I wish manufacturers would twist their rifles faster too. The Barrett FC short actions are twisted right and have about a 3" mag box. I regret not buying more of them. Their LA models didn't have enough length in the box.
If someone wanted to make a rifle right in my eyes they'd start using stainless actions and barrels. I don't like chomoly steel blued barrels even if cerakoted because they don't coat the bore. I'll consider one if it's nitride. Howa got it backwards and went all blued with a coated option. They should have gone all stainless with a coated or nitride option for those wanting the darker look. I would save time and cut expense reducing model numbers by going all stainless.
I would also go 3" mag box on short actions and 3.9" on long actions. If I did a mini action I'd go 2.6"
I don't see any downside to faster twists so 6mm and 243 would be at least 7.5. I'd do the 223, 22-250, and 22 creed at 7", 25s would be at least 8 twist, 6.5s would be at least 8 maybe 7.5", 7mms would be 8 twist, and I'd go at least 9 twist on 308 cal. Other then poofing a few bullets in flight driving very soft skin stuff very fast I've never had a time where I felt I had too much twist. The ones I saw come apart were with a fast twist 3 groove with a rough worn throat driving soft bullets very fast. There is no downside to faster twist as I see it. You older curmudgeon can still shoot round noses through a fast twist and still not shoot game past 200 yards if you want.
I'd drill it for mounts just like Barrett did for fieldcrafts. I'd use a pad that's soft and effective and doesn't feel like it was cut from a trucks retread, and I'd put triggertech triggers in all of them.
I just cannot understand why anyone these days would still do 10 twist 243's or 308s with an 11.25. Really how hard is it to just order faster twist barrels? Those who shoot a lot will be way more likely to buy an 8 twist 243 that a 10 twist. And those who think 10 is great probably won't even look what twist it is anyways because they are not into shooting enough to really care.
Varmint bullets splat things better with a faster twist anyways. I built a 243 nearly 20 years ago with an 8 twist brux when brux was pretty new. I had to build to get one twisted for 105 amaxes and vlds I wanted to use. That same rifle also shoots 55g ballistic tips at 4000 fps and gets 1/2" groups. It turns rock chucks into a red mist with 55s and can still go long with 105s.
So Bb rifles would be stainless, long mag boxes, fast twists, solid mount set up, good pad, and triggertech. Also all stocks would be stiff so when floated they stay floated weather Tupperware, carbon, fiberglass, or wood. No flexing for ends allowed.
After being a marketing director for 14 years I've learned not to go off your own assumptions. Survey the respected people in the industry, listen to those that others listen to, talk to the mavens. Some people don't like sticks style but if I was in the industry I'd be listen to guys like him. I took the company I worked for from being ranked 37th in their segment as a brand to number 1 in 7 years. I did it not by doing general surveys of the ignorant masses only but by listening to the most respected people out there, the ones others knew were the top of that field. The masses don't know what they want until the experts tell them and explain it.
Bb
+1
Great post.
