tc 56 cal smooth bore

[Fubarracin]

what do yall know about these are they worth a darn? was givin a renegade that was pitted beyond recognition and found a 56 cal barrel cheap.

[Daryl]

Which? Calibre or gun?

[Fubarracin]

the tc 56 cal sb barrels? were they decent? im told the 50 cal barrel that came on the renigade was never very good but i think that was due to twist rate thats why i thought the sb may be better.

[Dave Marsh]

I'd send that 50 cal barrel to Bobby Hoyt and have it bored out to the largest caliber he thinks is safe. 

Dave

[Fubarracin]

thats an option i hadnt considered at all any guesses as to what would be safe? would you go back rifled or stay with a smooth bore?

[WadePatton]

thats an option i hadnt considered at all any guesses as to what would be safe? would you go back rifled or stay with a smooth bore?

That's where you let Bobby Hoyt tell you what is safe. Re-rifling will increase your costs, gotta pay to play. You should know better than us whether you need/desire smooth over rifled, at whatever price.

Found your other thread and see that you're out West and familiar with big rifles, SO I'd recommend rifled for the enhanced accuracy beyond X yards.  I understand that longer shots are the norm for Western hunting. I hunt ultra thick stuff here in the Southeastern hardwoods, but also prefer rifles for ultimate accuracy if a longer shot is needed, and for target work.

HTH

[moleeyes36]

thats an option i hadnt considered at all any guesses as to what would be safe? would you go back rifled or stay with a smooth bore?

I believe Renegade rifle barrels were all 1" ATF regardless of the caliber.  TC made their 1" barrels up to .54 and .58 caliber for what it's worth.

Mole Eyes

[Fubarracin]

between the 2 bore on my other thread and the 56 barrel and then this new idea my mind is going a million diffrent directions haha. cant decide what waits and what happens lol

[Maven]

I have a .56cal. T/C Renegade SB, which actually takes a .550" patched RB or a .535" patched RB.  Various sources, e.g., Traditional ML Forum and Traditional ML Assoc., often mention how accurate those guns are, and my experience confirms it, at least with the .550" RB and a .010" patch with a cardboard overpowder wad.  From a rest @ 25 yd., that combination will put 5 - 7 shots in the black of the NMLRA Postal Match target, with several of them touching.  Btw, the .535" RB + a thicker patch aren't quite as accurate.  70gr. FFFg or 80gr. FFg work well in my SB, but you'll need to experiment with patch thickness and RB diameter first, and powder granulation and charge later.  Hope this helps!

[Fubarracin]

would minute of deer lung at 75 be possible you think?

[Daryl]

thats an option i hadnt considered at all any guesses as to what would be safe? would you go back rifled or stay with a smooth bore?

As Renegades came out in .58 rifled as well, re-boring and rifling is certainly a possibility, however I have read/heard that many barrel makers refuse to re-bore barrels that have been button rifled, due to the stress & hard spots introduced into the barrels by the swaging/buttoning process.

[Fyrstyk]

I have gotten 3" groups at 50 yards with my 56 smooth bore T/C, using 80 grains of 2f, a .550 ball with .010 mink oil lubed patch and a felt over powder wad.  Bobby Hoyt can determine how large the bore can be opened up to.  Many of the T/C guns had screw holes for the rear sights drilled pretty deep, thereby reducing the amount the barrel can be re-bored to safely.  He will measure and determine the safest bore diameter.

[bob in the woods]

If the barrel is that pitted , I'd pitch it.  I'd bet the original owner used a substitute b. powder . You won't know just how deep some of those pits go until you've got $ spent.  I'd put the $ towards a new barrel.

[Maven]

"Would minute of deer lung at 75 be possible you think?" 

With a properly fitted RB/patch + lots of practice, I think it is possible.

[WadePatton]

If the barrel is that pitted , I'd pitch it.  I'd bet the original owner used a substitute b. powder . You won't know just how deep some of those pits go until you've got $ spent.  I'd put the $ towards a new barrel.

This may be your best answer.  Especially considering what Daryl said about the rifling. P-stuff corrosion is wicked and deep. Also that you'd likely want to load on the stout side.

[Daryl]

A new barrel just might be the cheapest & most accurate choice as well.

I had forgotten about the screw holes. Yes- that is a true statement by Bob. My wife's .36 Seneca had a screw hole that was within .010" of the of the bottom of the rifling groove that came under it.

 After 'some' shooting, the barrel steel expanded into that hole & kinda ringed a bit- almost 1/2 the barrel.  It could be seen from the inside with the breech plug out, as well as felt when loading, but was impossible to see on the outside of the barrel.

That was a 13/16" wide barrel and they almost drilled into the bore of the .36 - had it been a .45, that screw hole would have been all the way through.  As they also made that model in .45 as well, it kinda made me wonder how many of the .45's were almost drilled through for the rear sight base holes.

I re-barreled her rifle with a GM .45 barrel. It is now a good shooting rifle, with no screw holes, except for the breech plug.

[Maven]

All, I believe Fubaracin (original poster) was asking about accuracy from a T/C .56cal. SB bbl.:   "was givin (sic) a renegade that was pitted beyond recognition and found a 56 cal barrel cheap."  My reply addressed accuracy from the SB bbl., not the ruined, but rifled one.

[Fubarracin]

that's correct mavin although I was very interested with the rebore idea until the possible problems with that came up. i did buy the 56 cal barrel as well as a 50 cal 1 in 66 twist barrel both to replace the pitted 50 cal 1 in 48 twist.

[Daryl]

The .50 will out shoot the .56. Just a wild guess.

[Fubarracin]

yea I'd guess your right but i bet the 56 is a boatload of fun!

[Daryl]

Actually, using a smoothbore with buck and ball loads is a blast (fowler or handgun), especially on silhouette targets.

[Fubarracin]

i can't draw my favorite unit here in colorado but every 4 years, so we do 3 years just meat hunting in a unit thats swimming in deer then the 4th year its serious down to bussiness hunting for big bucks. i think the smooth bore would be a blast in the meat unit!

[stikshooter]

Bob Hoyt took my unfired brand new TC 56 and bored it to 62 ,and it is a turkey killer /squirrel slayer and fast turnaround and way reasonable /Ed

[Dave Marsh]

Bobby Hoyt knows what he is doing and I let him determine what is safe.  He has done 3 rusty / pitted TC barrels for me and all shoot great now. I just send the barrel to him with a check and tell him to bore it out as big as he can.  If the dovetails or screw holes are too deep he will tell you and only bore it out to a safe caliber. 

Dave