Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Revolver Barrel Length vs. twist rate?

We had a very informative discussion in an earlier thread that started out caliber specific but became a thread about minimum loads and twist rate. Max's buffalo appeared to be rather dead in the picture he posted with a 1-24 inch twisted 45 Colt load with a heavy bullet. In the AR15 world for the 300 blackout cartridge SIG and other manufactures have moved to a 1-5 twist for .30 caliber 220 grain subsonic bullets as they have moved to shorter barrels. The original twist was 1-7 IIRC and barrels were 8-9 inches long, now they are down to 5 inch long barrels and a 1-5 twist that seems to work for both subsonic and lighter supersonic bullets. BFR stated that the 1-18 twist was fine for the .480 Ruger, while the 1-18 in the Smith and Wesson revolvers in 44 magnum over spun the bullet resulting in poor flight?? Then Glockdufus mentioned that TC used 1-16 in there 454 barrels?? Has anyone experienced instability and poor accuracy when they have gone from say an 8 inch barreled revolver to a 4 inch barreled revolver or the Alaskan models with 2 inch or so barrels using the same loads and the same barrel twist?? As an example Ruger offers a 43/4 inch SBH in .454 and a 6.5 inch barreled .454 I am guessing both barrels would be twisted the same or at 1-24, and I have noticed that most people wind up with the longer barrels for hunting while a novice such as myself might want a shorter barrel for portability. As I found I cannot shoot an N frame worth a crap, in order to be able to hit a live 140 pound animal with a pistol I find myself looking at Ruger SBH or SRH guns but in barrel lengths under 5 inches..

As a barrel gets shorter it takes a little more velocity to reach spin stability and that is hard because the powders will not all burn. I discussed this with powder makers and they have to sweep the test tunnels of powder even with the fastest burning or they can get a flash fire. Fast powders reach peak all at once but it all does not burn. The quick peak can ruin a cast bullet with slump and the cylinder throats must be in perfect alignment to the bore and cone or the cone will wear off center. Cylinder throats can wear oblong.
Over spin will make a bullet rotate around the flight path but it will settle at long range. At close ranges it depends on where the rotation point is at paper so the bullets will still group but the group will move a little from the point of aim. Just an inch maybe either way. Watching bullets shows a blurry corkscrew. Spinning too fast has been of little concern.
Even though the twist of the barrel is still the same the loss of velocity reduces spin. Some large calibers can live just fine with 5" as the BFR in .500 JRH has shown. Actually the BFR barrel is measured from the frame so it is a tad longer. Twists are faster too.
The .454 1 in 24" is in a bucket by itself and must be shot as fast as it can but a .45 Colt load shortens range.

Just a recommendation, but i have found it immeasurably easier for new shooters to get good with 7.5” or so guns than the shorties.

With the blunt style bullets used in revolvers twist rate and barrel length/velocity for stabilization is not a concern.

Yet you do not shoot a smooth bore revolver. It IS a concern and the longer the drive length a bullet has the faster the twist must be. I surmise you work loads to find an accurate point. Just why does any given bullet need a different load? Most can be bad or great in 1/2 gr of powder. If not spin, just what is it? A gyroscope resists outside influences so just what is a spinning bullet?
I can't post pictures here since it says all are too large but please show 50 yard groups from a 2" .454.

I don’t go through all the BS thst you claim is needed because it isn’t. There is no revolver sold to my knowledge$ that’s needs a different twist because of barrel length. You are full of crap.

Yes he is. I dont go shoot groups with snubbies without optics etc but i can reliably hit plates out to 100+ yards with my 454 alaskan and my 4 3/4” fa83 454 is no less accurate than my longer barreled guns.


Bfrshooter, do you just make this stuff up or are u really sure this nonsense is true.

Your opinion of course. Anyone that follows you will soon learn how wrong you are. 66 years of revolvers has shown me different. I was working revolvers before you were a squid. Rifling brought the gun into the light but you say it is not important. Send me your .454 so I can ream out the rifling and call me more names.

You are wrong and ignore any fact counter to your position

Hahaha. You are a piece if work. With your track record you gotta know that you wont ever get to touch or work on any of my guns. Also, you arent even smart enough to see we arent colparing smooth bores vs common twists in said revolvers.

What is your position but to bash me. My knowledge was from experience and years and years of testing. When we drove into the lot for IHMSA, we heard groans because nobody ever out shot us. 40 out of 40 with a Ruger every time. Not a miss to 200 meters. I still have the Ruger and a 200 yard range. Would you come to shoot against it? I fear you would miss the backstop and hit a house. I might limit you to 7 yards against the hill. Since twist means nothing I would set a 4'X4' cardboard for you.

Nobody huh? EVERYTIME! Correct? I guess thats why no ones ever heard of you right? Just too good. I shoot revolvers to hunt and shoot game. Paper is just for practice. I guess you just blither nonsense and drink now. Well, and except when you teach your daughter to be the best marksman the marines have ever seen, right 😳🙄

I would absolutely shoot against you, no problem for sure. U may feel this boastful but i have shot with those that have shot with you.

I think in the SBH the 6.5” will be makedly easier than the shorter gun.

HALLELUJAH it is a miracle.

I don't think so, Blacky Sleeva, Josie Engle, Boyd Carpenter. You might have shot against them but I am sure they smoked you. I shot with them with no need to shoot against as we were friends and first place just bounced around. But on top we all spent many shoots to help the brain dead to shoot better. it did not work. Once an opinion is reached it can't be changed. The losers all shot the 4227's in the .44. All used mag primers.
Josie was a wonderful lady and a dear friend. You did not mess with her when she shot. I did beat her on occasion but it was one shot or so. If you shot in her class my suggestion was go home. I was International class with everything from production to unlimited. I went from low class to International in the fewest shoots ever. I never wanted to sandbag by shooting poor until an important shoot. It was there and even in archery. I won Ohio state big bore and .22 in the same year. Ruger SBH and a new Mark II with no sight settings. Blacky was Ohio and I had to move to WV and shot VA at Piedmont with Josie and Boyd. I shot Quantico until it fell away. I shot Bellafountaine, Lima, Ozark, Youngstown and on into PA. Pa worst as targets were painted white and there was still snow on the ground. I no longer shoot against anyone, I try to make them shoot much better as I always did with the brain dead IHMSA shooters. Losing game in the end.

Wow. The legend speaks. Amazing, though id expect no less from anyone that can shoot 2” groups at 500+ yards and hit rockchucks at 500 yards 🙄.


You dont know me or my shooting from adam.

I own several Freedom Arms revolvers in 454, a 4 3/4”, a 6” and 7 1/2” and the 4 3/4 is the most accurate with full power loads and 45 colt loads. You are full of BS.

Glockdoofus at a piano concert...

That's why IHMSA died out! Nobody wanted to play anymore with him shooting 40x40 every time!