northmn
02-15-2011, 11:24 AM
We got a little side tracked on the 58 cal thread on twist rates so I thought we could start another thread. My experiences and radings are mostly with round ball for muzzle laoders. I have seen many recommendations taht generalize around twist rates as in load light for a 1-48 or heavy for a 1-72. TC's have a comprimise twist and will not shoot either slugs or RB. First I have seen TC's shoot some very respectable groups with RB so it is not my claim.
Mostly twist rate is one part of the accuarcy equation. For RB what I have been seeing is a trend to cut very deep rifling as up to .016. I used to shoot Numrich barrels that had about .006 to .008 that were accurate enough to irritate those using Douglas barrels at the time. Anyway, rifling type is about as important as twist rate. Round ball uses a deep rifling to accomodate the patch and some like narrow lands and wider grooves. I had a 32 Douglas with a 1-66 twist and a couple of 32's with 1-48 twists. Could not tell much difference as both shot about the same loads accurately. My 1-70 twist 50 shoots 50 grains of 3f very well as well as 90 grains of 3f. Most TCs shot 50 grains of 3f very well and may have maxed at about 70 grains for real accuracy?? Some bench rest shooter use 1-48 some like real slow twists like 1-105 in a 50 so they can load them up. My experience in the competition game is that some great shot will use something and others think that by duplicating his combo's they can do what he does. One individual showed a bunch of us shooting custom rifles how to shoot at a large match when he shot a 48 off hand at 100 yards with a TC Hawken. Friends said he shot almost every night. The "nut behind the butt" does hold pretty true.
DP
Mostly twist rate is one part of the accuarcy equation. For RB what I have been seeing is a trend to cut very deep rifling as up to .016. I used to shoot Numrich barrels that had about .006 to .008 that were accurate enough to irritate those using Douglas barrels at the time. Anyway, rifling type is about as important as twist rate. Round ball uses a deep rifling to accomodate the patch and some like narrow lands and wider grooves. I had a 32 Douglas with a 1-66 twist and a couple of 32's with 1-48 twists. Could not tell much difference as both shot about the same loads accurately. My 1-70 twist 50 shoots 50 grains of 3f very well as well as 90 grains of 3f. Most TCs shot 50 grains of 3f very well and may have maxed at about 70 grains for real accuracy?? Some bench rest shooter use 1-48 some like real slow twists like 1-105 in a 50 so they can load them up. My experience in the competition game is that some great shot will use something and others think that by duplicating his combo's they can do what he does. One individual showed a bunch of us shooting custom rifles how to shoot at a large match when he shot a 48 off hand at 100 yards with a TC Hawken. Friends said he shot almost every night. The "nut behind the butt" does hold pretty true.
DP