Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders sabot in 1:48 twist?

I was thinking of trying sabots. my barrel is 1:48 twist. I was wondering if anybody had tried sabots in this slow of a twist.<P>is it worth a try or am I wasting time?<P>------------------<BR>"and I ain't got no money but I damn sure got it mad cause I ain't askin nobody for nothing if I can't get it on my own. If you don't like the way I'm livin you just leave this long haired country boy alone"<BR>Charlie Daniels<P>"I got a shotgun a rifle and a 4 wheel drive and a country boy can survive" Hank jr.

Rock42<P>You didn't say what brand of gun you have and I have HAD only one. I couldn't get it to group near as well as my White Mtn. carbine, no matter what set-up I used. I understand there is a difference between 1:28 and 1:48 but I don't think that would equate to a 4" spread difference at 100yds.<BR>Anyway, I found it a new home. <P>Wall <p>[This message has been edited by Wall (edited February 27, 2001).]

I have a T/C Renegade with 1/48 twist. It loves all sabot and bullet combos under 250 gr wt. I have tried the 45 sabot with everything from the 185 gr rn to the 230 gr FMJ bullets and it shoots them well. In the 44 cal sabots anything below 250 grains shoots well. It will not stabilize the 250 or up and definitely not the 300 grainers. They hit sideways at 50 yards for me. This is my rifle, results may vary, but I do not think it would be a futile effort for you.<P>Now Maxi's are a different story...

I'm no expert, but I've done a lot of experimenting with my TC Renegade, which has a 1:48 twist. <P>In general, we can say this about rifling twist. The slower it is, up to about 1:60, the closer you're getting to the proper pitch for round ball. The faster the twist, the more elongated the bullet it will stabilize. This is independent of the diameter of the bullet. <P>The 1:48 twist works best with short, fat bullets, such as those designed for pistols. The shape of the nose will have some affect as well. It changes the distribution of mass within the bullet itself. If your rifle is a .50 caliber, then the middle of the road .44 and .45 caliber pistol bullets should work well. Keep in mind, though, as pistol bullets they may have been designed for a velocity range much lower than the impact velocity of a black powder rifle. For hunting, stick to well, constructed bullets like the Hornady XTP. Experiment and you may find there's a cast lead bullet in the same weight/diameter as your hunting bullet that shoots much the same for practice. <P>So far, the best results I've had have been with sabots and 240 grain .44 caliber XTP's.<P>Talker

Rock let me know how the sabots work for you. I am interested.