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What is considered a slow twist rate......

204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
edited October 2007 in Black Powder and Cowboy Action Shooting
I have an older traditions with a 1 in 48 twist. It has a 28 inch barrel. Is this considered a slow twist rate and better for round balls???
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    mongrel1776mongrel1776 Member Posts: 894 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    1 in 48" is actually a "moderate" twist rate, intended for shooting either patched round balls or the heavier conical projectiles such as maxi-balls or Buffalo bullets. I assume you're talking about a .50 caliber barrel, by the way. 1 in 48" will work for round balls in a .54, but is a little fast for the larger caliber.

    Ideal round ball twist in a .50 ranges from 1-60" to 1-72", depending on the barrel manufacturer. Colerain swamped barrels are actually rifled 1-56" in .50 caliber. Green Mountain barrels are cut with a 1-70" twist, I believe.

    You should get acceptable accuracy with round balls out of a 1-48" twist, assuming the bore to still be in good shape.
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,242 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I have shot lots of deer and hogs with a TC Hawken with patched round balls and a 1:48 twist. I was getting 3 inch groups at 100, not good enough to win the Olympics but plenty good enough for deer.
    Never tried a slug in this rifle.
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    CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,520 ✭
    edited November -1
    I have a 50cal Green River barrel 30" long with 1-60 round ball twist. I've had it more than 20 yrs, works great.
    For what it's worth.
    W.D.
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    CapnMidnightCapnMidnight Member Posts: 8,520 ✭
    edited November -1
    Make that Green Mountain.
    W.D.
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    204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    Thanks for the replies guys. This rifle has been put away for at least ten years, maybe a little longer. I remember it would shoot round balls pretty well and bullets OK. I got it out recently and its shooting all over the place. I have been shooting 100 grains for rounds and bullets. May be a little much for rounds. I hope the bore is OK but that is a long time to be in a corner. I actually forgot about having it. I'm gonna give it one more try at the range. It may be time for a new one as I have recently remembered how much I use to enjoy shooting this thing...
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    allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,242 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I would back off on the powder a little and try 80 and 90 grains.
    But, I bet your problem is, indeed, the bore. Probably got rusty after all these years.
    Run some clean patches down there and see if there is rust on them.
    Get some JB paste and put it on a patch, put that on the cleaning jag, and give that bore 50 strokes. Change to a new patch with JB on it and give it 50 more.
    Give it a total of 200 strokes, ought to help a lot.
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    204targetman204targetman Member Posts: 3,493
    edited November -1
    Thanks, I'll give it a try. Just in case the bore is shot. Anyone know if you can get a replacement barrel for a traditions?? I really like the action.
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    mongrel1776mongrel1776 Member Posts: 894 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by 204targetman
    Thanks, I'll give it a try. Just in case the bore is shot. Anyone know if you can get a replacement barrel for a traditions?? I really like the action.

    Used barrels for CVA and Traditions rifles pop up on GunBroker now and then (CVA and Traditions rifles were/are made at the same factory in Ardesa, Spain). Problem is, you might wind up with something not much better than what you have. Numrich Gun Parts (e-gunparts.com) sells a 1" diameter, 30" octagon barrel in .50 caliber, rifled 1-62", for about $55.00 with shipping included. This is a close-out price on an item they won't carry again, once they're gone. You would have to make sure you have a 1" barrel on your gun, now, and would have to fit the breechplug, underlug, underrib, and sights, or have a gunsmith do so. The rifling twist would also be too slow for the heavier bullets -- round ball only. I've used several of these barrels on rifles I've built and found them very accurate, but they're definitely not a drop-in-and-shoot proposition.

    Green Mountain sells replacement barrels, already set up with sights, underrib, etc, for the Thompson-Center and other halfstock guns, but I'm not sure if they offer one to fit the Traditions. If so this setup runs somewhere between $150.00 and $200.00, depending on who you buy it from.

    Hope this is of some help.
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