.223 twist rate ?

[Lavan]

Considering the Rem SPS or the Savage 14 in .223

I like the Savage trigger but the Remington 24" bbl.

However.... Rem lists the twist at 1-12 and Savage at 1-9 (which I always thought was the standard)

What do you think about 1-12 for .223?

 

[riverdog]

1:12 is fine for 55gr ammo. If you think you may shoot longer/heavier bullets, go with the 1:9 twist. FWIW, all of my .223 barrels are 1:9.

 

[281 Quad Cam]

1:12 was preferred by the lighter loads, up untill 55gr. (M193) 1:14 for even lighter.

1:7 was preferred by the heavier loads, like 62gr. (M855/SS109) On up thru 70-90 grain.

1:9 is a happy medium to do both + tracers.


What loads do you plan on using, and for what purpose?

 

[FirstFreedom]

The conventional wisdom is that 1 in 12 (or 1 in 13 or 14) is best with bullet weights of 35, 40, 45, 50, 52, and 55. So if it's a dedicated varminter gun, I'd run with remington. The 1 in 12 will shoot all of the above, plus 62/63, 68, and *possibly* 70, 75, and 77, but probably not the 75 & 77s. Likely though that it will not shoot the 35, 40, and 45s as well as the 1 in 12, though it may. So if it's more of an all-purpose gun, for larger critters like coyote or bigger, including defense vs. human predators, then go with the Savage.

 

[Scorch]

In the not too distant past, 1 in 14" (1:14") was standard for most 22 centerfires, able to stabilize bullets up to 55 gr, which was the heaviest bullet available. In the late '90s heavier bullets for 22 centerfires became available and even the norm. Now you can get 75 gr and 80 gr, low drag profiles, polymer tipped match bullets, and a plethora of other designs that do not stabilize well in a 1:14" barrel. 1:12" will stabilize bullets up to about 68 gr, 1:9 will stabilize anything available. The higher rates of twist do increase pressure and lower velocity, but if you are looking to stabilize a longish bullet they are necessary.
One thing to watch out for: when you start turning some bullets (like VMax and other light-jacket varmint bullets) too fast, they will disintegrate in flight. Not generally a problem with the heavier bullets, but 40-55 gr at high velocity come apart.

 

[Lavan]

Since it will be used to eat up literally THOUSANDS of GI rounds that I have, I guess I should go for the 1:9

 

[281 Quad Cam]

Since it will be used to eat up literally THOUSANDS of GI rounds that I have, I guess I should go for the 1:9

Nothing wrong with that at all.

 

[Scorch]

Lavan-
Since it will be used to eat up thousands of GI rounds, and the GI rounds have 55 gr and 68 gr bullets in them, you could use either twist rate. If you intend to shoot heavy-for-caliber bullets (like 90 gr Bergers or 87 gr Sierras), then go with the tighter twist.

 

[MisterPX]

Since your GI rounds are going to be either 55 or 62 gr. Go with the 1/9.

 

[629 shooter]

Here is Shilen's list of 22 centerfire and their recommended twist rate depending on weight of bullet used:


.224 CF
- 8" for bullets heavier than 70gr.
- 9" for bullets up to 70gr.
- 12: for bullets up to 63gr.
- 14" for bullets up to 55gr.
- 15"* for bullets up to 55gr. driven 4,100 pfs or more
- 16:* for bullets up to 55gr. driven 4,300 fps or more


My old Remington 700 VLS with 1 in 12" twist was extremely accurate with 52 grain match bullets. My new 700 LTR with 1 in 9" twist also does exceptionally well with 52-55 grain bullets. Could not get any of the 69 Match Sierras to shoot at first. Finally found a 69 load that shows promise.

 

[MADISON]

.223 Twist Rate

Start a tight patch; being sure the jag is tight on the rod.
Mark the rod with a felt tip to indicate Top Dead Center and a starting point.
Advance the rod until it comes back to Top Dead Center.
Measure the distance traveled from the start mark. That is the rifling twist, one turn in xx inches.
A lot easier than trying to estimate the amount of twist in a foot.

A 1 in 12 rate should let you shoot a 50 [55] to 60 grain bullet. The others a 62 grain and up.