Thompson/Center Renegade Hunting Load Help

[northmn]

Personally I wonder if RB's don't get puched a little too fast also. I shot a deer in the neck up close with a 50, loaded with 90 grs. 3f. The deer bounced when it went down but I never saw an exit hole. Never found the ball either. RB's do decelerate very rapidly. There used to be a theory that the gains over 1800 fps muzzle velocity were really not worth it down range. The English used to used moderate powder charges behind large bores which worked well for them. An individual I built a rifle for killed an 8 point buck with his 62 RB and 70 grains of powder. He was close but the deer didn't go that far either. A .600 ball still blows a pretty big hole.

Northmn

[Rattus58]

So too does a 58 roundball.... Mine run between 1450 and 1600 max.

Aloha

[Digital Dan]

Jester, I had one of those once that shot quite well with the maxi-ball and 90 grs. of 2Fg or 50 grs under the same RB you speak of. I never went to higher charge with the RB but would think it might take a bit more before the groups open much. Shot extremely well with the RB FWIW.

The shoulder abuse with that piece was resolved with a pad. LOP was too short for me and it smarted with the Maxi balls. After the pad was added, no problem at all. The gun is, in my opinion, a hunting piece, not art. I treated it so. I also think that 100 yards is pushing the envelope a bit with round balls....

[JesterGrin_1]

Thank You Dan. The thoughts on this rifle I must say are all over the place lol. But I kinda knew this going in lol. Everyone has there own way of thinking when it comes to Black Powder.

So I guess I am going to put the gun up for this year and stick with my other arms. As the shortest range I can get is between 100 and 125 yards and goes up from there lol. And with the South TEXAS cactus and thorns on everything that will either bite you or stick you I do not really wish to track a Deer down in it lol. Not to mention all of those nice little 6 foot or so rattle snakes lol.

[Tom W.]

Just an aside, I've found that the fabric from the front pockets of worn out blue jeans makes the best patch material that I've ever found. An old worn out pair doesn't hit the trash with it's pockets intact at my house!

I've also found that the Maxiballs have a bit more authority than the round balls. I usually save the RB for small game, altho I have a stout enough charge to take a deer.

[northmn]

As to tracking deer, after 40 years of shooting them I can tell you that you will be tracking them whether you hit them with a Maxi-Ball, RB, 270 or 45-70. To avoid tracking you have to break bones or take out the Central Nervous System. I helped my son's friend find an 8-point buck hit by a 300 WM. He started tracking, I knew the area and found the buck almost where one went I shot with a 270 in the worst section of blowdowns in the area. Sometimes a deer hit in the ribs will drop on the spot, more often they run a ways. I have shot too many deer to get excited about super powerful loads or guns, they spend a lot of the extra energy on landscape and not in the game.

Northmn

[daniel lawecki]

Blammer Im new to muzzleloading TC Renegade TC Maxi Hunter 355gr. It looks like 80grs of Hodgon Select Rs FFG would work in my TC? Last time I shot muzzy was in the 80s. Advice would help been watching videos.

[Blammer]

Yep 80gr of FFg equivelent will be just fine. Ie the Hodgdon select RS should be fine. Use a mag pimer on the black powder substitutes, as they tend to take more heat to light off.

[MosinRob]

I have a Renagade in .54. I shoot 60gr goex ff with a .018 PRB. It cuts playing cards in half. hope this helps