Could some one tell me who makes barrels with round bottom rifling?
Thank you for your help.
Fred
Thank you for your help.
Fred
Round bottom rifling
- Thread starter F.G. Ford
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I have an Oregon barrel with round bottom rifling.
I have Rice Barrels and Bobby Hoyt rebores with radius bottom rifling. Love them. Rice barrel rifling looks a bit prettier, though not by much. Multiple barrels from both are more accurate than I can shoot, giving one inch five shot groups at 100 yards when I can see the sights and target.
Bob McBride
54 Cal.
Colerain as well. Thicker patching and they’re pretty darn good.
Agree. With my deep cut groove radius bottom Hoyt and Rice barrels in 58 and 62 caliber i have found that a patch material that compress to .015”-.016” works the best. Non compressed this patch material runs .025”-.030”. Just my experience.
In my Rice deep round bottoms I use a ball .010 under bore and use denim that compresses in my caliper to .022. In the Colerain barrels with deep round bottom, pillow tick that compressed to .016 was perfect.
Those deep radius grooves can soak up a lot of patch material!
I've had Bobby Hoyt, Rice, and Colerain barrels with this rifling. I guess I'm not as sold on it as being superior in either shooting or cleaning to the Green Mountain or Pedersoli barrels I've had with more moderate square grooves. Six of one and a half-dozen of the other for me.
Those deep radius grooves can soak up a lot of patch material!
I've had Bobby Hoyt, Rice, and Colerain barrels with this rifling. I guess I'm not as sold on it as being superior in either shooting or cleaning to the Green Mountain or Pedersoli barrels I've had with more moderate square grooves. Six of one and a half-dozen of the other for me.
Bob McBride
54 Cal.
I patch like that as well.
I don’t find it superior either. It’s just another way. I am a fan of thick patching and so don’t see a down side to radius rifling but I haven’t done any extensive testing as there are too many variables outside the rifling itself. I haven’t had any issues with it that’s for sure, though some have, but mainly those who use .010-.015 I think.
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Hey guys........I didn't know "everybody" did that.
Thank you for the information!
Fred
Thank you for the information!
Fred
The only barrel maker that doesn't currently offer round bottom rifling is Green Mountain.
That said, I find Green Mountain barrels square bottom rifling to the most accurate and load tolerant of all my other barrels, they shoot any load equally well, much like my Bill Large square bottom rifled barrel.
That said, I find Green Mountain barrels square bottom rifling to the most accurate and load tolerant of all my other barrels, they shoot any load equally well, much like my Bill Large square bottom rifled barrel.
I’m going with this. My latest eight groove GM barrels are the best I’ve shot.
user 34300
54 Cal.
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I have bought, tested and discarded one round bottom (RB) barrel. IT shot poorly by my standards. I never could do better than about 3" at 50 yards, benchrest and peep sight. I can shoot way under an inch at the same distance with accurate rifles using peep sights.
My analysis....It is not RB that or square bottom (SB) rifling is the deciding factor on accuracy. Narrow deep grooves are a problem. The gas leaks past the center of the groove because it is impossible to get patch compression in the center of the groove. My barrel had the same width of RB groove as the regular SB made by that company. That make me suspicious that a different rifling cutter was simply substituted in the rifling head. The width of lands and grooves were 50% each.
IF the RB grooves were wide and normal depth I bet it would shoot very accurately and load easy. If the grooves were round corners and say 70 or 80% width I bet you'd have a winner. That would allow more even compression of the patch at all points. I am not aware of any production barrels made like this. A few makers will make whatever you want, but for a premium price.
Ease of cleaning of RB barrels. I saw no difference at all. I think a smooth bore finish is much more important.
If a guy check group size off hand and wants to load without a short starter, none of this matters. Any barrel will work fine.
My analysis....It is not RB that or square bottom (SB) rifling is the deciding factor on accuracy. Narrow deep grooves are a problem. The gas leaks past the center of the groove because it is impossible to get patch compression in the center of the groove. My barrel had the same width of RB groove as the regular SB made by that company. That make me suspicious that a different rifling cutter was simply substituted in the rifling head. The width of lands and grooves were 50% each.
IF the RB grooves were wide and normal depth I bet it would shoot very accurately and load easy. If the grooves were round corners and say 70 or 80% width I bet you'd have a winner. That would allow more even compression of the patch at all points. I am not aware of any production barrels made like this. A few makers will make whatever you want, but for a premium price.
Ease of cleaning of RB barrels. I saw no difference at all. I think a smooth bore finish is much more important.
If a guy check group size off hand and wants to load without a short starter, none of this matters. Any barrel will work fine.
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Green Mountain all the way!
Good points here also. My latest GM 40 and 32 barrels have grooves that are twice as wide as the lands. My 45 TC Patriot is the same way.
They load easy and will shoot pretty much any powder charge very well.
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