Renegade Update

[joeb33050]

Getting the 50 caliber Renegade working correctly required a lot of advice, the advice kept the need for experimenting to a minimum.
I got a Green Mountain barrel because of trouble with the original, yet the man I sold the original barrel to has is working nicely now. The problem was me.
I got a Lee mold for .490" balls, couldn't get good lead bullets, was advised to smoke the mold with a butane grill lighter and pour the lead in the mold from the dipper-not put the dipper snout in the mold and turn. I did and I did and now it's easy to cast a lot of balls quick.
Acting on further advice, I went to Wal Mart and got 2 yards of pillow ticking, cut ~1.5" strips off for patches. More advice, from twotoescharley, led me to get Murphy's Oil Soap and neatsfoot oil, mix half and half, and get "moose snot" lube. I did and lubed the patch strips so that they are wet-but-not-dripping.
My eyes are letting me down with open sights; Steve Earle put scope blocks on the GM barrel and my tube sight works just fine-I can see to aim.
Wednesday, with 70 grains of Goex FFFg and the lee ball and patch as described; the rifle shot 50 shots without cleaning. There was a little resistance ~10" down, and ~2" above bottom, must be some fouling thing.
With few exceptions the gun shoots into a 3" black at 50 yards with many shots touching.
The blow out from the nipple hits the brass tube sight, so I put a piece of 1" i.d. plastic on the appropriate place to absorb the blow out.
This has been a fairly easy journey so far because of the advice I got here and on other forums.
Thanks to all.
joe brennan

[lonewolf5347]

I have found onver the years t/c barrel will shoot excellent as long as they are made by other barrel makers.I have a few t/c barrel they are made by douglas barrel company in t/c early years and find they shoot heavy charges and RB'S excellent.The barrels that have a heart or spade on the underside were excellent barrels made by sharon but them barrel are first early years with 4 digits for serial numbers
I was given a t/c barrel made in the late 90's had the QLA built in it and no matter what loads I tried the gun would never print outstanding groups.these barrel are marked with there mdodel on them like hawkens,renegade and so on.
I also always thought that GM barrels would shoot a little better because of the slower twist,I have a GM and they shoot well but can't say there is a huge difference in them.
I have an older renegade 5 digit serial number in flint and with 95 grains of goex 3F and .017 pillow patch material and horndy RB on a good day from the bench can clover leaf 3 shots at the 100 yd target.
I find all my flinters favor goex 3F ,50 cal. likes 100 grains,45 cal. flinter likes 85 grains all with RB'S

[nicholst55]

Good on ya, Joe! Fifty shots w/o cleaning - man, I am impressed! I've got two Renegades - a .54 flinter with a GM barrel and L&R lock, and it is my 'go-to' ML. The other is a .50 caplock that I've never even fired.

The barrel on the .54 had been sadly neglected when I bought it, so I sprung for the GM. I may eventually have the T/C barrel rebored in either .58 or .62, but that's down the road. I shoot 80 grains of FFFg Goex with the same patch material you're using and a .530" ball for hunting. I switch to a .535" ball for target shooting.

The .50 is the Renegade Hunter variant and was also bought used. I doubt it's had 20 shots fired. It's my 'spare' or 'loaner.'

Enjoy your Renegade, but be warned that black powder is addictive!

[Blammer]

IF you're interested in shooting maxi balls. I like the T/C 350 gr Maxi Hunter with 80 gr FFg in mine.