Lothar Walther vs. Smooth Twist

[simmmo]

I have tested an air rifle fitted with a SmoothTwist barrel. As far as I could tell given the conditions, the accuracy was a match for any rifled barrel I've used, but there were two differences.

Please explain given the conditions?

The SmoothTwist barrel gave a small but nonetheless welcome improvement in measured ballistic coefficient.

How was this measured I take it that the pellet left the ST barrel at exactly the same velocity as the standard barrel and both pellets/group of pellets weighed individually exactly the same?

If outdoors there was no change in wind humidity etc. between testing each barrel.

The SmoothTwist barrel achieved excellent accuracy with every quality round head pellet I tried with it. It didn't magically increase the accurate range of hollow point or pointed pellets, but round head JSBs, H&N, RWS, Defiant and 1980s Wasp all performed well, with no barrel cleaning in between changing pellets.

What do you mean by excellent accuracy? Distances shot, group sizes conditions etc.

As to whether the barrel could be more accurate than a top lapped rifled barrel, I don't know, but Ben reported tighter groups at 1050 fps than at 12 ft. lbs. (in .177") which Mike Wright believes is due to the twist rate of the barrel we tested. With a slower twist rate, sub-12 ft. lb. accuracy could be even better.

Can't see why it shouldn't be as accurate just can't see how it can be better if at 25yds indoors you can get 5 shot groups a pellet won't go through because that is tight in any unit of measurement centre to centre.

When groups open it is often more to do with user input and poor gun management in regards to fill pressure etc. If the barrel is up to it.

Andy