Traditions PA PELET ULTRA LIGHT FLINTLOCK 1/28" twist round balls

[djmhoyt]

I just picked up one of these rifles, shoots .490 round ball with .15 patch over 90 grains FFg incredibly accurately. Shout out to Traditions customer service, I had to contact Traditions for a replacement front sight which they gladly provided at no cost. The representative was a woman who was absolutely spot on in handling my request to buy a replacement and insisted they would provide a replacement at no cost. The original fiber optic sight provided is too low and the gun prints very high with roundballs. The Williams sights are very high quality, I did install a peep on the rear base. I was told and had read that roundball couldn't be accurate in this twist rate, 1/28". So far, absolutely not true in this particular barrel and load. Accuracy of an inch +/- .50" at 50 yards. Have yet to try conical bullets because this is so much fun and less expensive.

 

[TerryK]

Guys I hunt with use the PA conical in the Traditions. No patches, so they are quick to reload. They say they get good accuracy.

 

[deermanok]

Traditions are actually pretty good entry level guns. X2, with the PA conicals. I shoot them in several of my own guns.
Very accurate bullet.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I have never personally examined the rifling in a fast twist Traditions sidelock, but the round ball barrels made by Ardesa for Traditions are wonderfully accurate. Whether a round ball can work accurately in a fast twist barrel depends on a host of factors including mostly the depth of rifling and the width of the lands. In many fast twist barrels a very tight patch ball combination will shoot very well. In other such barrels, it will be worse than a smooth bore. 90 grains is approaching the point or just passed the point of diminishing returns for a short barrel and round balls.

We get hung up on the fast-slow twist thing without looking at the other variable. Most fast twist barrels will shoot patched round balls reasonable well with a moderate powder charge and a tight patched ball. whether they will do well with heavy hunting charges depends on the rifling shape and width.

 

[djmhoyt]

We will see how it does, Monday is the flintlock opener in Pennsylvania. Hopefully see how this does on deer, on the bench it's proven to be very accurate at fifty yards with the load I detailed before. I shot it a bunch yesterday and was astounded at the accuracy. Barrel feels tight when loading and 90 grains of FFg has been a sufficient charge to take deer with roundball in the past. I might try the PA conicals sometime for a comparison, but the round ball load is a bargain compared to any other loading. Very surprised at how well it lights given that Traditions isn't producing high end locks or rifles. Pretty impressed for the price of the rifle.