Mr. Longbeard

How many of you guys shoot a Patch and Ball from a 1 in 48 twist and how does it group at 50 and 75 yards?

Winger

I shoot patched roundballs in my .54 TC Hawken. It will shoot a near clover leaf at 50 yards over and over. The only exception to this is the first shot with a clean barrel, it is always somewhat of a flyer. I have to shoot a fowling shot, then the rest are right on from then on. As for longer ranges, I have never really shot it at paper. I have killed a few deer out to 85 yards with no problem, hitting where I was aiming, though most of my deer are shot within 30 yards. My load is 80 grains of BP .... Pyrodex burns through the patches for some reason, whereas BP doesn't. I lube the patch lightly with 1000+ TC Bore Butter and have to use a thicker patch. I cut my patches from heavy pillow ticking, forget the weight, but it's considerably thicker than TC patches.

Winger

cayugad

I also have a T/C Renegade in .54 caliber with the 1-48 twist. I found that with 80 grains of Pyrodex RS, 100% cotten pillow tick patch cut from (Wal Mart stock) my patch strips, and using bore butter or Crisco Shortening, at 50 yards, I can shoot a very tight group, in fact the gun will contine to shoot into that area until the hole just keeps getting bigger and bigger as the barrel gets more dirt in it. At 75 yards, I can shoot a 3 inch group. And for my fun shooting, I can keep them in the base of a 2 pound coffee can all day, no matter where I put it, as long as it is not over 100 yards. I figure the kill area on a white tail is bigger then that, and so it is good practice. I have taken deer out to 85 yards with it, and it was a one shot, through the heart, drop in their tracks deal, so it must have hit right where I was aiming...

I do have a .50 caliber Traditions Hawkins with a 1-66 twist, that can even do better then the .54 caliber for groups.