Bob Hoyt rebore twist rate info

[T-Bird]

I'm about to send Mr Hoyt a 36x1 in 54 cal barrel to be rebored to 58 cal. My main purpose for this gun is just shooting targets 50-75 yds out with PRB. I will, however hunt deer with it some too. I was able to get him to the phone yesterday to ask about shipping, payment etc, hung up before I could discuss twist rate. I was planning to just tell him the purpose of the rifle and let him decide, he knows much more about it than I do. For those of you that have worked with him in the past, is that specific enough for him? I will only shoot PRB, but I don't want a twist that I have to load 120gr powder to get it to be accurate. I was thinking, if I need to be specific, I'll ask for 1:60. Do I have to specify radiused bottom rifling, or is that what he always does. Based on my reading, it sounds like that rate might suit my needs. What say y'all? I would ask him, but I hate to try to get him on the phone again

[Graysmoke]

When you ship the barrel to him just put in a note as to what you need. He does put in radius rifling, what was his price and shipping this year? He did a 54 for me 3 years ago and it shoots good you can’t go wrong with his work!!
Graysmoke

[LAGS]

I feel the 1:60 or 1:66 would be your best choice
But ship your barrel with a note as for what your intents are for what you want to shoot.
All the barrels Hoyt has done for me are perfect shooters.
I have two more .50 Renegades I am sending him to be bored to .54 with slow twists for round ball shooting .
His deeper rifling works excellent.

[HWooldridge]

I would vote for 1:66, with 1:72 as possibly the best for a .58. I once had a .54 with a 1:66 twist and it loved a PRB - excellent accuracy with a variety of loads, from 50 to 110 grs. of FFg (90 was about optimal for my shooting habits). It just doesn't take much twist to spin a round projectile.

[T-Bird]

Fee was 125$, I will enclose 20$more on the MO for return shipping (he said that was adequate). I will place a note with the barrel. Do I need to specify radius rifling?

[LAGS]

When I have a barrel refurbished or modified,
When I get it back. I stamp the information as to what year it was done, who did the work plus the caliber and twist rate . I stamp it on the bottom of the barrel so the information is not visible when the barrel is in the stock.
But On the visible part of the barrel , I stamp in the caliber so you know what to shoot out of that barrel .
I rarely see factory barrels that have both the caliber and twist rate stamped on the barrel.
Just the caliber.

[lead chucker]

I just got my renegade barrel back from him yesterday have not tried it out yet it was a 50 now its a 58 with 1-60 twist for round balls and mini balls. He said it would shoot both. His turn around from when i mailed it to yesterday was less than three weeks. He has done a couple other barrels for me and they shoot better than i can. I also told him i wanted to shoot around 70 to 90 gr 2f with good accuracy so i think that he took that into account also. Cant wait to take it out and get a couple hundred shots through it. One barrel i sent him shot good but after a couple hundred shots accuracy started to improve and now it really shoots nice.

[lead chucker]

If i remember right when i talked to him he mentioned the length of the renegade barrel being shorter and it might do better with a little faster twist so he settled on the 1-60.

[T-Bird]

That's what I'll do lead chucker, I'll tell him how much powder I want to use and let him decide. Mine being 36 in. may make a difference. Thank's for all the input guys! It's interesting that your recent turnaround was 3 weeks when I talked to him Monday, he said he was really backed up and might not get to mine 'till this fall. I asked him if I should wait 'till Sept to send it, he said "nah, just send it now, I'll get to it when I do". Still, nobody has told me whether I have to specify if I want radius rifling.

[fordwannabe]

I have been to Bobs many times and he does have a boatload of barrels to do, however he is no slacker. He is out in the min shop about 5 am Monday thru sat. He has done a few complete barrels for me, rebored some and relined others. I would tell him what I wanted to shoot as far as bullet and powder charge.... then stand back and let the master loose on my barrel. He has been doing this more than 50 years and the man KNOWS HIS STUFF! I feel very fortunate to have found him and know him.

[T-Bird]

Yeah ford, what I was thinking as to his expertise. Guess I should ask too, does his 58 shoot .570 or .575 RB?

[T-Bird]

Off it went!
I told him what I was gonna do with the rifle and that I wanted accuracy in the 70-100gr FF area. I'll leave the rest to him. I asked for ball dia and patch thickness if he could give them to me. Now I wait. Thanks for all the help.

[Graysmoke]

T-Bird I never asked for radiused rifling, I think he does that on most guns unless requested otherwise on the patched ball shooters. I would be very surprised if you get anything different, and the 54 is not as fussy about patch and ball size or lube, at least mine isn’t not like my 50 cal is.
Graysmoke

[curdog007]

My first barrel from Bob was a shallow round bottom groove job - I've been sold on them ever since. Had Ed Rayl do a lot of them for me over the years.
The target shooters will argue all day long that square bottom is more accurate - it may well be. But I'm a hunter, and will give up an inch in group size for easy loading. Most of them have shot the charge I had in mind to use in the rifle - basically no load development. I use one cloth for patch - and all my rifles like it (they don't get a choice...) and I always go at least 10 thou under on ball size. Easy loading, and no cleaning between shots. A hunting rifle ain't much use if it won't do that.

[T-Bird]

yeah, this barrel came off a custom full stock Hawken that I had Jack Garner make for me back in 1991. I got a Ron Long lock, Davis triggers, really nice rifle. I was a lot younger then, and a 1x 36 in straight octagon barrel was heavy (it's much heavier now), but authentic! Anyway, I was never able to get that barrel to stop blowing patches and giving mediocre at best accuracy. I quit using it for years. I decided to rebore it a few weeks ago. Maybe the barrel will finally be as good as the rest of the gun!

[Graysmoke]

T-Bird; I did exactly what you did. I had a douglas 50 cal bbl that I could never hold patches and shot like crap. It was a 1x33” and I had it bored to 54 and 1:70 twist after I pulled it and replaced with a green mtn. So 40 yrs later it is a 54 and I carved out two walnut planks and made a new hawken style.
Graysmoke

[T-Bird]

I hope this turns out, this is a really nice rifle except for the barrel, which isn't Jack's fault.

[The Appalacian]

I have a 50 cal Knight KP1 break open ML that got the bore trashed on it. I would love to make a smooth bore Turkey Gun out of it instead of a tomato stake.

Wonder if Mr Hoyt would do that for me. 62 cal would probably be enough, and there's plenty of wall thickness in the barrel, and plenty of shoulder left at the breech plug seal.

On the other hand a scoped .58 roundball gun in that configuration would be a lot of fun too. Decisions Decisions.

Back in the day it was a real meat maker. Totally my fault for putting it up dirty having completely forgotten about it.

[Woodnbow]

I have a 50 cal Knight KP1 break open ML that got the bore trashed on it. I would love to make a smooth bore Turkey Gun out of it instead of a tomato stake.

Wonder if Mr Hoyt would do that for me. 62 cal would probably be enough, and there's plenty of wall thickness in the barrel, and plenty of shoulder left at the breech plug seal.

On the other hand a scoped .58 roundball gun in that configuration would be a lot of fun too. Decisions Decisions.

Back in the day it was a real meat maker. Totally my fault for putting it up dirty having completely forgotten about it.

That rifle setup for .58 round ball would be quite a nice shooter. And a heck of a conversation starter!

[The Appalacian]

That rifle setup for .58 round ball would be quite a nice shooter. And a heck of a conversation starter!

I think you might be right about that.