A good bullet for a .50 T/C Renegade.

[blindbernie]

I am pretty new to bullet casting, having only cast .38 wadcutters so far, although I am waiting to order a .41 mold soon. A friend gave me quite a bit of pure lead and it got me to wanting to cast it into bullets for my .50 T/C Renegade for deer hunting. I know that the Renegade can be somewhat finicky on accuracy due to it's twist rate. Have any of you had luck with any particular mold with this rifle?

[scattershot]

The T/C Maxi Ball was designed to Shoot well from that rifle. It’s a 1:48 twist, so just about any bullet will work. Round balls will work, too, but velocity is limited.

[megasupermagnum]

If I were to start over again on my TC's, I would buy balls from Track of the Wolf, and find various patches to try. Then pick a standard powder charge, say 70 grains, and ONLY change the ball or patch one at a time until I found the right combo. Don't change powder or lube yet. In your case, I would buy .480", .490", and .495" balls. You can buy patch material there too, or from a fabric store.

My own TC's are all 54's. I sold some, but kept a renegade and a scout pistol. What worked in the Renegade was a .520" ball and canvas patch (from my Carhartt pants), and what worked in my scout pistol was a .530" ball and pillow ticking patch from the local fabric store. I then fine tuned from there, but the ball and patch combo is the #1 key to accuracy.

A maxi ball also shoots very well, and can also be bought at TOTW. I didn't like them for three reasons. #1 at 430 grains (375 gr for 50 caliber) they kick like a mule. #2 they were trickier to cast and harder to load, although better in both regards than the great plains bullet. #3 they penetrate like crazy, but don't cause as impressive damage as a round ball IMO. They are still certainly a good choice.

At a later date I found a possible fourth advantage to a PRB, although I have not experimented enough to prove it. That is, that I can get a clean bore, cold bore, first shot to hit exactly where I want to the sights. With any conical, I always had the first clean bore, cold bore, first shot end up out of the group. The key for me was that after cleaning the barrel, I lubed the bore with my patch lube. Lubing with a gun oil found shots way out of the group. A fouled bore can avoid all of this, but you only have a couple days before you are pushing the limits to rust.

[Edward]

Idaho Lewis over @ modern muzzle loader forum has done excellent research on exactly your question and you can go on you tube and watch each of his videos he makes documenting the Lymans great plains boolit vs TC maxi and a whole bunch more about different projectiles used in all his TC Renegades ! And when all is said and done , this guy has wrote the book on side locks and you can bet the ranch on that and the (Lyman Great Plains ) boolit !!!~

[centershot]

I have owned several 50 caliber T/C's. I found the Lee R.E.A.L. bullet to be an excellent choice in all of them. Today however, I own only one T/C, a .54 Renegade. What MSM said above is true! I've found the larger caliber PRB's will give me all I need in performance, at least inside 100 yds. There's nothing wrong with a 50, but a 54, 58 or 62 PRB is pretty darned effective. And, once you settle on a load you won't need anything else!

[mooman76]

You may find that an over powder wad helps improve accuracy when using conicals. 1/48 should do good in both RBs and conicals.

[725]

A T/C Renegade in good shape will shoot many things very well. I prefer the T/C Maxi-Ball over the T/C Maxi-Hunter. Round balls have worked fairly well and give my tired old shoulder a break or the longer / heavier conicals.

[koger]

I have hunted with a Renegade for the most part, the last 30 years give or take. The Hornady Great plains bullet, in .54 always gave me the best accuracy for a factory bullet. I cast the Lyman 450 gr .54 plains right now, I have a .54 Hawken barrel on a Renegade stock, drops right in as it is1" across the flats. I shoot 105 grains of 2ffg, or 90-3fffg, shoots same point of impact. I do put a oiled carboard wad underneath my slug, that is oiled with veg oil. Gun has also been glass bedded, and will shoot a cloverleaf at 100yds with a scope on it. You might want to look at glass bedding the barrel channel and the tang, to help accuracy and prevent any cracks around the tang, as the stock dries and metal gets a little loose.

[Shawlerbrook]

These work great.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/1232/category/336/category_chain/578,349,336/product_name/BT1204+Buffalo+Bullets+Ball-ET+.50+Caliber

[brewer12345]

A maxi ball over a wad and 80 grains or better of powder should be very accurate. You can find original TC maxi ball molds on Ebay for not a lot of money in 50 cal. Make sure your lead temp is up to 800F and your mold is preheated.

[AntiqueSledMan]

Hello blindbernie,

You might want to try a LEE .452-255-RF set in a sabot.
They shoot well in my son's Hawken.

AntiqueSledMan.

[marshall623]

370 gr. Maxi Ball is standard for me , my 50 Renegade will shoot PRB very well also .

[Huntsman]

Idaho Lewis over @ modern muzzle loader forum has done excellent research on exactly your question and you can go on you tube and watch each of his videos he makes documenting the Lymans great plains boolit vs TC maxi and a whole bunch more about different projectiles used in all his TC Renegades ! And when all is said and done , this guy has wrote the book on side locks and you can bet the ranch on that and the (Lyman Great Plains ) boolit !!!~

I watched Idaho Lewis’s videos on YouTube. I have a new to me Renegade which I’ll be using cast TC Maxi-Hunters with felt wad. If I.L. can get good groups then I should be able to also.
I have the Plains bullet mold in .54 for my TC Hawken.
Fun stuff!

[hc18flyer]

These work great.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/1232/category/336/category_chain/578,349,336/product_name/BT1204+Buffalo+Bullets+Ball-ET+.50+Caliber

I LOVE these, when I can find them! Shoot excellent out of my TC Renegade and Lyman GPR. Prb and 250 grain REAL shoot and perform well too.

[Drm50]

The only thing I use my TC Hawkin for is deer. I got two of them a 45 & 50. I have shot maxi and several other bullets in both but hunt with RBs & real BP. Never failed to get my deer with RB. The game was shot to extinction in Ohio with MLs of under 40cal. Ohio law has always been 38 min. on deer. I did take the wrong rifle one morning and end up bagging mine with a Cherokee TC/ RB. I don’t ML hunt anymore thinking about getting rid of all.

[T-Bird]

I shoot 429421 and green Hornady sabot in my 50 cal Hawken barrel they shoot great, never hunted with them. 80 gr Pyrodex RS pushes it 1500 fps and recoil is relatively mild. Don't know why it wouldn't work like a souped up 44 mag. Have killed deer with my Mod 29 and that boolit at 1100 fps.

[Good Cheer]

Wouldn't it be nice to have a thick skirted adjustable weight hollow base mold for the 48" twist fifty cals!

[Edward]

Not for me ,pure lead makes that design to fragile and weight always increases pass thru for hunting purposes .A wool /felt wad seals against gas cutting with a flat base design doing what the skirt does without deforming .Again look at Idaho Lewis proves on You tube what works (HINT the Great plains bullet )with a couple others he tested also doing well ,No hollow based bullets seen and yup he has those molds ,he could fill your truck bed with molds but they are not contenders/Ed

[varsity07840]

I have hunted with a Renegade for the most part, the last 30 years give or take. The Hornady Great plains bullet, in .54 always gave me the best accuracy for a factory bullet. I cast the Lyman 450 gr .54 plains right now, I have a .54 Hawken barrel on a Renegade stock, drops right in as it is1" across the flats. I shoot 105 grains of 2ffg, or 90-3fffg, shoots same point of impact. I do put a oiled carboard wad underneath my slug, that is oiled with veg oil. Gun has also been glass bedded, and will shoot a cloverleaf at 100yds with a scope on it. You might want to look at glass bedding the barrel channel and the tang, to help accuracy and prevent any cracks around the tang, as the stock dries and metal gets a little loose.

My Dad really wasn't into muzzleloading except for it being another season to hunt. I put a .50 cal. Renegade kit together for him and taught him the basics. Round balls were too much of a bother for him, but the Hornady hollow base Great Plains bullet and 80 gr of 2F GOEX was his tack driver.

[quilbilly]

I have a couple 50 cal side lock T/C's with 1/48 twists. If hunting deer I stick to PRB's casting a 495 ball and using an .010 greased patch. They both love that combo in front of 75 gr. of 3F Goex. On the other hand, if I plan on elk hunting, I use sabots and .429 semi wad cutters at least 240 gr. which have devastated elk on several occasions over many years. The powder charge is the same.

[Good Cheer]

Long time ago this was my fifty mold.
Came across a left handed fifty barrel for the TC New Englander so reckon I might give that boolit a try in it.
http://i.imgur.com/iH1jDtU.jpg (https://imgur.com/iH1jDtU)

[Huntsman]

Long time ago this was my fifty mold.
Came across a left handed fifty barrel for the TC New Englander so reckon I might give that boolit a try in it.
http://i.imgur.com/iH1jDtU.jpg (https://imgur.com/iH1jDtU)

Looks hollow base. Any before pics. Looks like an interesting projectile.

[Good Cheer]

That was put together for a 21" carbine length fast twist Green Mountain drop-in Renegade barrel. It started out as a Lyman #445599 minie mold, remachined to make it smooth sided and given an adjustable length plug. The small hollow was intended to be a place to tuck in the tail on the paper patch, but as things ended up it might still be assisting in expansion. Been threatening to try it out in a 48" twist Deerhunter and also a Renegade factory barrel (with lotsa FFFg), but want to try the New Englander for sure. Would like to try out increasing the size of the hollow but there's too many things on my plate as it is.

http://i.imgur.com/ezwEMEz.jpg (https://imgur.com/ezwEMEz)

[OverMax]

Don't own a 50 cal. But I do own other cals larger & smaller than the 50.
Allot 50 cal shooters as read like the Lee REAL that is suitable for home casters.
I on the other hand am a old school caster ~ Rd Ball & occasionally the T/c Maxi.
Good luck with you're endeavor sir.

[Drm50]

I have a pair of TC Hawkins, 45 & 50. I got both in late 60s. I shot the 50 a good bit at one time, haven’t shot them in 30yrs. At this time round balls were the boolits. Rifle shot very well and only mod I made was to put good sights on it. A few years later Maxi Balls came out. It took 2 men and a boy to get maxi down the bore. I slugged barrel and sent to TC. They offered to replace barrel and said it was at bottom of their tolerance scale. I declined because it shoots balls so well. I have tried other bullets always went back to ball/ patch.

[Dr3wcifer]

I know this is an older post, but I have two T/C Hawkens with the same barrel as the Renegade. I shoot mostly PRB (took a deer with it this past winter) but also cast Maxi Balls if I want something a bit heavier. If you're still looking for the right fit, I can send you a handful of each so you can give them a try and see if they work for you.

[ChristopherO]

My go to load for the 50 Renagade was 65 gr fffg and a TC MaxiHunter (old style) conical. Very accurate without any wads or cards. Alas, I am out of those boolits as the TC MaxiHunter mold was lost in a move. Maybe someday I'll find another to replace it with. This was a great deer killing combination.