Re: Is a Douglas bbl fast enough?

[nimrodrx]

Here's the long and short of it...

After much homework, I have only a few certainties. One - I am building this rifle on a Ruger # 1 action. Two - I want a .45 bbl and will shoot a .40 dia saboted ejecta in the 200 gr vacinity. Beyond that, I'm open to suggestions.

I understand that options exist for sabotless, I am not there yet. My state (MI) has no bore restrictions and my next rifle will likely be a sabotless Shilen or Pacnor. Until then...

From the searching I have done, it seems to be a mixed bag. For those of you with an SMI Douglas .45 bbl. What have been your results with a saboted .40 "190'ish" bullet?

Am I further ahead spending the $ and having SMI mate a Pac Nor or a Shilen to this action? Again, I have NO INTENTION of shooting sabotlesss with this rifle?

I will be exceedingly happy with a Barnes 195 gr at 2600 fps and MOA. Just wanting to make sure I choose the right bbl to make this happen. Will the Douglas do it?

[dans]

I have a 28 twist .45 Douglas barrel that will shoot around an inch with 200 grain bullets in a blue havestor sabot. Now I am shooting 53 grains of IMR-4198 so the velocity is not at 2600 yet but I suspect it can be reached. I also have a Savage with a 45 pacnor barrel on it I believe it is 22 twist and it will shoot into 1 inch with either 195 Barnes or 200 SW saboted bullets using 60 grains of H-4198 and a CCI 209 primer. This is right at 2600 f/s or a little over. If you contact SMI they will be able to put a .45 barrel of YOUR choice in your rifle. I would get them to make two breech plugs for the rifle and have at least one of them mated to a savage style vent liner. I have 3 Douglas barreled muzzleloaders and they all shoot around 1 inch at 100 yards. I know that SMI has converted several Ruger #1s using various barrels so they can answer any questions you may have. With the Ruger # 1 I would go with a longer barrel maybe in the 28 inch length or so. It will give you a little more velocity.