Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Nearly New .54 Renegade

From a local pawn shop.

I have one of those, it is no longer in that kind of shape. Mine has been hunted hard. It has been a GREAT hunting rifle. I have taken a lot of game with it. Mine was a 54 also and I brought it home back in the late 70's as I recall.

Very nice find.

I have two well used 54 caliber Renegade caplock rifles. I love them both. I'd buy another one if I could find a good deal. Good rifles, those T/C Renegades!

Congrats on yours, it looks cherry!

At least the inline craze has given us some nice, inexpensive rifles! I really like my .54. It's the most accurate muzzleloader I own.

Picked up a like-new .58 Renegade a few years ago for $150 at a local pawn shop, I don't think it had ever been fired. Welcome to the club.

I'd love to have a .58 but they are usually very expensive.

Swampy,

You cetainly have been aquiring a few great condition older T/C's.

Have you shot the .45 Hawkin yet?

Doc

No but my buddy has some .440 roundballs so it's just a matter of getting to the range.

I had a Renegade Hunter 54, nice rifle, wish I still had it. It now resides at the bottom of a lake in the Adirondacks, along with a bunch of other gear that wasn't tied in the boat when we swamped. I learned a lot of lessons that day! Good luck with it, looks like you found a good one.

Aren't the .58 cals smoothbores? (and if so, how well do they shoot?)

And congratulations on the [cherry] pawn shop find! I've always thought the Rengade was a hard-use rifle, but if I got one would prefer any wear and scratches be mine too.

Funny how I've been watching GunBroker for a good, used muzzleloader. Not the least bit interested in a Hawkin, but possibly in a Renegade.

What is the better caliber, .50 or 54?

Don't both have their advatages? Anyone care to share their beliefs and findings? Thanks!

I prefer the .54. It's lighter and balances better IMO.

i too have a .54 renegade. bought it back in 76' or so. still a reliable rifle and the only muzzleloader i currently use.

What propellent do you use? And how much?

What projectiles do you use?

Musket caps?




Thanks!

You're probably thinking of the .56-s TC made. The .58s ... I've had 2 ... have the normal 1-48" twist.


In my opinion ...

For ease of finding projectiles and so on, for a deer-only gun I'd go with .50. For elk, or deer/elk combination, I'd go with .54.

If I could find projectiles and good guns readily, I'd rather go with a .40 or .45 for deer and a .58 for elk but those options are becoming harder to "feed."

Tom

Tom,

I generally use custom cast bulleys now; most recently I have been getting paper-patch bullets from Jim Gleason in Minnesota.

jim

Hi Jim -

What's your bore diameter? What's the bullet length? What weight? What's your twist?

Tom

I shoot .530 patched round balls, 3f Goex, and Remington #11 caps.

IMO a .45 isn't enough for deer.

stubbleduck - i use #11 caps, goex ffg - 90grs usually but have also hunted with 100grs, and either maxi hunters or great plains (425 or 430gr). while i zero the gun at 100yards, i've never shot anything at that distance. seems deer are always 40-50 yards and elk are at that distance or less. i used the renegade for many years in the late 70's on thru the 90's, then went with an inline. gave the inline to my son a while back and it's back to the side lock for me.

Thanks HotSoup and Everyone!

Lots of good experience I can tell you've shared. THANKS!!

I'm getting into casting my own boolits and even have a source for purer lead than wheelweights, that I've collected for mzzldrs as well as handguns. The comment about the 45-cals is interesting. I remember T/C's Seneca's/Cherokee's when they were available in smaller calibers, and have still thought about them! But they're quite pricey!!

If I got a Renegade - in .50 cal, I think I'd wonder about not having it in .54! But if I got a Renegade in .54 cal, I somehow doubt I would miss the .50cal much, even if I was indifferent to the "comparison."

In a conical boolit, what is the better projectile-shape to BG-hunt with? (Maxiballs? MaxiHunters? Great Plains? etc.)

Maxi-Hunters and GP bullets just thump the hell out of deer; I can't imagine Maxi-Balls not doing likewise, but I like the HP cavities.