Barrel twist

[frontloader]

Need info. I pick up an T/C white mountain carbine. Does anyone know the rate of twist for this rifle.
Thanks ahead of time.
Longshot

 

[Stumpkiller]

T/C's new White Mountain Carbine barrel with a fast 1 in 20" twist proves "good medicine" for handling the new hunting bullets.

This is from the Blackpowder Hunting Magazine site from a 1990 issue. That's a fast twist! No roundballs for you.

 

[rabjr]

The .50 cal had a fast 1-20 twist for a short time then T/C switched to a 1-38 twist. Another thread has .45 cal and .54 cal with 1-48 twist.

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=45979&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=186&fpart=1

 

[frontloader]

Thank Stumpkiller and Swamp Rat . I got the carbine in a trade. It is an 50cal flintlock and does not look like it has been shot much. might be fun to play with. I have other rifles to shot round balls.

 

[madstone]

Take a tight patch on your cleaning jag and push it all the way to the breech. Use a pencil, or other discreet marker, to put a reference mark at 12 oclock (Aligned with front sight) at the muzzle. As you slowly pull out the patch the ranrod will turn,. Note when the reference mark is back at 12, or 6 oclock for shorter barrels, and measure the length the rod has travelled. If you had to use half a rotation, double it of course. Easy if you think about it! Good idea to have a mark on the rod to tell if the load is correct anyway?
:results:

 

[madstone]

Longshot,
I found the original introduction article, with test firings, for the TC WMC, in 1990. It was made in a few early 1-48 twists, then by 1st years' end was in 1-20. Rifling is 0.005 deep with 8 lands and grooves of equal width. Their best accuracy was with 370 gr. Maxi ball and 64 grains of Pyrodex, or BP (1138 fps.). Best group at 50 yds. was 0.96 inches!
The 335 maxi-hunter had a best group of 1.66 (1170fps) and the pbr with 80 gr. FFg and 0.015 patch was best at about 5 inches? Said the tight twist was destroying the patch and stripping.
I can't imagine 80 grains burning in the short barrel?

 

[frontloader]

Thanks madstone. The twist is 1-20. one turn on rod in the 20in. barrel. Should shoot well with long heavy bullets. :imo: with 60 t0 70gr 0f powder. what is the general opinion of some of the others that know these thing
thanks to everyone.
longshot

 

[rabjr]

Nice gun, I used one from 89' to 92' and took 5 shots in that time that brought home 5 nice bucks. I used 100gr FF with a 370 maxi-ball.

 

[madstone]

Swamprat,
Sounds like that should do the job! Does all the 100 gr. burn in the short barrel? The gun-testers said 80 grains of FFg and Maxiball gave groups that always approached 1 inch with an occasional "flier" that opened them to about 3 inches. Said they tried another barrel and still got same results.
Of course the "testors" used a tang mtd. peep site...
How's the accuracy? Obviously good enough for deer! 5 of 5 speaks for itself! But, as a skilled hunter you wouldn't miss if it grouped a foot at 100! (Most of my deer were almost powderburned!) I hope I phrased that so it came out as a compliment and polite question. Sometime I have trouble focusing my sentences. Comes with age, infirmity or medicine for same??

 

[rabjr]

Madstone,

I never saw unburned powder but I'm sure there probably was hehe. Hell of a blast comes from that short barrel. My main concern was an acceptable hunting load. I cannot for the life of me, find my book I kept all my range records in from back then. A couple of moves since then has misplaced the book. I believe I was using a wonder wad between the powder and maxi-ball and groups hovered at just about 2" at 50 yards, more or less depending on the day. And probably twice that at 75 yards, at least. I never was very good with trying to group shots with open sights beyond 50 yards.

My album says the buck shot in 89' was at 40 yards, two in 90' were taken at 15 and 40 yards. One in 91' was taken at 65 yards and one in 92' taken at 70 yards. So at 70 yards or less it worked quite well for me.

 

[odean]

For what ever reason my WM carbine has a 1:24 twist. Checked it with a tight patch on the ramrod and measured after 1/2 turn. I shoot a 370 gr. maxi ball and 70 gr. of Pyro RS and if I do my part, from a rest, it will touch bullet holes (3 shot group) at 50 yards. If I shoot more than 5 or 6 times I need to wipe with a damp patch and them a dry patch cause the bullets start to drift away from the group. With the same powder charge and a tight patched (.020) round ball (.490) it will shoot about 1 1/2 inches but about 6 inches higher than the maxi ball.
Oscar/NC

 

[madstone]

Swamprat
I like the WMC but sure wish thse sights were farther apart. The "gunwriters" machined an aluminum base and fitted a tang site. My old eyes like these!
I see from your data that you ARE a skillful hunter.
I got to hunting them with snub nosed 44 specials and 45's mine are so close. In between ML's of course!

 

[madstone]

Wow, 1 in 24. All my data is old and bet they have several twists? That 370 gr/70 gr. load sounds great! Sounds like you solved the flier problem too! That's good shooting!!!