Just bought a 50 cal T/C Scout for deer hunting; it's got a 1:20 twist rate. In a couple of old posts, there were references to the T/C Shockwave - 250gr. with 90 gr. Goex FFF being a good combination for this gun. Cayugad, Pittsburghunter, and everyone: I would like your opinions about this combo and if you think it's a good choice for my gun, and for deer hunting. Thanks
take1a,due to the fast twist I would try the 300gr Shock Wave the 300gr Gold Dot or the 50/40 blue sabot with either the 200gr Shock wave or the 200gr XTP. The FFF is a good idea for short barrels so is 777 if you dont happened to have the crudring problem or if you know how to beat it. There are a couple of fellows in our county club here that are shooting TC Scouts I only know what one of them shoots he is using the 50/40 200gr SW and 90 gr of 777 and does quite well with it. Lee
I'll have to double-check, but I'm pretty sure the manual for the Scout recommends not exceeding 250. 200 would but okay with me, but is it enough for pentrating deer hide & bone? I wanna make sure I can safely & humanely hunt with whatever load & projectile I end up with.
With that fast of a twist, I would think that a faster burning powder like the FFF grade might be a very good choice actually. It will allow you to load less of a charge and still get the kind of velocities you want and need. The 250 grain might be a very good projectile for the rifle. Start your loads at 80 grains of the FFF Goex and then work up from there. You might also want to check out some of the 240 grain XTP, 300 grain Shockwaves, 370 grain Maxiball, and with the tight bore they are rumored to have, try some 245 & 295 grain Powerbelts.
The problem with someone second guessing what a rifle will shoot well is just that ... its a guess. While we can look at the twist of the barrel and the length, and make some very good estimations of what a rifle will shoot, again, it will take you, your rifle, lots of projectiles, and range time to really learn what will and will not work.
The FFF powder should ignite better and do not be worried about a 200 grain projectile for deer. I have a feeling that they will work just fine although I have to actual kills with one to validate that. Good luck with the rifle and keep us posted as to how well it shoots.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
TC has a weight limit that low ?? Never read the Scout manual maybe so.
Dont worry about penatration with the 50/40 200 gr the bullet construction is good and the sectional density is similar to the 300 gr SW. I have taken both boar and deer with them and I would not hesitate to use them on elk or bear. Lee
Checked the manual I have for the Scout. I was wrong in my earlier post when I indicated the 260 gr. projectile max. I'm a little confused though, cuz the gun & manual I have were made before the Shock Wave or Gold Dot came into production. But, here's what I can quote from the manual:
largest recommended size for .44 cal pistol bullet with break-o-way sabots is a 240 gr. bullet / largest recommened size for maxiball 460 gr. / largest recommended size for maxi-hunter 470 gr..
I can't legally use .44 pistol bullets w/sabots for hunting anyway, right?
Since the manual says the conicals can be as big as 460 (or 470), I'm guessing that means a 300gr Shock Wave the 300gr Gold Dot wouldn't be a problem. Am I thinking about that correctly?
A crud problem or ring,is nothing more then an accumulation of unburned powder in the bottom area of the breech. This is of course caused simply because of the designs of the powder and the manner of ignition. All powders leave a form of crud in one degree or another. The difference being the amount of crud and the hardness of crud will vary from powder to powder. While powders such as American Pioneer and Black Mag3 give the impression of little to no crud ring at all. Powders in some rifles, such as Triple Se7en will create a very hard crud ring which can cause the shooter problems. Goex, while a dirty powder as many claim does have soft fowling or crud which can be easily removed.
Crud can be a dangerous thing in the barrel and it prohibits a number of things. It can interfere with loading of the next projectile. This can cause improper loading. Crud can also cause the shooter to believe they have seated the projectile onto the powder charge in the breech of the rifle, while in reality, they have the projectile seated to where the crud ring in the barrel starts, sometimes a small but still dangerous distance from the actual powder charge. This is commonly called short seating. Short seating is simply the projectile is not resting firmly on the powder charge in the breech of the barrel where it needs to be for the best performance and for the safety of the shooter and rifle.
To remove a crud ring from a barrel and to increase the overall accuracy of the rifle shot to shot, a simple swabbing of the barrel is necessary. Some swabbing solutions are simple Windex, a mix of isopropyl alcohol and car windshield washer fluid, straight isopropyl alcohol, T/C #13. Rusty Duck Black Off, and even simple human spit or water.
With a cleaning jag on the ramrod, dampen not saturate a patch of correct size with the swabbing solution of your choice. Starting at the muzzle (of course) push the damp swab down the barrel approximately 3-4 inches. You will feel more and more tension on the patch as you work down the barrel. This is the patch coming into contract with fowling. In each of the short swab, work the patch in an up and down motion until you are reasonably certain the fowling is no longer in this area. Now push the swabbing patch further down the barrel another four inches and repeat the procedure. It does not hurt to pull the swabbing patch up into the already cleaned area. Work down the barrel in 3-4 inch sections until you reach the breech of the area. This whole time you will feel the different degrees and hardness of swabbing as you work the patch. When you have finally worked the breech area free of as much fowling as possible, bring the patch back out of the barrel. Now turn the damp filthy patch over and repeat the process.
Some people at this point will use a second damp patch and repeat the first swabbing of the barrel. Others will at this stage use a dry patch and work the patch slowly down the barrel to the breech and return it to the muzzle. Flip the dry patch over and repeat. A second patch is also a good idea. Feel the patch with your fingers. If the dry patch feels damp, run additional patches into the barrel until they come up dry.
If you suspect that the fowling might have been pushed against or in front of the fire chamber, pop a cap on the nipple. This will blow any fowling out and away from the fire channel. Now you can load as normal.
It is a good idea from time to time to use a Q-tip or patch with some solution and wipe the outside of the nipple off as well. This will help you seat the cap on better and deeper onto the nipple which will aid in your ignition.
__________________
"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
Thanks for the thorough description. I can do that. Here's a thought, that I'd like your input on: since a shooter can get away with not having to swab the barrel between every shot when using conicals, could I save some time (and maybe expense too?) at the range by shooting conicals rather than sabots, and then swabbing after every third shot or so? This is assuming of course, that how often I need to swab will be determined by how much resistance I get when loading the next round. With less frequent swabbing, and pre-lubed conicals, maybe it'd save some time? Whatd'ya think?
T/C Shockwave & FFF; good combo for my gun?
