I called Pac Nor to ask about ordering a 24" .30-06 barrel. When I asked what twist, they asked me what bullet wt I would be shooting. What bullet wts do most of you choose in the .30-06 for each specific game? Obviously, you can only have 1 twist rate in a barrel, so which twist rate is the most versatile? (does the best job at shooting a large variety of bullet Wts. )

Never mind them picking the twist.

Get 1-10". That will cover it. Always has.

1-10" - 5 groove will do anything you want and more

Do you guys like 24" for the length?

Depends on "YOU" and your wants...

I'd base it on the style of hunting you plan on doing...

If it's spot and stalk in open country, 24" would work for "me"
If it's tree stand hunting, 22" might be better for "me"
If it's close quarters blind hunting, I might opt for a 20" again that's for "me"

Also might make a difference in stock you plan to use...

Contour of barrel would matter too on how long it ended up...

I like 12twist as it will handle the 200grainers.
Butch

A 10 inch twist is considered to be standard for a 30/06 and will handle anything you care to shoot. Having said that, a twelve twist would also probably handle anything you might care to shoot through it.
I would use a ten and I probably would make it 24 inches long and not too heavy (a #2 Douglas taper is about right). GD

I have two Husqvarna 30-06 rifles. Both have 1:12 twist factory barrels and both will stabilize 200 gr spitzers and 220 gr RN bullets.

Ted

+1

this is a surprise to most folks!

benchrest shooters use a 1:17 for the light weight target bullets that are long for their weight. If you get the twist designed for the weight you want to shoot, you should expect exceptional accuracy and also a little less pressure than a 1:10 twist(you won't notice this unless your rifle has an accuracy node on the edge of being a hot load).

I shoot 200gr Partitions just fine out of a 1~10 twist barrel, and I prefer 22-23 inches.

Get a 1:10 twist, shoot 165 and 180gr Partitions and call it good. Actually, it will be very good...

CLB

1:10" is my default .30 twist

I like the 10" twist in the .300s as well, although most makers go 12" in a .308. My most recent is a NULA M24, and I copied Mule Deer's specs of a 24" no. 2 weight stainless Douglas barrel.

If you want to shoot solids the faster twist will keep the bullet point on in bone (most folks do not know this). This is a genuine rifle loonie "oulie", or lesser known fact.

jim

I'd have gone with 1 i 10" until getting my HVA with 1 in 12" twist that shoots 200 grain Partitions better than any bullet of 150-165 grains. That barrel shoot 180 grain Hornady RN better than most will believe. The slower twist is not at all a hindrance.

Benchresters usually like the slowest twist that will stabilize the bullets that you want to shoot; the velocity of the bullet is also a factor.

I've had 300 mags with 1-11 & even at those velocities, that twist would stabilize 200 grain Partitions.

I believe in fast twists when they are needed, but the '06 will work just fine with 1-10 to 1-12.

MM

My Douglas 1/10 handles evereything I've tried from 110 VMax to 240 Matchking just fine.

My 308 is 1/12 and it handles the 200-208 gr stuff fine too. It is also fine with 220 roundnose, but i haven't tried 220 BTHP in it yet, but have been meaning to just out of curiosity.

The extra RPM of the 1/10 adds a bit of insurance for getting the TTSX and similar type monometal bullets opened up.

I went with a 1-11.25" Rock on my 30-06 & it'll shoot anything from 150's to 200 grains.


Going with a 1-11" on a .308 & 300 Win Mag build.

i am using a 1-10" and it has shot everything i have fed it into less than an inch. from 125 to 180 VLDs. its 26"

As to being the most versatile I think you would have to give it to the 1 in 10 twist over anything twisted slower.

My .308 and .30-06 Sako's are 1:11 twist and shoot pretty much anything I've fed them.

I copied this from www.Pac-nor.com

These are barrels made in various twists and Groove configurations:

30 (.308")
2 groove 16"
3 groove 6.50" 7" 7.50" 9" 10" 12" 13" 14" 15"
4 groove 10" 11"
5 groove 4" 7" 8" 9" 10" 11" 12" 13" 15" 17" 18"
6 groove 8" 14"
Polygonal 8" 10" 12"

Match the bullet weight(length)with the twist rate you want to shoot, then ask the barrel maker what is "right" for you...they know their business.

Most people will never shoot over 180g in an '06, and a 12" twist will handle all the Hunting bullets in 180g with the excepton of some specialized target bullets. There are some long VLD Match 180's that may require a faster twist.

The following is copied from www.berger.com (Berger Bullets)

30 CALIBER
30 cal 155 Grain Match Hunting VLD 0.308 155 0.439 0.225 14
30 cal 168 Grain Match Hunting VLD 0.308 168 0.473 0.242 13
30 cal 175 Grain Match Hunting VLD 0.308 175 0.498 0.255 13
30 cal 185 Grain Match Hunting VLD 0.308 185 0.549 0.281 12
30 cal 190 Grain Match Hunting VLD 0.308 190 0.570 0.291 12
30 cal 210 Grain Match Hunting VLD 0.308 210 0.631 0.323 11

the last number in the column is Twist required to stabalize that particular bullet. These are long VLD bullets that require a little more twist to stabalize them. As you can see, even the longest and heaviest bullet only needs a 11" twist.

Some years ago, I had a 308 made with a 14" twist and it was a fantastic shooter with 125,150, and 165g hunting bullets. This rifle shot so well, I have yet to see another Bolt gun shoot this well in 308, I'm talking very tiny groups. It was not a question as to whether or not the bullets would go in a hole, but how large the hole was. It was a #5 taper, 24" long. I ended up shooting the 150g Hornady in it at 3025 fps, (slower twist builds a little less pressure + perhaps a fast barrel using Win 748).

1-10".

My 30-06 has a Lilja 24" #2 1-11 twist 3 grove.
Shoots bug holes..

My custom Mauser in 30-06 has a 24" 1 in 12" twist Douglas barrel. it shoots 220 gr. Sierra and Hornady round nose bullets intoan inch to 1.25" depending on how well I'm shooting on any particular day.
My Winchester M70 in .308 Win. also has a 1 in 12" twist barrel and it is well under sub-MOA with the 220 gr. Sierra round nose. A 1 in 12" twist will do just fine. (.375" to .50" depending on how I'm shooting that day.)
However, a 1 in 10" is considered the standard for the 30-06. Either one will work just fine.
Paul B.

Best barrel twist is three twists into the ground and then tie off your tomato plant. It'll hold pretty good.

1-10" is good gouge, and I like 22" in a bolt gun for a 30-06. No need for longer for velocity, though it doesn't hurt any. The main question is what you plan to use it for. Running up and down mountains, I'd opt for 22" to save weight. If I had the perfect single shot made, it would have a 24 or 25" barrel in a pretty lean contour.

I used a Bartlein 5r 1/11 twist for one of my 30-06 so far only shot 165/180gr bullets been a good barrel.

I have 2 -06s a Husqvarna 1-12 twist and a mark-x with 1-10 generally 1-12 for 200gr.and above and 1-10 for 180gr.and below.22in. barrels.they both put the object of my desire right between the potatoes and carrots.

With the 1-12 stabalizing everything from 125-220g, makes you wonder how the 1-10 got established as the norm...would make an interesting study.

The 1-10 probably got popular in the early part of the last century to help stabalize bullets past 1000-1600 yards or using tracer rounds...WAG on my part.