Barrels for ITX balls or copper conicals??

[Scota4570]

I am ready to begin building a long rifle. I hunt in a lead free zone.  If I want to hunt with a ML I need to work around this ridiculous law.   

Could I order a faster twist barrel and use sabots and conicals?  Anyone make a long, swamped, fast twist 50 caliber barrel?

Or, I could use ITX balls.  My reading indicates they are too hard and shoot poorly.  Blazing ahead anyway, go with 54 or 58 caliber to make up for the less dense material and lack or expansion?? 

[Acer Saccharum]

You might get good feedback in 'Black Powder Shooting section'.  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?board=1.0

[Ky-Flinter]

Could I order a faster twist barrel and use sabots and conicals?  Anyone make a long, swamped, fast twist 50 caliber barrel?

Check with Charlie Burton at http://fcibarrels.tripod.com/  His website says..... ALL BARRELS AVAILABLE SQUARE OR ROUND BOTTOM RIFLING WITH TWISTS FROM 1-21" TO STRAIGHT (ZERO TWIST)

-Ron

[Virginiarifleman]

You can get Custom fast twist Rifled barrels from some of the makers.look them up and give them a call. I know Allen Sandy just built a Longrifle around a fast twist barrel for modern projectiles.

[VP]

Allan Sandy's rifle is built with a barrel from Ed Rayl of Gassaway, WV. He doesn't have a website but you can reach him  at 304-364-8269. The best time is early morning or late afternoon. Allan Sandy built me a rifle with one of Ed's fast twist barrels for elk hunting. I can tell you it sure did the trick. The rifle shot the sabots very well.

VP

[Larry Pletcher]

Steve Chapman and I did a test of the ITX balls.  We were concerned about accuracy  at hunting ranges.  The link below will go to the article:

http://www.blackpowdermag.com/itx-non-lead-field-test-for-accuracy/

We did note some concerns in other areas, mainly dealing with loading the hard ball and difficulty pulliig a ball , if necessary.

Regards,
Pletch

[ScottH]

These brass balls have been tested in a .58 caliber traditional muzzleloader with success on both targets and whitetail.

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=20418&step=4&showunits=inches&id=1419&top_cat=0

However the one thing that has not been established is that they are an "approved" non lead projectile in California or any other state as far as I can tell.

In a report on a different muzzleloader forum the tester figured out a backstop filled with shredded rubber and was able to catch these and they were still round and reusable.

Also Bob Hoyt is capable of making a barrel with any twist you want within reason, but easily a .50 with a 1:28 twist.

[axelp]

I have hunted and target shot with ITX round balls & shot and they are plenty accurate for hunting. They have been used by other Pro-Staff at Tombob Outdoors to harvest many whitetails and turkey and waterfowl back east. ITX is proven successful in spite of the known issues. I was one of the first people to test ITX in a flintlock traditional longrifle. I found that with the same load, the point of impact was very similar to the point of impact that I was getting with lead roundball at 25 and 50 yards anyway.

I live and hunt in the lead ban zone in CA as well--- actually by 2016 ALL of California will be in a hunting lead ban for all kinds of projectiles including shot. We will still be able to target shoot with lead however--- so far anyway.

I had Rice Barrel Co. cut an extra slow-twist. 1:80 and shallow groove .008 barrel for me to optimize using harder than lead patched roundball. The gun shoots lead and non-lead quite well. I am pleased with it. its a 50 cal 38" swamped barrel in a Jim Chambers Isaac Haines kit.

The biggest challenge for using ITX is the cost, and of course making sure you never dry-ball. Other than that, it is soft enough to not harm your barrel according to the ballistic engineer at TomBob Outdoors, It is accurate enough for hunting purposes, and it is available in the major calibers. I particularly like ITX lead free shot-- it is good stuff especially for cylinder bored smoothies. Have killed several tree rats with it. No turkeys yet but hopefully soon.

Ken
Oakhurst, CA near Yosemite Natl. Park

[jerrywh]

 Oregon gunworks will make you any barrel you want and it will be superb. Tell Joe I said so.

[gunmaker]

Joe does make a great barrel, but only to 35" rifled.  Any caliber, any twist.  ....Tom