Dave at Work

I've been reading up lately on different loads and bullets for my .54 TC Renegade Hunter. I am planning on doing some testing at the range over the course of the spring and summer.

I've always used 435 grain maxi-hunters with this gun and 100 grains of FFg Black powder. I just received some 360 grain maxi hunters and I was wondering about the length of the bullets. The 360's are quite a bit shorter in length that the 435's. Here's my question: Are shorter bullets (of the same design) more accurate (generally speaking) than longer bullets in a slower twist barrel. My gun has a 26" barrel and 1 in 48 twist. In other words, would the 360's be more accurate than the longer 435's with my 1 in 48 twist barrel?

Dave

Carpmaster

In my dad's and my sidelocks we have found that the shorter the overall ullet length the more accuracy we get. The buffalo ball-et are the most accurate conicals we have found.

UncleNorby

That's the same gun I shoot. Mine is nicknamed the Terminator, as it usually terminates my season early, and has accounted for a pile of whitetails. I put the tang-mounted T/C Peepsight on it, and bored out the aperture to the ID of the insert for hunting. It is a very accurate rifle. A soda can is not safe at 100 yds., and that's more than adequate for my hunting needs. I shoot 435 grain Maxiballs that I make with a T/C mould, over 100 gr. of Pyrodex. Since they are accurate, I haven't considered other bullets. With muzzleloaders, I like the biggest chunk of soft lead I can get to fly straight.

In theory at least, a shorter bullet of similar design should be better stabilized than a longer one with the 1/48 twist. BUT there are so many other variables that contribute to accuracy that it is hard to say which will be more accurate. Try them and compare.

cayugad

I also have a .54 caliber Renegade with a T/C tang peep sight and this rifle will take a deer any day of the week out to 100 yards but I have never had to shoot more then 80 yards . I shoot my own conicals and round ball that I cast. I make a 300 grain and 380 grain LEE R.E.A.L. conical & .530 round ball of course.

I have shot the T/C maxi ball, maxi hunters, buffalo bullets and great plains big conicals out of the rifle and all of them shoot excellent. I will not kid you, the 300 grain LEE R.E.A.L. conicals are really accurate. I shoot 80 grains of Pyrodex under them and they are deadly.

The best way to find out if your rifle shoots the lighter conicals better is to try them. All these rifles are a puzzle unto themselves. What shoots good in one may not shoot in another.

The Renegade is a great rifle. Mine is a very old one with the double triggers and there are many deer that found out how accurate this rifle is.