roundball

I don't happen to like the QLA feature...I had a .54cal QLA barrel back in the mid 90's when they came out with them...took it to the range one time, sent it back to TC to get it exchanged for one W/O a QLA...never owned one since.

I rarely ever shoot a conical butwhen I do I never haveany problems getting them straight so I don't need a false muzzle to help me align them;

If you're not carefulwhen loading PRBsthe ball can slide down into the QLAoff the patch, then you have to upend the rifle to roll out the ball, and start over;

Afalse muzzle serves no alignment bebefit fora round sphere/ball;

You lose the ability to thumb start a ball as you can no longer reach it when it's down inside the QLA;

You lose 1.25" of rifling by them being bored out to make the QLA;

IMO, it was a "shoot-from-the-hip" marketing gimmick in the mid 90's to try and keep some customers from leaving TC's existing ML product line to go flocking toother companies coming out with inlines, as TC was a couple years slow getting into inlines.

Just my .02cents

Pglasgow

Reading this, I have to wonder if T/C might exchange non-QLA'd barrels for the omegas which have shown inability to accurately shoot conicals. I take it roundball's rifle was a 1" hawken or renegade barrel, and it was ten years ago . . .

MLKeith

I had a similar problem with a GM drop in barrel. The underrib was about 1/8 inch too long for my T/C Hawken. I just used my dremel tool with a cutoff wheel and shortened the underrib. A little cold bluing and it was fine.

Pioneer2

Sabotloader,I cancelled the barrel order to Fox Ridge for the TC drop in replacement and went with a GM .54 1" 1-28 twist for my Renegade.Thanx for the advice and pics.By the time it gets to Canada it's $275! So the GM barrels cleaning rod guide typically runs about 1/8" too long for the stock?Did you need to remove any wood?I intend [hope] to shoot TC 430gr. maxi-balls and the 450gr.Lyman Plains bullet.Anyone else have any provenloads for this combo?Lots of mulies/whitetails,bear,elk and moose to hunt here.Scoped high powered rifles have gotten too easy[boring] so this should be more fun.Either way I'll be eating venison.........Thanx Harold

cayugad

I took and did like MLKeith did with a Dremel tool. It was easy to do and then the barrels fit perfect in the stock.

That 1:28 is a nice barrel. I am sure you're going to like it.

sabotloader

Pioneer2

You will like that 1/28. There is alight problem with availabilty of quality 54 cal ful bore projectiles.

One really good "slip fit" projectile available right now is the 54 Cal 535 grain No Excuse. It does shoot well. My problem with that particular bullet is it is really really heavy, but in 54 cal you need the weight to get the BC up. Another option is being or will be developed Dan @ Bull Shop is going to develope some 54 cal "slip fit" conicals. I told him I would like to get something around 400/450 that shot really well in a fast twist barrel. He is having some health problems right now and I am hoping the doctors will get him fixed up a-ok - he is a great guy and make great bullets.

One projectile I have some interest in that I have not shot yetare some bufflao conicals... in the oldLyman BP book they have some really good BC's and should shoot really well.

http://www.thunder-ridge-muzzleloading.com/buffalo.htm#rifle

Check down the page to 54 Caliber Conical Bullets... i am interested in the425 or 435, maybe even the 460....

Correct... I think I put a picture in the thread of how I cut away a part of the Renegade stock to allow the under rib to set in the stock. I thought it migh even add a little bit more stability to the barrel - no left/right movement.... Cayuagad & ML just cut the under rib off with a dremel tool...

With the animals you are talking about I think I would call Dave @ No Excuse and get a box of .540 535 grain conicals from him and give them a try... they will take everything on your list. I think I would like them better than the Lyman's... You probalby do not need a short starter with the no-excuses... Just put them in the barrel and push them down with your thumb - then the ram-rod...

http://members.aol.com/nebullets/page2.html

Let me know when you get it and if you got any problems... I was outthis afternoon shooting some 50 cal No Excuses from a 1/48 Renegade... I am going to try to get a post in - in the morning they really surprised me... I know they shoot well from my 1/28 but was not expecting what I got from the 1/48 50 cal barrel.

mike

salukidawg

My encore shoots just fine. I have shot several sub 1 inch groups with it if I do my part. I almost fell for all the hype of getting the QLA removed. I reall believe that just going out and shooting messing with powders and such will help most of these accuracy problems.

Underclocked

Perhaps most .... BUT NOT ALL. A QLA can do nothing positive for accuracy once the bullet is seated. It can most surely destroy it though.