfields. We were always so grimy and smelly nobody much noticed the BP residue smell :wink:

 

[SgtMaj65]

I went to the range Sunday for my fourth session shooting my T/C .50-cal. Renegade at 50 yards with patched round balls. I'm still really new to PRBs, having previously only shot conicals for 30-plus years deer hunting. So, I've experimented with different patching, lubes and BP loads. I'd been going with .015 linen and 70 grains of Goex ff, using TOW mink oil with fairly good results. I backed off to 60 grains of ffg and went to .018 ticking patches on Hornady .490 balls. Here's what I shot, with a 10-12 mph quartering wind to my right front, which is a calm day in Northern Oklahoma. I shot from the bench using homemade sand bags and swabbed barrel after each shot. I know this would be a good hunting grouping, but how about target grouping? Just a note, the last five PRBs were all in the green center and my best shots of the 12 round balls I touched off. I'm sure I can do a bit better if I take just a bit more time. All 12 balls are in the 4-inch circle, and 5 in the 2-inch. I'm not going out to 75 yards just yet. Will wait until warmer and maybe less-breezy weather for that.

 

[Bent Sight]

I started shooting black powder less than three weeks ago and am glad you posted about your Renegade. I think your group looks pretty darn good. I am going to try the same charge weight for my Renegade and see how it groups.

My vision is rapidly going south, which is why I was drawn to the large sights on the Thompson Center Renegade. I took my .50 caliber Renegade out to the range today and chronographed a load with 80g Pyrodex, a .490" round ball, CVA lubed patch and CCI # 11 cap. I also shot a 5 round group at 50 meters.

Average Velocity was 1553 fps and the group was 1-1/4" wide x 2-1/4" High. I was not doing a very good job shooting thick line of white hold, which may account for the vertical stringing.

A lighter plinking load of 40g Pyrodex grouped 2-1/4" Wide x 3-3/4" High last week, so it would appear the Renegade shoots better groups with higher charge weights. I think your 12 shot group bears that out.

Once you feel you have found the optimum charge weight for shooting patched round ball, please share your load recipe with the rest of us.

 

[SgtMaj65]

Will do. I'm kind of on my own out here at my rifle range so I can't really share information with other muzzleloaders. It's all AR-15s and .223 builds. I've yet to see a smoke pole out here when I'm shooting, and constantly have to wade through all the .223 casings. They don't know what they are missing!! :thumbsup: