Load suggestions for .54 Renegade

[lefteye]

I just got a .54 Renegade sidelock and was wondering what you guys would recommend for a hunting load?
I shoot 70 grains 2f Swiss in the .50 flintlock with round balls but thought I would shoot heavier conicals for hunting with this. Any suggestions?

 

[Redsky]

My .54 Renegade shot either a 230gr RB or a 300 gr REAL slug very good with 80gr of 2F Geox.

I used those loads also in a .54 New Englander.

 

[bloodhound]

My Renegade 54 likes the Hornady 425 gr. Great Planes. I use 80 grains by volume of Pyrodex RS. It works for me...but I bought some No Excuses for my Pedersoli Gama and I am going to try them in the TC too.

 

[cayuga]

My hunting load is 90 grains of Pyrodex RS 2f and a patched round ball. Killed a lot of deer with that load.

 

[bloodhound]

My hunting load is 90 grains of Pyrodex RS 2f and a patched round ball. Killed a lot of deer with that load.

What is your patch? Pillow ticking or something else from the shoot supply folks? I was recently gifted some round ball sabots...had never seen them before but they look interesting

 

[cayuga]

I went to Wal Mart and purchased a yard of 100% Cotton Pillow tick. Red or blue stripe makes no difference. They use to to make pillows, etc. It mics at about .017-,018. My lube is home made moose milk. I spritz the patch and in a Renegade I load a .530 ball. In a Lyman I load a .535 ball. The .535 is too tight in my Renegade. Even in my .50 caliber Renegade, the ,490 is better then the .495.

I can tell you that with 90 grains of Pyrodex RS it will shoot through a deer at 80 yards and break the spine of a second one, standing behind it.

 

[bloodhound]

I went to Wal Mart and purchased a yard of 100% Cotton Pillow tick. Red or blue stripe makes no difference. They use to to make pillows, etc. It mics at about .017-,018. My lube is home made moose milk. I spritz the patch and in a Renegade I load a .530 ball. In a Lyman I load a .535 ball. The .535 is too tight in my Renegade. Even in my .50 caliber Renegade, the ,490 is better then the .495.

I can tell you that with 90 grains of Pyrodex RS it will shoot through a deer at 80 yards and break the spine of a second one, standing behind it.

Our Walmart is poor for inventory...no pillow tick...I went to a fabric store and found some 100% cotton red stripe. I am headed to the lSGS today at lunch to get some .530 round balls and I am going to play with it this weekend. Do you have a punch or just use scissors to cut the patches?

 

[dbowling]

this is in a Cabelas Sporterized Hawken

90 GR. 3F AND .535 patched round ball, pocket drill out of some of my old jeans..

 

[cayuga]

When you get the pillow tick home, put it through the washing machine. The fabric is loaded with sizing. If you wash it the sizing will wash out. It makes the material more able to accept the lubes you use. But do not put the fabric in the dryer as with the frayed ends it will kind of "slightly" unravel. I just hang it over the shower curtain over night and then its normally fine.

 

[bloodhound]

When you get the pillow tick home, put it through the washing machine. The fabric is loaded with sizing. If you wash it the sizing will wash out. It makes the material more able to accept the lubes you use. But do not put the fabric in the dryer as with the frayed ends it will kind of "slightly" unravel. I just hang it over the shower curtain over night and then its normally fine.

Just saw this this morning...the bag from the fabric store is sitting un-opened in the shop. I'll wash it tonight and it will be dry tomorrow to cut into patches. I saw on Dixie Gun Works site that they have Punches for patch and wads...do I need to get one of these, if so what size for a .54

thanks

 

[Semisane]

Don't bother with punches. It's not worth the trouble. Square or round makes absolutely no difference with patches for round ball shooting. You can cut a lot of squares with scissors in a short time. 1.5" x 1.5" works well for me in a .54. Use the lines on the fabric to cut a long strip about 1.5" wide, and just eyeball the length of the crosscuts.

 

[bloodhound]

Cool thanks...I am going on my lunch hour to get the fixings for Moose Milk I am getting really excited to shoot something besides Powerbelts and Maxiballs.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I like to shoot patched round balls. I load up my .54 Renegade with 80 grains of Goex 2F. I load up my .58 Cabelas Hawken with 90 grains of 2F, that's all the recoil I care to endure. For patch lube I use Pure Mink oil from Track of the wolf but lately have been trying "Frontier's Anti-Rust & Patch Lube". I also bought a yard of blue striped pillow ticking cloth which made about 435 patches. I'm not sure I will do that again, a lot of scissors work....I'll order precuts next time. :>)

The main thing is that shooting patched round balls are a lot of fun and surprisingly accurate!

 

[cayuga]

When you get the pillow tick home, put it through the washing machine. The fabric is loaded with sizing. If you wash it the sizing will wash out. It makes the material more able to accept the lubes you use. But do not put the fabric in the dryer as with the frayed ends it will kind of "slightly" unravel. I just hang it over the shower curtain over night and then its normally fine.

Just saw this this morning...the bag from the fabric store is sitting un-opened in the shop. I'll wash it tonight and it will be dry tomorrow to cut into patches. I saw on Dixie Gun Works site that they have Punches for patch and wads...do I need to get one of these, if so what size for a .54

thanks

I count off five stripes. And with my fingers, that cloth will tear in a straight line. So I tear off a strip. Then I load directly over the muzzle.

After I dump my powder, I spritz my patch material.

After that, lay the strip of cloth over the muzzle and center your ball.

with the short starter, set the ball under the muzzle of the rifle.

pinch the material with your fingers and cut the strip of cloth off, at the muzzle. You now have a perfectly center patch and ball.

with the short starter, set the ball and then set it home with the ramrod on the powder charge. You're now set to shoot.

 

[bloodhound]

Cayuga

Thanks for the pics...That looks like a cool way to do it and its consistant in the field or the range. Way cool We had weather here last weekend so I didn't get to the range...maybe this weekend

 

[JStanley]

Don't bother with punches. It's not worth the trouble. Square or round makes absolutely no difference with patches for round ball shooting. You can cut a lot of squares with scissors in a short time. 1.5" x 1.5" works well for me in a .54. Use the lines on the fabric to cut a long strip about 1.5" wide, and just eyeball the length of the crosscuts.

I do Semi's method but for cleaning patches from 100% cotton T-shirt fabric. Then I had the idea to use my office style paper cutter to make square patches. I put a little dot on the fabric using the built in ruler to mark the desired width then let that long blade do the work. Don't try to cut more than 3-4 layers at a time and you'll have nice clean cuts with consistent patch sizes. Should work well with pillow tick too.

 

[Muley Hunter]

Yes, stay with the PRB in the .54. It will put the smack on anything you'll find in Pa.

I just bought another .54 Renegade from Joe, and I wouldn't dream of using anything but the PRB. Although in this gun it has a 1-72 twist, so no other option anyway. I'll use it for elk, muley's, and maybe black bear.

Round balls are so underestimated, and I don't understand it. They'll kill anything if the ball is put where it belongs, and the distance it reasonable.

 

[Fire Hawk]

Been looking for ways to make my Cabelas Hawken shoot better. I'm gonna try some of these ideas. Thx

 

[lefteye]

I finally got to the range with the .54 and shot round balls. 85 grains Pyrodex RS, .020 pre-lubed patch, .530 round ball was a winner.
Thank for all the info, guys.

 

[junkman]

Anybody try lard or lard oil for lube?I have an unending supply of lard oil available to me.Figure it makes a cast iron skillet non stick.Why wouldn't it work for bullet lube?