Nessy357:
Thanks for jumping in here!! I thought it is important that the boys here from some else than myself!! LOL!!
IanC said:
Bad news I think. I was reading my manual a little closer and realize that i gave some incorrect information. I have a 24 inch barrel with a 1:28 twist. The manual suggests i not use balls since my twist is much to fast.
IanC:
This is not bad news at all, as a matter of fact there are some encouraging developments here.
Fist off, you took the time to read you manual more than once, and lest face it, this black powder stuff is about being in the “know”!!
That being said, IT IS MY OPINION that CVA includes that, as it is a common misconception that round balls will not shoot well out of fast twist BP rife. This statement is GENIALLY, only true if you use medium to large charges of powder. What happens, is that because a round ball is lighter than you average conical in 50 Cal (177grain or so vs 380 grains plus) the lesser weight cause the ball to move at a high velocity and the ball ends up skipping over the rifling, giving very poor accuracy if any. However, if we lower the velocity, the rifling has a chance to grip the patch/ball combination, give acceptable accuracy and trajectory for target shooting/plinking purposes.
Pay close attention to the advice that nessy357 gave you. He knows what he is talking about!!
If after trying his advice, you are still not satisfied, you do have another alternative; that is to shoot conicals. There are a plethora of designs to shoot. With a twist that fast, you will want shoot conicals that are long for their caliber, in this case I would think a conical at least an inch long (which is twice .50 cal). (Feel free to jump in here nessy if you disagree of have other thoughts to add)
Now you may say conicals are expensive, and that is true, if you buy them off the shelf, and you may wish to do that until you find a design your rifle likes to shoot. However if you cast your own, the cost comes down a lot!! Lets face it, there is nothing like Anchoring a target (paper or live) with projectiles you have made yourself!!
Casting can be another hobby all on its own, but there are few BP shoots that either cast their own currently, or have do so in the not so distant past. Lyman has a great manual on the subject, and Lee offers affordable molds for the beginner and expert alike!!
Another book that I believe every BP enthusiast should read, is the one by Sam Faldala. The name escapes me right now, but this is a wealth of information, and a good read. I personally have read mine 3 or 4 times. While I don’t agree with everything Sam wrote, there is a lot of good info in this book, further it sheds different light on many aspects of BP, and can lead to some good, safe, experimentation.
I hope you have found this helpful, and please keep the questions coming if you have anymore. There is a lot of knowledge here, and unlike many other sports, most shooters with experince are willing to share.
Regards and all the best
R
