Round ball from fast twist barrell?

[Moebedda]

Can you shoot a round ball out of a bullet/sabot barrel? meaning from a 1 in 24 twist barrell? Does it throw off accuracy at all for the round ball?

I found http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_162_193&products_id= 3452and noticed it had a 1 in 24" twist. I would like to use this for both hunting and shooting round balls at iron clangers, targets or anything else fun to shoot at muzzle loading events. Obvoiously I would like to shoot buffalo bullets or sabots for hunting with the same rifle. Is it doable?

[cayugad]

Well you can shoot roundball out of a fast twist rifle. Just cut the powder charge back to around 50 grains. The accuracy might even impress you a little. I small game hunt with a Knight Wolverine LK-II and it works good.

[Pglasgow]

Moebedda,

I wouldn't think it to be ideal. The rifle you are considering should work best with 500+ grain conicals. If you want to hunt with conicals it may be your best choice. Butif you are planning toshoot roundball competitively at the ML events,you'd be disappointed I think.

I do shoot roundball from my 1:28 twist sidekick. It shoots them well. That said, I shoot alight load at very close range (40 yards) targets and for small game.

The max load I use in the 1:28 fast twist with roundball is 30 grains. This yields muzzle velocity around 1160 fps. At that velocity the rpm of the ball is the same as 2000 fps in a 1:48. So I felt comfortable starting there and working down. (Sounds strange to work down but I shoot rabbits and squirrels withthe loadand don't need much forthat).

I am certain that you can work up from there too. I don't know, but I suspect that you will find some charge which will open your groups far below the charge they'd still group tight in a slower twist. A muzzle velocity of only 1500 fps will twist the prb like 3000 fps from a 1:48 barrelOR the prb will skip rifling.If you are shooting slower muzzle velocities you will definitely be at a disadvantage for competition shooting. The trajectory will not be as flat and more succeptable to deflection by wind.

I know it doesn't answer the question per se, but maybe it will get you to thinking about what you really want. A 1:48 twist is a good compromise when you want to shoot both conicals and roundball.

[lemoyne]

It often helps to use a very tight ball and patch combination, with a 1-24 I would start very low in charge and shoot groups I would start at 40 gr and check the patches as well as the group. Some times you get a nice suprise I have a System One 50 cal [ 1-38 twist ] barrel that will take 90 gr of P Pyrodex and group in 2 inches at 100yd which was a big suprise to me as I had no idea that a 1-38 might be able to take a deer load and still shoot that accurate with a round ball. Lee