M64 30-30 Twist & 32 Special Twist

[348win]

Brushing through readings on Townsend Whelens excursions to BC, long wilderness camp hunts.

Got to searching his contributions on the M71 and M64 stocks shaping/design development.

Stumbled onto this posting:

"Killing power debates aside, Townsend Whelen and Ned Roberts both wrote of the 32 Winchester Special as having slightly better accuracy potential due to the rifling twist."

I take anything Whelens said/wrote as the gold standard.

So its worth digging deeper on these twist rates and bullet weights.

Also does anyone consider the 32 special ammo "as popular" or close-to for On The Shelf ammo???

I think it gives up some range with lesser BC but it should hit slightly harder.

I'm pretty well set on 30-30 but had to read that now

[348win]

All 30-30 Model 64's are 1:12 twist

[348win]

Im reading 1:16 on 32 special

So I don't understand on "more accurate per twist"

I was suspecting a faster twist for accuracy

[OldWin]

My experience has mirrored Whelens in regard the 30-30 vs. 32WS. I also think the 32 will perform better with cast, and in fact this was Winchesters idea if I'm not mistaken. The purpose of the 32 was to be shot with smokeless factories, but it could be loaded with cast and black powder.

[EdinCT]

I found the 32 to be easy to get to shoot cast at 2000 fps with great accuracy. I think Winchester did speed up the twist on the latter years 32 special runs. I also have had faster kills with the 32 and jacketed flat points than 30-30, to the point it did seem special.

[Bill in Oregon]

Now I am wondering about the twist in the .303 Savage, which made its rep with the 190-grain soft-nose.

[Nath]

I've always understood that the slower you can spin a bullet and remain stable the better.
Lower rpm is kinder on a bullet terminally as well.

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

I have been recently thinking about buying one of the Canadian Railroad Commemorative's to shoot and wondered if they had the 1 in 16 twist or something different?

[OldWin]

I have been recently thinking about buying one of the Canadian Railroad Commemorative's to shoot and wondered if they had the 1 in 16 twist or something different?

Yes! The C.P. commemorative 94 is a wonderful configuration for a 94 rifle. It's basically a model 64 with a straight grip.
I have an old 1894 rifle in 32WS that that the factory refitted to this same configuration. It is my all time favorite rifle to carry and shoot. The balance is superb.
It's on the far left in the picture.

[ywaltzucanrknrl]

Wow, very nice!

I'll have to get to looking now in a serious way. My brother has my father's 64 in 32 Spec---it was always nice to pack and accurate with cast bullets. It looks like the one second from left.

[OldWin]

Yes. The 64 that's 2nd in from the right is a 32. The other 64 and the 64 short rifle are 30-30.