Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Fast twist = faster death?

So after 6 pages, some of it getting a little testy, the general consensus seems to be - MAYBE.

drover

Me too, as it was velocity not twist that kilt that gopher. Besides, RPM is easily calculated and how many more times a bullet spins in a foot of distance won't make any difference to the critter it shot...

That's not entirely true, as the way I understand it with lightly jacketed varmint bullets, the added twist is essentially stressing them a bit more, causing quicker upset when they strike flesh.

I've seen the fast twist help provide more "lift" when striking small game while shooting slow and fast twist rifles of the same cartridge side by side, in such rounds as the 223, 223 AI, 220 Swift, and 243.

I'm just not convinced it really shows up on big game. "Lost in the noise" as it were.

The bullet was going 3300fps which is not fast by the standards we usually use on gophers.

You just happened to catch what I've caught over and over. The faster twist makes schit explode.


Travis

No dog in this "discussion" but I didn't see Brad say he had, or had not, shot fast twist rifles.

That was a gopher, this is a prairie dog with velocity and a low BC bullet. Fast twist is still a fad...

RPM is easily calculated at the muzzle.

Can you calculate RPM after the bullet has traveled 100 yds. or more?

If a bullet leaves muzzle @ 3000fps, 180,000 RPM, what is RPM when it has slowed to 2000 fps?

You won't see twists get slower and you won't see bullets get shorter.

The faster twists are here to stay.



Travis

Yep.

No downside to the fast twist. Lots of upside.

Advise if the faster deaths were due to death by bleeding or hitting the nervous system?

A recent observation was that faster bleeding deaths happen when the bullet fragments such as a lead core breaking up and hitting many places.

You don't still think it's 120,000 rpm, do you?

Did you really have to go there?

Maybe we should ask Brian Litz while he's around.....

He'd be one to ask.

This thread has me anxious to try out my still pretty new to me 9 twist 220 Swift this spring! It may (probably will) become a 220 Weatherby Rocket by then for even MORE fun with rodent launching.

I sure wish it was legal to use this rifle on deer in this state. A 55gr Barnes TTSX at about 4,000fps from a 1 in 9 twist barrel would seem to be a pretty deadly combination, but the pencil driving buerocrats in Olympia obviously know better, right?

I wonder how fast I will be able to drive my favorite little 36gr Varmint Grenades with 45 or so grains of powder behind 'em?

This rifle with my stash of 75gr A-Max's ought to be pretty effective on Coyote's as well.

So what fast twisters are saying is:

This is deader...



Than this...

Obviously slow twists were used as there is way too much varmint left after the hit.



Travis

No. That is not what anyone here has said.

But merely what you have chose to hear......

Exactamundo.

Hell, its so simple even JeffO could see it....

Yes. There is a difference.

When you can see an 8 twist 223 AI get the same lift with 40s as a slow twist 22-250 shooting 50s, why bother with the bigger gun? Isn't the added lift a big reason for shooting varmints with a centerfire anyway?

BTW, an 8 twist 22-6mm gets tremendous lift.

I would hate to be the guardian when all you guys are on the same playground...