[RB]

Hey guys just wanted to show you the results and say thanks!!!

Not sure if you remember me asking about this months back , but I had a TC Renegade rifle kit I got for nothing that unfortunately had a bad barrel with it and I was struggling to find a replacement flintlock barrel for it locally in .54 caliber.

I believe it was octagon that gave me a link to the green mountain barrels and I picked up this 33” smoothbore for the gun. more just to have a finished gun than a hunting rifle . Well I shot it for the first time last Saturday and I must say for as little as I shoot a flintlock I am real happy with the results with 80 grains of powder and a roundball.

Here is the rifle, now fully operational and no longer just decoration in the hunting room.

My site in set-up, not too fancy for open sites at 50 yards

The results on an 8” target at 50 yards (my imposed max shot with the flinter is maybe out to 65 under the right conditions and good rest), the high shot at 12 oclock was my first shot, and I was happy to see left and right was in the ballpark. I adjusted the site down and got the next two real close, the one over at 3 o’clock was actually me standing and shooting it offhand from about 40 yards to make sure might site picture down the barrel was still the same as on the bench.

Part of the deal of the day with my “spotters” was to take them up to the small camp to have lunch and hot chocolate…real mountain men, although they did not want to shoot the flinter.

Only issue I see at all is that the Friz pan has a little gap between it and the replacement barrel, I mean a few sheets of paper thin, but big enough the 4f can get down in there some and after some walking around and stuff I could loose some of the Friz powder down there and get a misfire at the moment of truth. Think I can put some aluminum foil in there and extend the pan just a bit?

I shot my TC firestorm as well with 110 gr and 295 powerbelts but had no where near the results with it....I am staying more traditional and handmade this year.

The .54 really feels right in my hands.

 

[SpiritNugent]

The best of luck to you with that rifle... looks like a winner!

Those reneagdes are nice rifles for sure. I love them.

If that poses a problem with the space, you have some options.

You can try 3F, a little thicker of a powder, or keep using the setup you are using now for this year. The 3F is thicker, will ignite for you and won't fall down that crack as easily, if at all... might be worth a shot. I would try it for sure.

There was a memeber on here, pa cherokee, in the for sale section selling a flintlock barrel. A .54 caliber for your gun. Might be worth a shot.

Or have a gun builder possibly look at it and try getting your lock assembly and pan closer to the barrel.

If it were mine, I'd use that thing for this season, prime right before you go to shoot at a deer. Sounds tough, with movement involved, but I know you can do it... it'll rule out the possibility of the powder falling out. Alot of guys won't prime until they see a deer and are ready to shoot (still hunters and stand hunters)

You can use the 3F in the pan and see if that stays in better... it will ignite with that.

But I would definately look into picking up that barrel off of pa cherokee... that way, you will have the smoothbore and the 1/48" twist barrel. 2 barrels is never a bad thing.

They have them on gunbroker.com on a regular basis for .50 and .54 caliber renegades. I built a left handed one from all parts... all from gunbroker.

Here's the link to the fellow member's thread... I'd contact him and see if he still has the barrel.

http://www.huntingpa.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1507018#Post1507018


But without a doubt, for now, you got yourself a rifle you can definately shoot into the kill zone, one that looks great and one that will do the trick for you.

Those are just my recommendations... you have lots of options with that. I would try the 3F idea first. Big difference between 3F and 4F size, and by the sounds of it, the space you have, it just might be what you can do for the quick fix.

Good luck with it... and hopefully you can lay the rock down on a nice deer!!!

 

[Woodsnut]

Nice Gun RB and those boys will be dying to shoot the smoke pole sooner than you think!
even though I'd love a traditional looking gun, I'm stuck hunting with the firestorm for a while. I still love it and as some other have posted here, find 80 gr 3F with 245 aerotip PB's can't be beat. 1 inch groups from a solid rest are all I get with that load. Off hand shooting is a different story but working on that

 

[octagon]

Good shootin' RB!! So, you got a smoothbore .54 and you are shooting like that? It isn`t rifled? If it is rifled it should be 1:66 or 1:70 twist.

 

[Loggy]

Nice lookin flinter there Rooster. Inside the 50 give or take.. you should be ok!

