Loading my Renegade with Sabots and Copper Bullets

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Frank in Fairfield

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.54 TC Renegade Copper Bullet Loading

1. My normal load for the Renegade is the .530 round ball with one .015 lubricated patch and this load measures: .560” in diameter.

2. I have an amount (70 or so) of .54 caliber sabots loaded with .50 grain Barnes solid copper hollow-point bullets. Loading these in the side-lock Renegade with the sabot is very difficult, requiring a few strokes of a hammer on the loading stick. Not a good idea, in my book.

3. Measuring the .530 round ball with a dry .015 patch measures a diameter of: .555”.

4. Measuring the .50 caliber copper bullet with one dry .015 patch measures a diameter of: .523”.

5. The .50 caliber copper bullet with two dry .015 patches measures a diameter of: .555”.

So, the lead .530 round ball with one lubricated .015 patch measures .560” and the .50 caliber copper bullet with two dry .015 patches measures .555”, close indeed to my normal, very accurate, load of .560”. Maybe if I use one dry .015 patch and one lubricated .015 patch I could reach the .560”.

Side Bar: The 435 grain TC Maxi-Hunter lead bullet measures .533” and is loaded directly into the bore without a patch and shoots very well, as does the 530 grain TC Maxi-Ball..

I think I will try one dry .015 patch next to the copper bullet enclosed within another .015 lubricated patch seated over 80 grains of Hodgdon PYRODEX powder..

I just don’t want to throw the bullets away and I get to shoot the Renegade.

What could be better?
 
All Thompson/Center barrels have rifling that measures 0.005" deep. The ONLY exceptions are the barrels marked ROUND BALL, which have rifling that measures 0.010" deep.

Thus, a standard Thompson/Center barrel should be capable of accepting, & shooting, a bullet contained inside of a sabot. If the sabot will slide smoothly into the bore for 3"-4" without a bullet in it, then the bullet is too large in diameter, and you need another bullet choice. If the sabot fails to slide smoothly into the bore without a bullet in it, then the sabot is too large in diameter, and you need another sabot choice.
 
.54 TC Renegade Copper Bullet Loading

1. My normal load for the Renegade is the .530 round ball with one .015 lubricated patch and this load measures: .560” in diameter.

2. I have an amount (70 or so) of .54 caliber sabots loaded with .50 grain Barnes solid copper hollow-point bullets. Loading these in the side-lock Renegade with the sabot is very difficult, requiring a few strokes of a hammer on the loading stick. Not a good idea, in my book.

3. Measuring the .530 round ball with a dry .015 patch measures a diameter of: .555”.

4. Measuring the .50 caliber copper bullet with one dry .015 patch measures a diameter of: .523”.

5. The .50 caliber copper bullet with two dry .015 patches measures a diameter of: .555”.

So, the lead .530 round ball with one lubricated .015 patch measures .560” and the .50 caliber copper bullet with two dry .015 patches measures .555”, close indeed to my normal, very accurate, load of .560”. Maybe if I use one dry .015 patch and one lubricated .015 patch I could reach the .560”.

Side Bar: The 435 grain TC Maxi-Hunter lead bullet measures .533” and is loaded directly into the bore without a patch and shoots very well, as does the 530 grain TC Maxi-Ball..

I think I will try one dry .015 patch next to the copper bullet enclosed within another .015 lubricated patch seated over 80 grains of Hodgdon PYRODEX powder..

I just don’t want to throw the bullets away and I get to shoot the Renegade.

What could be better?
I need to point out you can not use a patch with anything other than lead ,and soft at that ! The patch fills the grooves and because of lead does so eliminating gas cutting and getting the most FPS out of the ball/conical ,easily proven with a chrono and group size (accuracy) . The sabot takes the place of a patch doing the same thing with a smaller copper jacketed caliber and yup your throwing away copper jacketed bullets patched as there is no give compared to lead sealing the gas and again eliminating cutting of the base on lead ,(copper) gas just cuts your patch thus blowing by ruining accuracy and lower FPS .The only variable with lead is BHN hard/soft but blown patches tell the story ,again easy to prove/Ed
 
Don’t work.
I shot five 230 grain round balls to get used to the set trigger again. And then swabbed the bore with water and a PYRODEX patch.
I tried to load the .50 caliber Barnes copper bullet with one dry and one lubricated patch. No good. About 6” and no further. Tried my screw but the hollow-point is too deep. Came home and used the KADOOTY…Out it came and cleaned the barrel in hot boiling water. Finished with a generous about of bore butter on a patch and complete wipe down of action and wood. The Renegade will be used with lead only and the Triumph will use lead and copper..
Here are the five balls at 50 yards. Couldn’t get on the .25..

3EE838DB-75A6-423E-9D88-713A057F37BB.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Don’t work.
I shot five 230 grain round balls to get used to the set trigger again. And then swabbed the bore with water and a PYRODEX patch.
I tried to load the .50 caliber Barnes copper bullet with one dry and one lubricated patch. No good. About 6” and no further. Tried my screw but the hollow-point is too deep. Came home and used the KADOOTY…Out it came and cleaned the barrel in hot boiling water. Finished with a generous about of bore butter on a patch and complete wipe down of action and wood. The Renegade will be used with lead only and the Triumph will use lead and copper..
Here are the five balls at 50 yards. Couldn’t get on the .25..

View attachment 15571
Now if you can lose the bore butter and get a decent patch lube (crisco works)/mink oil /Ballistol /peanut oil,I use bear oil on everything (great on donuts)/Ed
 
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