T/C Black Mountain Magnum 54 cal Rifle - use enough gun, but not too much!

[Bruce in WV]

I've had a great reminder this month that I need to match the gun to my needs.

I inherited a NIB 54 cal T/C Black Mountain Magnum rifle last month. The gun included a box of .530 RBs, a box of Buffalo Bullets 338gr HP/ HB bullets, a number of 250gr sabot'd JHP bullets, and a couple pounds of FFFG Swiss BP (2f would be much better), and 2 tins of musket caps. Very cool package, and I was looking forward to hunting with it this year.

The T/C load manual show BP load in the 80-120gr region with very respectable velocities, useful for everything from medium game to apex predators...

...but its too much gun for my area of the Mid-Atlantic Appalachians. I shot 10 rounds today using the 80gr loads for the RB and 338gr Buffalo Bullet bullets, the lowest listed loads, to see if I can adapt it to my deer hunting needs. The ergonomics are pretty good; it would be a nice shooter from a stand or blind, but its heavy for a stalking rifle. But, the problem is that those low velocity loads aren't particularly accurate with the lighter bullets and the 1x38 twist. Its got go down the road, maybe send it to a gun shop I know of in Idaho, where a big gun like this belongs.

I have the same problem with my beautiful 54 cal repro 1770's flintlock longrifle, which is why its a wall hanger. I'll keep it for sentimental reasons because of who gave it to me, but I suspect I won't shoot it more than one weekend a year at the gun club BP Jamboree.

I wish I hadn't given my 45 cal T/C Seneca (with an extra 36 cal barrel and all the T/C factory molds for RBs and maxiballs) to a local scouting program charity auction! That outfit did everything I needed...oh well, it was a good cause and all that...

Time to start haunting the small town gun shops around the area and see what else I can find before BP season.

[pietro]

//Life lesson rant//


I wish I hadn't given my 45 cal T/C Seneca (with an extra 36 cal barrel and all the T/C factory molds for RBs and maxiballs) to a local scouting program charity auction !

That outfit did everything I needed...oh well, it was a good cause and all that...

//Rant off//

I wish you could have gotten that wish - I still have/hunt with my .45 & .36 Seneca's...……

.

[megasupermagnum]

What exactly is the problem you don't like? Too much recoil? Weighs too much to carry?

[725]

One of our members in Swappin' & Sellin' had a nice T/C .54 Scout up for sale a few weeks ago. Maybe he still has it.

[megasupermagnum]

One of our members in Swappin' & Sellin' had a nice T/C .54 Scout up for sale a few weeks ago. Maybe he still has it.

No, it was a 50 caliber. If it was a 54, it would be in my gun rack right now.

[mooman76]

Nothing says you can't go below the 80 gr load. drop it to around 70 or even 65 with RBs, shouldn't be so bad.

[Bruce in WV]

Nothing says you can't go below the 80 gr load. drop it to around 70 or even 65 with RBs, shouldn't be so bad.

Good idea. The Goex chart lists 55gr of FF as the min load for 54 cal/236gr RB. I'll start there and work up.

[mooman76]

I don't know why it would have 55 gr as minimum. With BP there basically no minimum as far as saftey anyway but I usually start at grain equal to caliber rounded up to nearest 5. So 45 gr for a 45 and 55 for a 54. I would of coarse do more for hunting.

[fixit]

Agreed. I used to have a t/c renegade, and 25 grains was my plinking/small game load. With a patched r/b, starlings in my grandma's orchard were toast out beyond 30 yards.

[Bruce in WV]

Thank you all for the advice.

[Bruce in WV]

Update: Working on a whitetail load.
Round ball loads are all over the target with variety of patch materials, lube, and powder charges. Not a good choice.
Moved on to a different bullet - Buffalo Bullet ball-ets. Also poor accuracy, don't know why, but not my first choice, so not going to put a lot of effort into problem solving.
My first choice are the 54 cal T/C Maxi-Hunter and Maxi-Ball: they are the bullets the rifle was designed to shoot. I have a small number of Maxi- Hunters that I've been saving: I'll try them next.

Soooo.... the $64,000 question... do any board members cast either of these bullets and sell or trade them here? At my age, 100 bullets would be a lifetime supply for me, probably, if I can find them.
I would greatly appreciate help from the board finding a source. I would put a WTB note on the classifieds, of course, too, but don't have enough posts to post there.

ETA: I found some 54 cal Maxi-Balls NOS online and ordered 5 boxes. Keeping my fingers crossed that they can deliver the bullets.

[Prairie Cowboy]

For my TC .54 Renegade, I bought the factory TC maxi-ball aluminum mold, which is very smooth and chemically blackened. Maxi-balls cast from this mold proved to be very accurate with about 80 grains of FFg.

As I recall, the bullet could be pushed into the barrel as far as the first driving band, and then stop. A light tap using the ball end of my short starter like a mallet would engrave the soft lead nose band, and the maxi-ball could then be easily rammed home.

As long as the maxi-ball is:

1) a proper fit as described above,
2) cast of pure dead soft lead,
3) used in at least a 1:48 inch twist barrel, and not in a slow twist barrel,
4) and used with a charge of BP sufficient to cause its' soft lead base to obturate,

then accuracy should be very good.

While a .54 with a maxi-ball might be a little more than is necessary for deer where you are, I don't think that it would be excessive with a 70 grain charge of FFg. It will just punch a larger hole.

[dk17hmr]

I have a Black Mountain Magnum 54 caliber. It's a sledgehammer. I shot a Colorado mule deer with it.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...hlight=dk17hmr

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...ountain-magnum

My groups really started to come in with a over powder wad
https://www.ebay.com/itm/322868424986

It shoots ok with a round ball but really shoots well with heavy charges a bore button and a conical. Lyman great plains bullet does extremely well in my rifle and the lee real design does alright alright, the Hornady great plains conical is a excellent projectile if you can find them.

Consider switching the nipple out to take normal #11 caps instead of musket caps.

Also TC new englander barrels if it so if you find one that better suits your needs think about grabbing it. I have a 50 caliber new englander barrel in my safe that's a little rough on the inside that will likely become a 58 caliber.