barrel twist rate?

[chuck-ia]

Thinking of a 42" B weight in 45 cal. for a future gun. The colerain specs are 1-48" and the rice is 1-66". The old timers around here used to say go with a 1-66", but a buddy of mine shoots a colerain .45 and shoot darn good. What are you guys thoughts on this? thanks, chuck

[Long John]

Chuck,

I am a slow-twist kind of guy.  I have a barrel on order with John Getz that is 45 caliber and I requested a 66 inch twist.

It takes very little rotational velocity to stablize a round ball.  Consequently, round balls can do just fine with very slow twists.  The slower twist will mean that the rate of pressure increase will be slower during the intiial burn of the load.  that will mean the rifle will want a little more powder before it gets up to a pressure that will achieve consisten purchase on the rifling.  The over all pressure in the barrel during the shot will be more uniform.  That will make the barrel more tolerant of load variations - i.e. there will be a wider range of powder charges that the rifle will shoot well.

As for you friend, most of us can't shoot half as well as our rifles.

Best Regards,

JMC

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Theoretically, the 1:48" twist will require less powder to get the optimal group, that the 1:66" twist.

[smylee grouch]

I like slow too, 1 in 75 for my 58. I think it shoots a hunting load better which is why I have that 58 in the first place, for hunting. You might ask yourself what the primary use of the rifle will be and make your choice using that criteria.   Flintlocks Forever        Gary

[Steve Bookout]

Chuck, don't you even THINK about telling me almost all of the barrels I've done here in Corn Patch with 1-48" are less than satisfactory!   Actually, I do rifle slower twists other than the old 1-48", but the majority of my customers, myself included, seem to do O.K. with it....'least as long as I can kill a spider at 60 yards over the log. Cheers, Bookie

[Leatherbelly]

 I think the 56" twist would be about perfect for a 45. With about 60 grains of 3f,she should shoot nice.

[northmn]

We have had more than one debate on twist rate.  Here goes.  A slower twist may not foul as much or be at least easier to clean?  When the slower twists came out they advertised that they were not as fussy as well as using a heavier charge of powder.  Now, for those that usd two charges for target shooting, like I did, they may have been OK as there was not a great difference in accuracy between the two charges.   
I bought a 32 in 1-48 inch twist becasue I thought it would be accurate with less powder as compared to a Douglas 1-66.  They shot about the same charge to be accurate.  But a 1-48 in a 32 is also pretty slow.

DP

[Dphariss]

Thinking of a 42" B weight in 45 cal. for a future gun. The colerain specs are 1-48" and the rice is 1-66". The old timers around here used to say go with a 1-66", but a buddy of mine shoots a colerain .45 and shoot darn good. What are you guys thoughts on this? thanks, chuck

Twist don't mean much 30" *might* be too fast and a 80 *might* be too slow for a 45 RB gun *might*. Douglas made everything in 66. If a 32  with a 66 will shoot well a 66 is not going to be too slow for a  45. Bill large used 56 for most barrels.
Green Mountain makes 45s in 60". A friend has one that shot 15 consecutive shots at 60 yards into a hole in the backing board that would just accept my thumb.
I had a 48" twist 50 years ago that would do the same thing.
All the twists used by the makers will shoot well if the rest of the barrel is right.

Dan

[Don Getz]

I agree with Bookie, if I had to live with just one twist, it could easily be a 1/48".   When we bought the Paris barrel business
that is the only twist they did.   After getting into the barrel business we did bow to pressure and made some slower twists
available.....1/56", 1/66", 1/72" and  1/96".   We ended up making the 1/56" twist standard in a 45 and I had some great shooting 45's with that twist.   Conversely, I built a 45 cal. chunk gun with a 1/66" twist and shoot 80 grains of FFF in it, something one does not normally do............Don

[chuck-ia]

Thanks for the replys. The way I shoot, I would never be able to tell a difference between the twist rates. I am leaning towards the 1-48. I am not a believer in using a lot of powder, or magnum charges. I would guess either the 1-48 or 1-66 twist would shoot just fine with around 55 gr. 3f. I did have a TC Renegade years ago with a shorter barrel and the twist was 1-48 (I think) in 50 cal. used to shoot mainley off arest back then and I could consistantly shoot eggs off a post at 50 yards using 75 gr. 2f, that is plenty accurate for me. Just wish I could do it now with one of my flintlocks offhand. thanks again, chuck

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

When I was considering Colerain's 1:56" twist for my .54 I asked around.

The "theory" was that 1:56" might lean more towards favoring target doses.  Whereas something with a 66" pitch would handle hunting charges.

I also got one guy who had shot, sold, and seen a lot of Colerain's.  He said they handle heavier hunting charges just fine, and are accurate.  He had seen very little problems inherent in the Colerains.

I never heard many complaints about Colerains. 

I decided to go with the testimony of the "experience" instead of the "theory". 

Now, my experience is good.  My barrel hunts very well.  It handles doses of 100 to 110 grains just peachy.  It groups 'em really nice with 70 grain charges as well.  This has been one of the cleanest shooting, and easy-to-please barrels I have ever shot.  And over the chronograph my hunting charges read 1900 fps.