Recommendation for 54 Cal Mold

[Glock Junkie]

I acquired a 54 Cal Muzzle Loader from my Father today. I'm a total Noob to Muzzle Loaders! Do you guys have any recommendations on a mold?

Thanx!

[mainiac]

Buy the lee roundball mold,,,no question,best bang for the buck! They make 2 rb,s for the .54,,,
.530,and .535,,,,i shoot the .530,with .018 thick patch.

[masscaster]

Hi Glock Junkie,
What's the twist? This'll determine if it's a ballitt or conical shooter.
What's the Bore & Groove diameter? This'll determine the proper size.
Is it an In-Line/Break Open or Traditional? If it's either of these forget the above & get Sabots.

Alot more info needed for an answer.

Jeff

[Glock Junkie]

Sorry for the lack of info. Its a Thompson Renegade 54 Cal with a 1 in 48 twist.

From what I have read I need to use soft lead to make my casts?

I'm a total Noob to the Smoke Sticks so any info will be of great help to me.

This rifle has been in my family for a long time, so it means a lot to me to do things right. Using the right lead, patches, powders, caps etc. I have no idea what I'm doing lol!

Thanx!

[HARRYMPOPE]

The Lyman .54 Great Plains mold is a good shooter but recoil is pretty bad.I like it for 50 cal but in 54 it beat me up too much on my cheek.It shot better than the TC maxiballs for me.My 1-48 TC Hawken with a .535 ball and .015 ticking patch shoot very well and have manageable recoil.Even though some people will say a 1-48 isn't a roundball twist dont believe it.Rifling depth seems to me to be the factor to get RB to shoot well(deeper for patched ball)My 1-48 .54 and 1-32 .50 cal shoots RB pretty darn good even at 100g loads.And if you cant get blackpowder locally Pyrodex "P" at about 60g will be a nice easy load with a RB and shoot well.

[Maven]

GJ, Yes, You need pure Pb and what HMP wrote is certainly true. Before you purchase any mold, e.g., roundball or conical, you may want to read this: http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals...owder_Guns.pdf

[Andrew Mason]

if you need any pure lead PM me.

i will gladly send some to a new muzzle loader shooter.

[Glock Junkie]

GJ, Yes, You need pure Pb and what HMP wrote is certainly true. Before you purchase any mold, e.g., roundball or conical, you may want to read this: http://www.tcarms.com/assets/manuals...owder_Guns.pdf

Thank You! That will be very helpful!

[Glock Junkie]

if you need any pure lead PM me.

i will gladly send some to a new muzzle loader shooter.

Thank You Very Much! That is very generous of you! I can't afford any lead right now and that will help me greatly! There are some very generous folks on this forum! I'm proud to be a member here and hopefully soon I can help folks like you guys do!

[turbo1889]

1:48 is a middle of the road twist. Not too fast for round-ball loads but not too slow for minie-balls (cast lead hollow base bullet shaped projectiles). Too slow for most sabot loads.

Measure your barrel dimensions. If they are the larger end of the spectrum one of the Lee R.E.A.L. molds might work pretty well for you.

[Glock Junkie]

My local store has these powders in stock. Which would be best in your opinion? Me being a Noob I would choose the Triple Seven powder.

Also, will these primers work for me?

[turbo1889]

I seriously doubt it uses 209 primers, usually that is only the modern inlines. Side-lock guns usually use #10 or #11 or "Musket" caps. I would strongly suggest you get a conversion nipple that lets you use the "Musket" caps - about the most reliable ignition in a conventional cap side-lock.

If it is a side-lock that is built to use 209 please tell us where to get that side-lock kit.

Also, you need to use FFG equivalent - the FFFG is too fine and burns too fast and is for pistols not rifles.

[Glock Junkie]

Thank You! That's why I asked before i bought something I can't use. I will check on this conversion kit you speak of.

Is this the kit?

[Maven]

GJ, The T/C Renegade uses a standard 1/4" x 28 threaded nipple designed for #11 percussion caps. (Some #10s will also fit.). There's nothing to be gained by going to a musket cap. Btw, that conversion kit in your earlier post isn't for the Renegade.

[Rich/WIS]

You want the Pyrodex RS, Hogdon's web site may have load data for ML rifles, used to give out free booklets with the data. #11 caps fit the TC nipple, get a capper as it is easiest to carry and install caps. If you can try and find some RB in .530 and .535 dia, and several different patch thicknesses to see which works best. Management of a ML is like any rifle, takes some practice. A good source for what you need is Track of the Wolf, Google it. Go to your local library and get Fadalas book, The Black Powder Handbook, it is a wealth of information and a read will get you up to speed. Cleaning is essential and Pyrodex is actually more corrosive that the original BP, remove the nipple and take the barrel off the stock (easy with the TC hooked breech system) and stick the breech in a plastic bucket, scrub well and rinse with clean hot water (hotter the better) and oil well and the barrel should last forever. The 1-48 twist will shoot RB with excellent accuray (original Hawken rifles were 1-48) and even with heavy loads will not kick too bad. ML are a lot fun, once you get past the learning curve you're in for a good time.

[Good Cheer]

Sorry for the lack of info. Its a Thompson Renegade 54 Cal with a 1 in 48 twist.

From what I have read I need to use soft lead to make my casts?

I'm a total Noob to the Smoke Sticks so any info will be of great help to me.

This rifle has been in my family for a long time, so it means a lot to me to do things right. Using the right lead, patches, powders, caps etc. I have no idea what I'm doing lol!

Thanx!

Congrads on receiving an American made finely crafted awesomely powerful killing machine. Got Renegades myself and love them. The TC Manual will tell you what you need to know. My brother had a .54 Renegade when we were kids that he shot maximum loaded .530 round ball in and handily plucked the heads off of small animals.

Cannot stress too much: Always remember to scrub it pin clean and don't spare the oil.

[Glock Junkie]

Thanx for all the info guys! Thanx Good Cheer, I'm proud of it and it means a lot to me. I will have my stuff together and ready to shoot by next week hopefully.

[7of7]

Glock Junkie, how did it go with the muzzle loader?

[waksupi]

Glock Junkie, how did it go with the muzzle loader?

Since this particular thief has been banned from the board, don't expect an answer soon.

[white eagle]

guess I won't give him any advice then..... what happened ??