Question/Stephen Ricciardelli..300 Whisper rate of twist....

[Robert]

Stephen...You have mentioned earlier in a post that rate of twist is determined more by bullet length rather than weight.  Here is a theoretical question that could have a very valuable answer to myself and others that have Thompson Whisper barrels with a 1 in 10 twist rather than SSK 1 in 8 twist.  The data for SSK barrels with thw 1 in 8 is usually for 220 and 240 gr Boat tail bullets with a spitzer point...hence...a very long bullet.  A hard cast round-nose or a flat-nose bullet would be considerably shorter without the long ogive on the front and the recessed area in the back for a boat tail, and without a copper jacket it would be even more lead in a shorter length bullet.  So...THE QUESTION...Can I stabilize a shorter cast bullet in my 16 inch Whisper using 200, 220, and/or 240 grain bullets at sub-sonic velocities?  
  If this rain ever stops, I will try some at the range.  I guess the proof is in the pudding. I intend to try some experiments with paper targets, and  I am assuming that if the bullets are not key-holeing at 50 yds or so, and I have nice clean round holes....then the bullets must be stable......But then...I still need to find a source for 220 and 240 gr. cast bullets for the experiment.  Till then, I guess I can try my 200 gr. Billy Bullets.
  I would sure appreciate any help you could offer with this experiment.  Thanks, Robert
  P.S.  Please try to keep warm...sure have been seeing some awfull temperatures on your website.  Tami says Hi.

[ricciardelli]

Wow...

The .300 Whisper, as you mentioned, was designed for 200 to 240 grain jacketed, high BC, bullets.  Therefore the 1:8 twist of the SSK barrels.

Why T/C uses a 1:10 twist I do not firmly know, but I do believe it is because they use that twist in other .308 barrels, and it is cheaper to do it their way.  (Remember, they also use .224 barrels for the Hornet, instead of .223.)

Now, about lead vs. jacketed bullets...

I will assume that you are going to keep your lead bullets below 1160 FPS.  And, you are probably correct in your assumption that an all lead bullet of short ogive and no boat tail would be shorter than a boat-tailed spitzer bullet of the saem weight; therefore, you are probably correct that it will work in the 1:10 twist of the T/C.

Now please, refresh my memory, who is Tami?

[Gregory]

I just purchased a used 10" SSK 300 Whisper barrel for deer hunting here in IL.  Will the 30/30 Remington 150 gr. RN bullet be effective?  I bought a box of CorBon 150 gr loads and there are going 1820 fps.  
Will the 125 gr Nosler shoot okay in this twist barrel?
Greg

[Robert]

...just what I wanted to hear.  Tami is my girlfriend, she used to live in Montana, and spoke with you when I first met you on-line a few years back, when I was doing research for my Ultra-Mag.  At the time...you and Texas Bob were about the only source of info online for loads.  Tami used to live in Boseman, and the Big Sky area.  I asked her if Big Sky was a name of a town...she just said , You would know where she meant.

[ricciardelli]

...just what I wanted to hear.  Tami is my girlfriend, she used to live in Montana, and spoke with you when I first met you on-line a few years back, when I was doing research for my Ultra-Mag.  At the time...you and Texas Bob were about the only source of info online for loads.  Tami used to live in Boseman, and the Big Sky area.  I asked her if Big Sky was a name of a town...she just said , You would know where she meant.

Okay, it's coming back to me now...tell Tami "hi" for me, and tell her I'm sorry she slipped my senile old mind...