Sometimes you just have to reward yourself
 

Hello all,

I thought I would share this with you. Part of this post is off topic, but I have to lead you into what my subject line is about, right? Well, some of you may remember me stating that I took a full time job in sales back in September and that I was in my last semester of college so I would have little, if any time to hunt. That is entirely true. I was able to get out once in archery season and again the last half of the last day of the firearms season which ended this past Saturday. I don't get home in time to go out after work, and even when I did I had to keep up with four college classes which meant a lot of time at the computer or with my nose in a text book.
Anyway, the classes are all behind me now. I will be receiving my degree in Business Administration soon, and will graduate with highest honors, (suma cum laude) with at least a 3.97 GPA. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I'm pretty darn proud of myself over it and felt I deserved a reward.
I pass by a small local gun shop every evening on my way home and I stop and banter with the owner once a week or so. I stopped by last Friday evening and his wife was attending the store so I asked where he was. She told me that he and a neighbor were skinning a buck he had shot earlier in the day. She also told me that he had just taken in some guns and had not yet had time to price any of them or put them in the books, but pointed out what he recently acquired.
One was a T/C Renegade .54 percussion that was in excellent condition so I decided to stop by this evening and ask what he would take for it. "Two hundred bucks and it's yours" he said.
I handed the man a twenty and said "Put er' in the back room Sherm, I'll be back tomorrow with the rest".
I had a genuine warm and fuzzy feeling about it as I walked out the door!

BPS

Congratulations! :party0005:

Congrat's on your Grade Average and Nice Grab! Be sure to let us all know how she shoots.
(BP)

Score for sure! :D

And congrats on the great job with the schooling!

Very nice job there... not only with the schooling but with the purchase of a great rifle. That Renegade for that price is a great deal if you check the on line market prices recently. Boy has the price of T/C rifles increased!

Congrats on both the school and the Renegade. But we all know the Renegade is by far the better of the two.
I myself am waiting on a Renegade. There's a .54 at a local online auction I bid on. I don't really have the money to buy one right now, but if I get it for my bid it will be a great deal. The auction ends tonight so I'll find out soon.

BP Smoke,

Sometimes life is just nice isn't it? Well done on the degree and the new job. Enjoy your new toy.

Thanks Fellas,

I was a little disappointed on the way home tonight. I didn't leave our shop until after six because I stayed over to wait for a customer that was coming in for a pickup. The product was paid for and they told me when they called at 4:30 that they were over an hour away and to just go ahead and leave it sitting outside for them so I could close up. I told them NO WAY! I said "If you're on your way here now I'll stay and keep the shop open because I won't risk someone else walking off with your purchase". Call it ethics if you want, but I just can't be "that guy" and peel out because it's past closing time and the customer says it's OK with them to leave their merchandise outside and go home.
When I came by the gun shop, the house lights were on but the shop lights were off so I figured he was eating supper and didn't want to bother him. Tomorrow's another day and it will be there waiting. I'll post some pics. of the gun after I bring it home.

BPS

Think how much sweeter it will be tomorrow!

Well...

I picked the .54 renegade up this evening and it is exactly what I was hoping for, a used rifle that had been well cared for. The bore is spotless, the man let me run some patches through it and I told him that the worst case scenario is that if I don't want it, he gets a free cleaning.

Beyond that, it has a few minor handling marks on the stock but all of the furniture is cherry (no boogered screws etc.).

$200 + sales tax and it's mine...I'll post pics.

BPS

Here are a couple of pics of the Renegade I just picked up. I had a brief opportunity to shoot it yesterday.






Having no idea where it may hit, I put the target out at 30 yds. I loaded 60gr. of FFF black with a Lee .530 ball and a .015 patch rubbed with Ox-Yoke Wonderlube. Taking point of aim on the bull, my first shot was extremely high, almost missing the backboard completely. I cranked the rear sight to the bottom and fired the second shot which was out of the paper at 1:00. My third shot was inside the paper at about 2:00 and a little more to the right (I had a hangfire for some reason which may have caused me to pull the shot).

I adjusted the windage prior to my fourth shot and it hit dead nuts center at the edge of the paper. I wiped the bore clean with some Butch's Bore Shine and decided to take P.O.A. at the bottom of the 7 ring. My last two shots are touching one another in the bull. I then had to call it quits because the supper bell rang.



I cannot understand why a rifle that is in nearly new condition would have to have its rear sight bottomed out, but I have seen it happen with others. I have never cared for the Patridge style sights that are on the rifle. I hold the front blade flush with the top of the rear notch so that I keep the same sight picture every time. I'll probably change out the sights as I feel this rifle has a lot of potential. The rifling is really nice in this gun and the loads were relatively tight going down. I also want to see how it likes the taste of different powders and loads as well as conicals next time out.

BPS

You got a good one BPS. Congratulations.

I like Partridge sights, but have never been a fan of the TC factory sights. They always seem to be a little loosy-goosey to me. Plus, the width of the rear notch is not wide enough for my liking. I always file them a little wider to get more daylight along the sides of the front sight.

Semi,

I spent the afternoon doing just that. I was going to just change out the original sights, but the hole spacing was different on some of the other T/C spare sets that I had. I opted to remove the Patridge rear sight and file/stone the notch somewhat deeper and wider, with a "V" notch leading into a round bottom much like the Hawken rear sight. I also installed the Hawken bead front sight which is .080 higher than the original Patridge blade. This should get me back down where I need to be with room for adjustment. I took my time on the sights and blued them when done. The rear notch looks really good, you really have to look close to tell it's been done by hand.

BPS

Hey BP congratulations on your GPA and your new toy. Looks like you got a good shooter. Too bad though it isn't a flinter! Now you'll have to wait until next year to shoot a deer with it in PA. But it sure is nice. Good luck with it

Thanks Bronko,

Are you hunting during the Flinter season or have you "Coal Country" rogues wiped out all of your deer?...LOL

BPS