Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .223 with 40 gr bullets: 1:14 twist probably the best?

I am re-barreling an accurized Rem XR 100 in .223 for 40 gr bullets only. Would a 1:14 twist probably be the best choice?
Thanks for anyone's comments.

Always better to over twist than under.....14 will work fine for 40's...why limit yourself to light bullets...go at least 12 twist and you will have no problems shootin heavier 55s & 60s...along with the lighter 40s......

Thanks. I might rephase the question and ask, "If one were building a .223 for benchrest target shooting only and were limited to 40 gr bullets, would a 14 twist stabilize all the forty grainers out there?"

IMO....it will.....and as a matter of fact my Sako L-461 has a former Winchester barrel chambered to 22-250 which I rechambered to .223 and attached to my Sako action....it shoots all 40 quite well and also shoots all the 50s I have quite well as well.....and yes the twist is 1-14"

+1 Plus, if you should ever decide in the future that you want to use bullets like the lighter Barnes or the lead free bullets from Nosler, for example, you can be sure to have enough twist.

FWIW, I tried Nosler's 35 gr. lead free varmint bullet in my Hornet with a 1/16" twist and they didn't stabilize well enough to hit my 12"x12" target at 20 yds. A 1/14" twist would likely be enough, but why chance it?

That last may be worth noting. A 14" twist is plenty for all 40-gr LEAD CORE bullets, but I wouldn't necessarily extend that comment to monometal or lead-free cored bullets. If those kinds might be in your future, then a slightly steeper twist ought to be considered.

Remember it is bullet LENGTH and not weight that is the determining factor for stability at any given twist rate. Speed is a minor factor, but speed can't readily make up for too slow a twist.

Fourteen is kinda standard.

Having said that, I've gone to one-in-twelve twist in my last three .223 Ackley rifles.

I shoot exclusively 40-grain Ballistic Tips in my .223s and .223 Ackley rifles and have for probably fifteen years.

By the way, I believe I was the first fella to kill a blacktail and a mule deer with a 40Ballistic. Hey, it works.

Dominus vobiscum,

Steve

I have only played with two 14" twist rifles that I can recall. And they both shot the modern 40gr stuff (V-max and BT) less better than a 12".

Only an example of two, but I wouldn't bother with the 1-14".


Travis

Yeah, the 1-12 is a fine twist in the .223 if you don't plan to shoot anything but lighter bullets. That's why it's the industry standard in factory .223's, though a few factories are switching to 1-9.

Then I'll stick with a 12 twist. That's what the current used up Krieger barrel has, and it shot very well when newer. It only has 2700 rounds and change through it, but I have to admit to its being shot until VERY hot at times. One gets excited you know

I shot a couple of 10-inch twist Cascade Arms rifles. Cascade Arms was owned by Butch from KofO and was a very short-lived reincarnation of the Kimber of Oregon. I wrote about one of them. The ten-twist shot 40s wonderfully.

I also shot an eleven-twist .223 (Krieger, I think) that was a real hummer.

For my personal .223s and .223 Ackleys I choose one-in-twelve and am very happy.

My ARs are 7" and 8" and they shoot 40s great ... go figger. And 55Ballistics shoot like crazy. Still, I load up with 75- and 77-grain Hornadys in the 5.56.

Blessings,

Steve

I was going to say go 1-8" but I am trying to reserve my opinions and be respectful of other's wishes this New Year.


Travis

Jesus loves him too.

But to the OP, 1-12" should do you proud.


Travis

I have a 1-14" twist 223 Ackley, and a 1-8" twist 223 Ackley. They both shoot 40 grain Ballistic Tips about the same, i.e. really well.

Once, my editor sent me a 6Ackley full custom with a 1/8 barrel. It was all set up to shoot JLK 107s and Berger VLDs, stuff like that.

Seems nobody told the barrel.

It shot 70Ballistics well into one-inch at 200 yards and all the heavyweights into a saucer at 100. The VLDs typical collapsing bases didn't help much.

I stated in print that "All barrels are FEMALE ... treat them nice and give them what they want and they will reward you wonderfully." "Ignore what they're telling you and they will treat you dreadfully."

Lady readers were not amused. Still, I stand by that ...

Listen to the barrel and it will tell you what it wants to shoot. Sometimes the whisper, but they WILL tell you, if only you will listen.

You can buy a barrel that is the perfect theoretical twist rate and usually it will shoot well. But sometimes it won't.

Steve

I'm no exspurt but 1-12 should work fine for heavier and the lighter bullets you wanna run through the tube.

What kind of terminal performance did you get?

If you liked the 12, stick with it.
I have a 14 that was a BR and is now a Fireball on another action -- it only liked one kind of 40s and only with one powder. New chambering, only that bullet, but this time 2 powders. Lucky me.

I've shot tens of thousands of Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tips...
Thousands of 40 gr V Maxes
Tens of Thousands of 40 gr Sierra HPs...

regardless of what caliber I shot them in ( 223 or 22.250 ) they always shot tight little groups, in spite of the twist of the barrel.. from 14 down to 1 in 7...

Maybe I have just been lucky... my powder of choice for max velocity with 40s in either calibers has always been RL 7...