Versatility

[rodwha]

I really like the Lyman's .50 cal Deerstalker. I think I'd prefer the stainless model. Looking over their info it shows the blued model has .520" grooves and shows that's it's ideal for RB, whereas the stainless has .510" grooves and is ideal with conicals/sabots. Both have a 1:48" twist.

Would the shallow grooves in the stainless model not work well with RB?

I would prefer to hunt medium game with conicals, but would like to try out RB, especially for small game. As I have a ROA could I double patch a .457" RB theoretically?

 

[goon]

It's not the bore size that makes a rifle better for use with RB or conicals, it's the twist. Faster twists are better for conical projectiles, slower twists are better for RB's. The 1:48 is a compromise that is hoped to work OK with a range of projectiles.
The .510 vs .520 is just a matter of using the right size projectile and or patch/ball combo.