I have a TC "Custom Shop" Renegade .58.

I've exhausted the options for getting conical bullets to shoot adequately. Yardstick: I would not bet on it keeping 8 of 10 shots on a dinner plate at 50 yards. I've tried enough options for different bullets, different powders, and different caps to reasonably believe there just is no hope.

It does somewhat better, but still short of "respectable", with patched round balls.

I'm down to "modify or punt." It is a fairly late, QLA gun. I suspect the QLA is the problem. I have it narrowed down to two choices ... shorten the barrel to remove the QLA and redo the dovetail for the front sight or just punt it down the road.

Which of those two would you choose?

If trading, what would you replace it with? I want to stick with a percussion sidelock, I have no interest in inlines. I wish to shoot both PRB and conical. I could do that with either a compromise twist or two barrels.

Thoughts?

round ball is what i'd try first.

What twist is that barrel?
Also, how many miles have you driven that barrel? Is it possible the grooves are just full of lead? What do you clean it with?

The idea to remove the QLA to shoot conicals is a good one. I read some gunsmiths charge as little as $50 to remove it.

Like I said in my original post, I already tried that. Better but not good enough. The best it'll do is 3-1/2 to 4 inches at 50 yards.

It's time for change. I'm backed into a corner with a muzzleloader elk tag for a season that begins Saturday. After that ... I'm done. I've fought with it at least 5 years off and on. I'm not going to waste more time at the range without either removing the QLA or changing guns. I won't do it with a centerfire and I won't do it with this side lock. Done is done.

Tom

Oh, sorry, meant to put that in ... it's a 1-48" twist. It's predecessor shot both PRB and 560 grain conicals fine with the same twist.

I shot it quite a bit trying different conicals. At that time I'd clean it first with TC #13 to get the powder out, then scrub it with Hoppe's lead remover solvent, then go back and do it again with the TC solvent and boiling water to get it hot, then "season" the barrel with bore butter patches so it wouldn't rust.

About 4 years ago I gave up on conicals and just shoot PRB. There's no sign of cutting clear through the patch, neither friction nor flame. Decidely worn. About perfect so far as I can tell. No leading.

I do my cleaning now with TC #13 solvent, then hot water, then "season" with bore butter. 'til Saturday I hadn't shot it in over a year. Before leaving home I ran a dry patch down the bore. There was not one iota of rust or lead. What I'm doing in that sense **works**. Real happy with that part.

yeah that seasoning crap is just that, a load of crap.

I'd plug the barrel and pour boiling hot water down and let it sit until it melts off all the bore butter. Over time, BB builds up and can ruin accuracy.

With balls, I'd go with a .570" round ball, .015 patch " lube your own patches - prelubed suck as they dry out as they sit on the shelf" 90gr 2fg goex or pyrodex RS. Seat ball firmly.

After the first shot, swab the bore clean with a couple damp windex patches and start over again.

I think you were really shooting yourself in the foot with that seasoning your bore theory.

Read up on this,
http://worldhuntingclub.com/Forum-View.php?id=486&rep=1

You can probably buy a new barrel for less than the cost of trading. Dixie gun works probably has some to fit it.

Don't know how TC customer service is after all the ownership changes, but I had trouble with a Thunderhawk and sent it in for them to check it out. They didn't like the barrel (said it was a little overbore), didn't have any new barrels and would I like a new rifle!
Good luck no matter what you do. I miss enough with a center fire rifle let alone blackpowder. Got to have confidence then gun can shoot!

I sold it day before yesterday.