TC 56 SB

[410-er]

I picked this up this summer and little time to work with it.I have a .550 RB mold coming.Going to try the .010 patch.
Other option is bare RB with OP card and OS card over RB.Should I use a fiber under the RB?
What kind of groups should I expect?

 

[Wes/Tex]

Will let the shooters here who own one to give you their best loads, but I've never shot two smoothbores that liked the identical load set-ups. You'll probably need to try with and without cushion wads, over shot & powder cards or patched balls. Of the guns I've had, two that were nearly identical pieces shot best, one with cushion wad and patched ball and the other liked no cushion wad and a bare ball with an over shot card! think of it as another excuse to say, "Sorry dear, can't go curtain shopping, need to check out more loads for the smoothie!"...oh, yeah, I can see that working!! :rotf:

 

[roundball]

I picked this up this summer and little time to work with it.I have a .550 RB mold coming.Going to try the .010 patch.
Other option is bare RB with OP card and OS card over RB.Should I use a fiber under the RB?
What kind of groups should I expect?

I had one and to be honest never found a PRB combo I liked using the large .550" ball...thin little .010" patch isn't good for much IMO.
I've read posts over the years where people got good groups using smaller balls and thicker patches...the MLF search feature will probably turn up those threads.

As an aside, if you stay with caplocks, that large heavy 1" T/C barrel makes an excellent all around barrel when bored out to a .62cal (20 gauge)...doves, squirrel, rabbits, turkey, plus deer...Bobby Hoyt bores them out for about $60.
As a related example, in the case of a .620" bore, a .600" ball and .020" patch has given me basically rifle like accuracy to at least the 50yds I've put it on paper.

 

[majg1234]

I've had good luck with mine about 4" or less @ 50yrds .550 RB patched with .010 ticking, beeswax and olive oil lube,Oxyoke 62 cal felt wad over 80gr ffg goex.

Good luck and make smoke BTW shot charges are 7/8oz 60gr goex ffg felt wad over powder shot card over shot.Tree rats are really scared of this one :grin:

 

[nkbj]

Will let the shooters here who own one to give you their best loads, but I've never shot two smoothbores that liked the identical load set-ups. You'll probably need to try with and without cushion wads, over shot & powder cards or patched balls. Of the guns I've had, two that were nearly identical pieces shot best, one with cushion wad and patched ball and the other liked no cushion wad and a bare ball with an over shot card! think of it as another excuse to say, "Sorry dear, can't go curtain shopping, need to check out more loads for the smoothie!"...oh, yeah, I can see that working!! :rotf:

Always, always, go curtain shopping.

 

[nwtradegun]

535 rd ball anf 18 thou used in a hoyt rebore to 550 on a t/c barrel for my lyman trade gun. 80 gr. swiss 3f

 

[Maven]

I have one of those SB's as well and find it groups very well @ 25 yds. with the .550" RB (Lyman mould) and .010" patch + 70grs. - 80grs. FFg. However, it groups even better with a 3/16" x 5/8" dia. [lubed] felt wad over the powder charge. Although the .010" patch material is thinner than I would have preferred, I haven't yet experienced a "blown" one. Btw, many on this forum recommended using a .535" RB with thicker patches. I tried that, but the groups opened signifcantly (almost 2x as large as the .550" RB groups).

 

[WMR]

I had a TC 56SB and it did well with 550 and pillow ticking patch. Took a woodchuck right under his ear at about 40 yds only using 50 grs ffg. You could almost run along beside the ball.