If you get more into flinters & get a rifled bbl...shots out to 100 Yds are certainly possible assuming you have plenty of preseason range time to test loads etc.. My longest deer kill todate is 110 yds but was with an RMC 1-28 Green Mtn bbl shooting HPH12 MMP saboted 45 cal .452 xtps. Patched .535 roundballs pushed by 80 grains 2fg Swiss inside the 100 is my limit with my 54 although my gun is certainly capable of better.. but not by me...at least as of now!

Very best of luck in you quest to bag your very first flintlock deer! It will be an event you will never forget..I assure you!!

 

[*Moose]

That is so cool that you are shooting a smoothbore. It's hard to get much more traditional than that unless you went with a matchlock. Of course I don't even think matchers are legal in PA but they are in New England.

 

[RB]

I am probably more acurate with the crossbow

, in fact I know I am, but those shots have 35 yard limit for me in hunting situations. So the flinter will get the call and extend me out just a little, that and my son won't let me use his crossbow anymore, til he gets a late seaosn deer anyway.

Jack yes it is a smooth bore.

 

[RB]

still love it and as some other have posted here, find 80 gr 3F with 245 aerotip PB's can't be beat. 1 inch groups from

Maybe I need to try that setup in the Firestorm. I don't have the aerotips just hollow point PBs.. mine never shot real well for me no matter what combos I tried.

 

[Loggy]

Rooster...the Aerotips are the only way to go vs the hollowpoints per testing both.. In your 1-48 twist Firestorm(owned one for 5 years) a 295 should stabilize well but with 90-100 grains 2fg vs 110. A lil hot. Start at 85-90 & work your load up. You will hit a sweet spot. The slower the twist..the shorter the bullet is normally the best.. 245's are outstanding in 1-66's etc.

 

[pymi]

That smoothie's shootin good there RB, best of luck to this season!

 

[Bronzeback]

My new Firestorm loves 90gr. 2F and 295 Aerotip Powerbelts. I run a spit patch after every shot, but probably don't need to? Five shot grouping of 2.25 inches @ 75 yards off bench today. Shot one at 100yds and was an inch high of the bull, but stopped there. I don't plan on shooting that far anyhow. Ninety-five percent of the deer I've shot with a rifle have been within 100yds....but the gun went off everytime too!!!

 

[octagon]

Wow John, if you can shoot that well with a smoothbore, wait until you get a rifled barrel

John, what did you say you loading is for that smoothbore? Also, is it a little nose heavy? My Hawken with the 31 inch roundball barrel is kinda.

 

[SpiritNugent]

Wow John, if you can shoot that well with a smoothbore, wait until you get a rifled barrel

 

[Loggy]

lol...hard to beat a lil twistin!!

 

[Grey Bear Jr]

RB,
A cheap fix to your gap problem is to take some beeswax and parafin, mix it and smear some into the gap. An easy fix that does not change the lock or barrel permanently.

I have four smoothies and I love them all. Can't beat the .78 cal Brown Bess musket for knockdown power though

GBJ

 

[deluxe hunter]

good shooting

 

[*Moose]

RB,
A cheap fix to your gap problem is to take some beeswax and parafin, mix it and smear some into the gap. An easy fix that does not change the lock or barrel permanently.

I have four smoothies and I love them all. Can't beat the .78 cal Brown Bess musket for knockdown power though

GBJ

I would imagine.

 

[octagon]

I have 1 smoothie, a T/C New Englander 12 gauge shotgun with the cylinder bore barrrel. I would love a Fowler one of these days

 

[Bunky]

Nice lookin piece! Good shootin with a smoothie!

 

[RB]

John, what did you say you loading is for that smoothbore? Also, is it a little nose heavy?

80gr of 2F behind a roundball.

I actually love the balance of the gun...fits me well, I feel like i could beat the whole darn British army with it in my hands ...

. My firestorm does not give me that feel. I am going to save that for the boy when he is ready, assuming I get it shooting better with the tips here.

One thing I love is a set trigger, another minus towards the newer firestorm. I like the pause in the aiming process of hitting that set trigger first and then the follow-up of the light trigger.

I hope to shoot this gun alot more in the future..all honesty, I did not think I would have a tag to need to take it off the hooks this year, kinda of glad I do...kinda..