best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

[Curnow26]

Im looking in to getting a after market barrel for my savage .223 10fp it is now bedded in a duramax stock and is accurate. It favors .69 grain ammo due to the 1/9 twist, i only take it out to 100 and i can get 55gr. fmj/bt hornady stuff at a reasonable price. This ammo will consistantly put 5 on a quarter with the 55gr. but i know this rifle will deliver better accuracy with a 1-12 of 1-14 but i am not sure which one to go with. I dont want to waste my 1-9 barrel with the 55gr. stuff when it will put one ragged whole with 69gr.
So i figure i will get a differnt one and put the 1-9 away and then use the 55gr. hornady brass to reload 69gr. later on when i take it to distance.

Any one know what twist rate is best for the 55gr. ammo
Thanks

 

[proneshooter]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Curnow26</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> i know this rifle will deliver better accuracy with a 1-12 of 1-14 </div></div>
How do you know that?

I'm gonna give you the answer right now. Twist, so long as it is fast enough to stabilize a projectile, has next to nothing to do with accuracy.

Your benchmark for 55 grain accuracy is plinking ammo. Try some match grade 55 grain ammo before making blanket statements.

There are many far more significant characteristics on a barrel that impact accuracy over twist rate.

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

You will likely get a better answer by going to one of the benchrest sites for a question like this. But I will say I have seen some awesome groups shot with 9 twists and bullets in the 50-60 weight range...

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

Either will work at least well enough for Varmint shooting. Reading up on the new Hornady Superformance 53gr .223, it looks like a very impressive (3465fps claimed from a 24" barrel) factory load, supposedly overtaking the .22-250 at distances of 300yd and longer.

 

[Curnow26]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

Yea i was just going of the fact that when i take shots at 100 with my sps tac with a 1 and 12 twist. It puts better consistant groups with federal 150 gr. power shock than gold medal match at 100, However the groups do open up more at 200 and up with the power shock.Mabey, it is not the twist and the barrel just likes the power shock better. Or mabey i have been lucky the 1600 rounds of power shock. I guess i dont really know that it will get better results, personally. Im kinda new to rifle shooting. Especially with my .223 as it sits in the safe a whole lot.I was just looking for a reason to take it out more.
I just kinda thought that because of how when i shoot my tac with any thing over 165.gr the groups open up abit. Same withmy 223 the 69gr. putting very good accurace and the 55gr. is ok; Ill look into the match grade .55 ammo. I just thought that since i could get the stainless barrel and instalation kit for the price of four boxes of 69gr match id give it a shot since i am only going to use it at 100yds. I was hoping to get feed back from others that had done this that is why i posted this here.
Anyhow
Thanks for the advice


That Hornady Superformance 53gr .223 sounds like good ammo.

 

[shooter65]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

12 for 55's

 

[Curnow26]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

Thanks

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

I agree with proneshooter in that your problem is bullet choice, not barrel. The rounds you are talking about are only made to be "accurate enough" Not as accurate as then can be. Running FMJ/FMJBT's down your barrel is what's wasting it.

I don't agree that twist has nothing to do with accuracy. As stated, to get the accuracy you must stabilize the bullet. However, over-rotating a bullet exaggerates the imbalance of weight around the axis of the bullet. In todays manufacturing this discrepancy is far less than it was even just 20 years ago. But, it's still there. In this case, not pushing the lighter bullets as hard as you can reduces speed and therefore rotation.


Try loading some 55 or 60 gr. A-max's in front of about 23.5 gr. of AA2015. Or a slightly higher charge (24 gr.) with 52/53gr. match bullets. That will get you some serious accuracy. Slowing down the bullet a little bit helps barrel life a lot. So you won't be wasting your barrel. Also, not wasting round count with bullets not as accurate as your rifle can be.

Personally, I wouldn't re-barrel the rifle if you are getting one ragged hole groups with 69 gr. bullets.

 

[Curnow26]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

Ill give it a shot. Should i use factory new brass or some of my once fired brass. Would using the once fired brass promote less accuracy?
That sounds better so that way if i do reach out farther i dont have to switch the barrel just get son 69.gr
thanks

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Curnow26</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ill give it a shot. Should i use factory new brass or some of my once fired brass. Would using the once fired brass promote less accuracy?
That sounds better so that way if i do reach out farther i dont have to switch the barrel just get son 69.gr
thanks</div></div>

Use your once fired cases. They are now formed to your chamber and will be more accurate.

 

[Curnow26]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

Thanks

 

[samnev]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shooter65</div><div class="ubbcode-body">12 for 55's </div></div>
With my early Colt SP1 it had 1:12 twist and shot 55 grainers close to 1".

 

[sandwarrior]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

Also,

Yes, if all you are going to shoot is 55's then 1-12' twist is about optimal.

Edit:

If you really wanted to optimize it for benchrest, which again I wouldn't recommend those bullets, you may want to go to a 1-13.3" twist. Mathematically that's the perfect twist for those bullets. It doesn't mean it's true, just where the numbers fall.

 

[Curnow26]

Re: best twist for .223 with 55gr ammo.

no i was tryin to find a way to get the groups tighter with the ammo that i can get regularly. But the truth is that it probly wont increase all that much with those loads. So ill just try the load mentiond above and mabey get creative. If all else fails then i will just start buying 69gr. stuff blackhills ect.
Thanks everybody