BP rates of twist
1) Lyman Plains Rifle - .54 cal. with a 1:60 twist for patched round balls.
2) Same rifle with a 1:38 twist for conical projectiles.
3) Lyman Trade Rifle - 1:48 twist, presumably to handle round and conical bullets.
Q - I know that the faster rate of twist is needed to stabilize the conical bullet so no CB's in the slower rate of twist barrels. What happens, though, when a patched round ball is fired from the faster rate of twist rifle? Anything? Nothing?
Q - Does the 1:48 twist work equally well for both types of bullets or not?
Q - Other than the twist rates, what's the difference between these two rifles? Significant price difference for sure.
Thanks in advance.
2) Same rifle with a 1:38 twist for conical projectiles.
3) Lyman Trade Rifle - 1:48 twist, presumably to handle round and conical bullets.
Q - I know that the faster rate of twist is needed to stabilize the conical bullet so no CB's in the slower rate of twist barrels. What happens, though, when a patched round ball is fired from the faster rate of twist rifle? Anything? Nothing?
Q - Does the 1:48 twist work equally well for both types of bullets or not?
Q - Other than the twist rates, what's the difference between these two rifles? Significant price difference for sure.
Thanks in advance.
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My experience has been limited to 3 BP guns but for the most part a round ball fired from a fast twist simply opens up the group (and loading the "sprue" is more critical).
When firing a conical or sabot from my 1:60 twist rifle "keyholing" isn't uncommon and accuracy is horrible at best (under 2" group with patched roundball, 10" group with 240 grain sabot at 50 yards).
The 1:30-1:48 rifles are truly a compromise and thus don't typically excel at either loading, but will be more than sufficient at field distances and accuracy requirements.
I don't know about that specific rifle, but I'm wanting to get another CVA Mountian Rifle and thier "Classic" model is $400 whereas their "hunter" version is ~$250. The differences is the quality of the stock, the quality of the finish, and the rate of twist. I'd guess the Lyman has a similar methodology...0 -
You can shoot RB in fast twist BP rifles with excellent groups but there is some trial and error involved. I am a 4-H shooting sports coach and there was a girl at the KY state shoot that was shooting excellent groups with her 1:32 inline rifle with RB. RB is all 4-H is allowed to shoot. Upon talking to her father we found out that the key was to play around with the grainage and do not let the barrel heat up between shots! He told us that she was shooting a 47 grain load of pyrodex in the 50 cal inline and that she took the full 1/2 hour to shoot her 5 counting shots! She actually did not take her 2 practice shots that they are allowed to take if they want to. The reason she took all her time and no practice was so as to not heat up the barrel. Her dad told us that the hotter the barrel got, the wider the pattern got. She took 1st place 2 years ago and I believe 2nd this past year with this technique. All of our kids use side hammer guns with 1:60 or 1:66 twist rates. As a team they took 3rd place over all this past year at the state shoot. Hope this nfo helps. I personally have not shot an in-line or a fast twist BP rifle. I do believe what the girls father told us and the proof was in her scores.
"we are but men... no more, no less..."0 -
patched ball in rifling much faster than 1:60 will have to be loaded down
sabot or conical much over 1:48 will be inaccurate and this will increase as the twist slows
1:48 is the compromise, it will do both, but not competition grade
rifle prices are not so much due to twist rate differences although the longer barreled rifles will typically be the slower twists and a longer barrel will add to the cost
most of the cost differential will be in the stock and lock differences. Flint is typically the most expensive, followed by sidelock percussion then in line and usually your better sidelocks are wood stocked no synthetic ... although some are made typically in the mid to lower end rifles.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
This is just my personal experience. I owned two older Thompson Center Hawken rifles with a deep rifled 1:48 twist that shot round balls accuratly. I now shoot a Traditions in-line with a deep rifled 1:32 twist and it groups excellent with round balls and 80 to 90 grains of pyrodex. I could never develop a round ball loading out of a shallow rifled 1:28 twist Knight rifle that grouped well. Maybe this means that patched round balls just don't shoot well out of any shallow rifled gun? 0 -
I have and shoot both fast and slow twist rifles. In my experience you will be happier picking one or the other and not trying to compromise. Accuracy is sure to suffer some. The best approach is buy one (or more!) of each. Then you are prepared for which ever you choose to shoot.
He Dog0
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