223 barrel rate of twist?

V

vipersniper

New member
I am wanting to get a new 223 and I want it to shoot a 50 grain bullet what is the best rate of twist in 223 for a 50 grain bullet. I have read allot of things on line but am still confused, can anyone please just spell it out for me

thanks for any help I can get

Brian
 
50 grainers will shoot well out of just about any twist. I think most of the new guns are moving to 1:9 but certainly will be 1:12.

Spelling it out: The longer and heavier a bullet the more spin it needs to stabilize the bullet in flight. For example, my rifle has a 1:9 twist and 75 grain bullets will tumble when shot out of it. Some .223 rifles will shoot 75 grainers with a 1:9 twist (usually velocity dependent) but it is at the upper limit. My rifle shoots 50 gr. extremely accurately.
 
If the 50 gr is all you will use then the 1&14 or 1&12 would be your best bet. Just remember to purchase the twist for the heavies bullet you will use. When it comes to barrel twist fast will give you more options than slow will.
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I have both 1/14 and 1/9 twist barrels and both shoot the 50gr bullets equally well.

The 1/14 twist is capable of handling up to 55gr bullets, but really shines with 40gr, while the 1/9 will go up to 65gr with really good results and it's the most versatile for a wider range of weights.

I also have a 1/7 twist rate that only likes the 60+ grain bullets.

All of this applies to factory loads.. I can tweak my handloads to get the best groups and accuracy, some by speeding them up, others by slowing them down.

Hope this helps.
 
Quote:
If the 50 gr is all you will use then the 1&14 or 1&12 would be your best bet. Just remember to purchase the twist for the heavies bullet you will use. When it comes to barrel twist fast will give you more options than slow will.
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The man is right, 50 and 55's shoot best out of a 12 twist. Don't believe all the hype about 7, 8, or 9 twist for 50's and 55's. Mr. Lilja can tell you, the best accuracy for what you are wanting to shoot is not in a 7 or 9 twist. But if you want to also shoot 69's or 70 grainers...that's a different story.
 
I've shot enough 50's in an 1-8" 223AI, and 1-8" 22-250, to KNOW first hand that they'll shoot the light bullets extremely well.

But....if 50's are all you intend to shoot, then the 12 or 14twists will be all you ever need.
 
what is the twist rate definition? I mean if it is a 1:9 what is the 1 and the 9 and so on? I have just never had anyone explain it to me and I think alot of people would benifits from this Question.
 
1:9 means that the bullet rotates 1 full turn in 9".

Of two rifles, one with a 14" twist, and one with a 7" twist, the one with the 7" twist will rotate bullets twice as fast as the other, when they are fired at the same velocities.

Longer bullets require faster twists to be stable - if the twist is "marginally" not fast enough, the bullet will not be accurate, giving groups like 4" or 8"... if the twist is "really" not fast enough, the bullets will tumble.

If the twist is too fast for the velocity, the bullet jackets will rip from stress, and the bullets will come apart in mid flight.


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Sleddogg,

That is great info, by the way, where have you been lately?
I always enjoy your posts in the calling in the east.

Thanks,
Brian
 
About 98% of the AR's being sold come with 1/9 barrels, the majority of the rest come with 1/8 barrels, which are better for the heavier bullets, get a 1/9, it is very versatile and do what you want to do.
 
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