My Latest Renegade

[Muley]

I just bought this gun for hunting bear, muley's, and elk. I haven't received it yet, and I hope it looks as good in hand as it does in pictures. It appears to be well taken care of. I had a renegade before, and I put the 1-70 GM barrel on it. I wish I could do that with this gun too, but those barrels are not to be found anymore. GM stopped making them, and everybody who stocked them have sold out. Too bad it was a great addition to the Renegade.

I bought some tung oil, and I thought i'd give it some protection and perk it up a bit.

Anyway, here she is.

[Bison Horn]

Looks like shining times! BH

[Muley]

I hope so. What attracted me the most on this gun is the single trigger, and glove friendly trigger guard. I've never been fond of double set triggers for hunting.

I believe they called this version the Renegade Hunter. They didn't make the barrel that way, but I remember it was in the TC ads.

[greyhunter]

Good for you!  The renegades are fine shooters and easy to care for. I have a .54 cal flinter and it has served me well taking deer.

[Bigsmoke]

I too always liked the Renegade.  That was my first rifle, lo these many years ago.  As I have said about a few other guns that have come and gone, sure wish I still had it.
Drop in's aren't the only way to do it.  You could always get another barrel in .50 or even .54 and flop it in.  If you wanted to keep the original one, I think Track has a T/C breechplug made by Pete Allen.  A few minutes at a milling machine would take care of sight dovetails, underlug dovetail and then drill and tap the screw holes for the under rib and you're good to go.
I have often thought of getting another one in .54 and rebarreling it to .62.  Those are fun.
Have fun with the Renny.
John

[Hanshi]

Though some disagree, I still think you have a reasonable .50 elk thumper.  I also like the looks of the Renegade.

[sse]

Good luck with that one.  I'd be interested in hearing how it shoots, load, etc...

[Muley]

Though some disagree, I still think you have a reasonable .50 elk thumper.  I also like the looks of the Renegade.

I managed to kill a cow elk with a .54 PRB, and 80gr of Swiss. It went through both lungs at 60-70 yds, but that was about it. You think a .50 PRB would be ok for a cow? I don't hunt for bulls anymore, because i'm too old to handle them now. A younger cow is good eating.

[rollingb]

 You think a .50 PRB would be ok for a cow?

While I've taken my share of elk in the past, I've always used a .54, .58. or a .62 to do it,... and even then, a .54 can seem a little light at times for critters the size of elk.
I suppose with good shot-placement, and done at close enough range to guarantee decent penetration, you'd probably be successful with your .50 PRB.
If I were to ever consider hunting elk with a .45, or a .50,.... I'd work up some good loads using conicals.  

[Uncle Russ]

Ain't no fleas on an old Renny!

Here is what my old Renegade looks like, after about 15 years of getting "good" drop in barrels that would do what I wanted then to do.
 

I also have a .45 cal barrel with 1:48 twist that is not in that picture.

Here is a picture of the loooong trigger guard that Tom (Gunmaker) made up for the old Renny....






Makes for a much nicer profile than all the whirly twirly guards found on the Hawken and many of the old Renegades. That trigger guard was the reason, years ago, that I choose a T/C Penn Hunter over a Hawken.

I like the guard on your gun a whole bunch better than that found on a Hawken.
In fact, yours is just like the Penn Hunter with a single trigger....most double triggers have always had the whirly twirly Hawken style guards.

Uncle Russ...

[Muley]

Real nice setup Russ. You're ready for anything.

I agree about the trigger guard. It's what attracted me to my gun over that thing that the double triggers have. Yours looks great.

I found this barrel if I want to go to a .54, but I want to give the .50 a chance this year first. I don't want to use a conical. My heart is with PRB's. So, i'm going to do my best to make them work.

Thompson Center Renegade 54 PERC Barrel Pre Warning Unfired Vintage Nice | eBay

[Bigsmoke]

I believe the .50 T/C barrel is 15/16" across the flats and the .54 barrel is 1".
I am thinking that even using a full jar of Bore Butter, you won't be able to squeeze the barrel into the stock. :rotf  
I do think the .50 is a bit anemic for elk.
On my old Renegade, I installed one of the Hawken Shop Conversion trigger guards.  Really Hawkenized it.  Also had a Douglas .54 barrel 36" long, an iron nosecap, hooked buttplate, and a different set of sights.
John

[Muley]

The TC Hawken is 15/16 for the .45-.50, but 1" for the .54.

The Renegade is 1" for the .50 and .54.

[Bigsmoke]

Really?
Guess that's what I get for trying to remember things.
It's been so long since I really paid much attention to commercial rifles, I guess I don't know this from that anymore.
Sorry for the inaccurate info.
But, I still think it would take a lot of bore butter to squeeze a 1" barrel into a 15/16" channel.
John

[Muley]

I agree about the bore butter, but as hard as it gets in cold weather it might work.