1 in 66 barrel for 50 cal percussion rifles

[johnm4688]

Hello,
New guy here. Generally speaking,What would be the "best" twist rate for a 50 caliber rifle that would be using patched round balls? i have seen 1 in 66 and 1 in 70 mentioned.

Thanks!
John M. from Pa.

 

[Huntnut]

I dont know about best, but 1-60 1-66 or 1-70 will work good

 

[Bill Hall]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that 1-48 and over is good for roundball. From there, excluding patch thickness, lube, ball size, and all other factors, it's matter of adjusting the powder load for optimum accuracy. The idea is to get the most accurate RPM on the ball, without stripping the lead, skipping the rifling, or damaging the patches. Mostly a matter of trial and error, since everyone uses different patch material, lube, powder brands and granulation, etc. So one person using a certain .50 cal brand of barrel may get the most accuracy with 70 grains, whereas another guy with the same barrel may be most accurate with 80 grains.

Most roundball barrels that I am accustomed with use 1-56 to 1-70 for .50-.58 caliber. But my old .50 cal T/C 1-48 twist was freakin' deadly with around 70 grains fffg. Bill

 

[johnm4688]

OK guys....This newbee says thanks for the info!

John M. from Pa.

 

[ebiggs1]

I believe the kind and depth of rifling is more important than ROT. But if I get my choice I want 1/66.
A lot of original rifles had faster ROT, and 1/48 was common.

 

[Rifleman1776]

None of the other replies are wrong.
Both those twists are excellent for that caliber and can be loaded with heavy charges for serious hunting. The 1:48 is widely used. However, in that caliber, it will be fairly finicky about the best load for accuracy. It won't strip but methinks you will be happier with the 1:66. Anything slower, e.g. 1:70 or 1:72, etc., will require heavier charges for good accuracy.