Come On Riflings, Let's Do The Twist...

[musketman]

Let's say you have two round ball barrels, both .50 caliber and are 33 inches in length...

Each barrel has a 1-60 inch twist and the riflings are the same depth and the same number of lands and grooves...

Both are loaded with the same charge and the same diameter r/b with the same patch & lube...

The only difference is, one barrel has right-hand twist (clockwise) and the other has left-hand twist (counter-clockwise)...

Which would shoot a round ball better?

Would it make a difference?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Above or below the equator and firing parallel or perpendicular to the earth's rotation? And how far from the equator? And into the earth's rotation or away from it?

In the northern hemisphere, firing say at a moose in Canada from a position in New York, a ball fired at 7 miles per second (escape velocity), in order to maintain a steady orbit of 5 feet above the earth's surface and strike the moose in the lungs, would require a left hand twist to counter the Coriolus force (which deflects a projectile to the right in the northern hemisphere). Aim a tad high to counter air resistance, and be sure to notify someone in Pennsylvania to keep an eye out for your hat from the recoil of firing a projectile at 25,000 mph from your flintlock.

I think we're gonna need one o'them E-lek-tronyx ignition muskets for this job!

 

[jtmattison]

You guy's crack me up

Huntin

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

Which would shoot a round ball better?

Conventional theory is that a right-hand twist will make the bullet go slightly to the right (and vice versa for a left-hand twist), but I don't think the difference is enough for anyone except the six million dollar man with his bionic eye to notice. I also don't understand why this should make a difference to the flight path anyway, because it's only spinning to the right if you're looking at the top of the bullet. The bottom of the bullet is spinning to the left, so...go figure!

But as far as accuracy is concerned, one direction of twist isn't any more accurate than the other. Manufacturers use whichever they want to, but most use right-hand, just because it's sort of become the 'standard'. But if everything else is equal except the direction of twist, accuracy should be the same for both (hypothetically speaking).

 

[gordy]

Would have to agree with the Squirell- The slight difference in the flight path would be compensated for when sighting in the gun."BUT" in handguns like the Ruger Blackhawk in .44mag.The difference in recoil from left to right will twist Your wrist in response to the twist.It don't seem to be noticed at the butt end of a rifle,but then that may be why some rifles seem to punish the shoulder more than others with the same loads. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[roundball]

No

 

[nvbirdman]

If you go to Toys-R-Us, you can buy a cheap gyroscope, and start it spinning on your kitchen floor. If you push on one side of the spinning gyroscope, it will deflect at a ninety degree angle to the direction of force. If you picture the round ball as a spinning gyroscope, with gravity exerting a downward force on the spinning round ball, then the gyroscopic effect would tend to push the ball either to the right or left depending on whether the rifling had a left or right twist.
Once you sight in your rifle, it is sighted in and the gyroscopic effect makes no damn difference and I'm tired of typing. :haha:

 

Hmmmmmmmm????? Great question. After much research, study, scrutiny, many calculus equations, consulting with a former professor of astrophyisics, (now employed by N.A.S.A.), we have concluded that given the above acertion is factual, all variables having been eliminated, that concise provable results can be derived from, a boiler plate decision was made, that for all intents and purposes........huh?..........zzzzz :snore: :snore:

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Right or left fleching on an arrow don't make any difference.Rocky /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[musketman]

Right or left fleching on an arrow don't make any difference.Rocky /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

It does if it's on the same shaft...

 

[Stumpkiller]

It can if you shoot a self-bow without a shelf, so that the arrow has to rest on your left knuckle. A LW fletch puts the tip of the lowest fletch where it digs your skin as it passes over if you are right handed (unless you have Bitzenburg or similar jig that you can adjust the fletch-to-nock alignment). I had a loose fletch once that imbedded itself in my hand between my thumb and index finger about an inch deep. OwOwOwOwOw! Feathers onlywork in one direction: they go in but they don't want to come out. After that I tied down all my fletching with a thread wrap and switched to RW (even if they did cost 15% more way-back-when because everyone wanted RW).

 

[Rocky Johnson]

Stumpkiller- That sounds like as much fun as pulling porky quils.Ouch Rocky /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

Wellll....the drift of a conical bullet is significant. Ordinarily the drift on a round ball isn't because of the ranges we normally shoot round balls.

I'm probably going to make an arse of my self, but, what else is new. Drift is what happens to a projectile from the effect of the rifling, ie, right hand twist has a right drift and vice-versa. Deflection is the proper name for what the wind does to our projectiles. The "drift" of a 500 grain, 45 cal. bullet launced at approximately 1200 fps. is 20 inches at 1000 yards....I believe. I may have forgotten my numbers and I can't check because, as all of you are getting tired of hearing, "my library is still packed!!!!!!". Anyway, given my memory is correct, the drift at 500 yards is 10 inches. Now....if you apply a full, that is 90 degree, wind from the left, of X mph, you have to add that deflection to your drift. At 500 yards a 10 mph breeze, not uncommon, will add significantly to the total distance a bullet moves to our right. Notice I didn't give any actual distances because of "the library" thing......and my shooting box with real notes is suffering from the same malady. Anyway.....for hunting and round ball match purposes it isn't something one needs to take into consideration.....but once you go past 300 yards, are shooting a conical bullet and are desiring MOA acuracy IN THE BULLSEYE you better not forget about drift. If you do......well.....it won't forget about you!!!!

Vic

 

[SquirrelsaurusR]

I can't check because, as all of you are getting tired of hearing, "my library is still packed!!!!!!"...I didn't give any actual distances because of "the library" thing......and my shooting box with real notes is suffering from the same malady.

You need to unpack your library. ::