.223 12:1 rifling twist

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ilmonster

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I have been toying with the idea of getting a .223 bolt action precision rifle. I've noticed that many of them come with 1 in 12 twist rifling, vs. the 1 in 7 or 1 in 9 rifling that most AR's come with.

Would I be seriously be limiting myself as to bullet weights with a 1 in 12 twist? I would guess I would be shooting mostly 55 grain rounds, not lower and maybe some in the 62 grain range (55 gr. are very available and inexpensive). Just looking to punch paper with this potential gun. Your thoughts?
 
1:12 would be limiting yourself, yes. If you want to shoot upwards of 62, a 1:9 minimum is favorable.

Savage's long range, precision .223 offerings (designed to be used with >70 gr projectiles) use a 1:7 twist. Their police models use a 1:9.


What makers use a 1:12? Are you sure you weren't looking at .308 specifications?


And if you find a 12:1 rifling.......well let's just say that guns might not be able to handle those kinds of forces...
 
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There are many here that know way more than I. However, having asked this question before, and having heard from those people, I believe 1 in 12 will be fine with all the 55 grain .223 varmint and target loads that would be commonly used in a .223 bolt. Heavier rounds will be where the problems creep in. Despite advances in the 5.56 world, I believe 55 grains is still the "standard", if you will, for .223
 
The M16 A1 barrel has a twist of 1-12.
Click to expand...

That is because (if I recall correctly) the original 5.56 was designed as a 55 gr round, since then manufacturers have been producing barrels that can stabilize the heavier bullets that have become available.
 
The particular rifle is a Weatherby Vanguard Varmint rifle. It has 1:12 rifling. I've also seen some Remington Varmint rifles with 1:12 rifling. I might be able to swing a very good deal on one, which is why I am asking. Otherwise, I would choose a 1:9.
 
If you only intend to shoot rounds under 62 gr then you should be fine. But if you are unsure, a 1:9 will give you more leeway in performance of various weighted rounds.
 
i could be misremembering but i think it was originally 1-14 and got changed to 1-12 late in the war.

i am personally quite fond of 1-12 or 14 twists and m193 55g ammo, and i think the idea of exploding 40-52g bullets on pdogs just seems like a ton of cheap entertainment

but yeah, when you do that, you can't shoot 62, 69, 75, 77, 80, 90 or 100g bullets.
 
With my Rem. 788, the 52's and 53's do alright, the "thunk" those weight bullets make, the P-dogs don't care anyway. Just the right twist as far as I can see.
 
Most 223 bolt rifles are still 1:12 in order to shoot the ubiquitous 55 grainers. You will have to look for ones with tighter twists.

Tikka Lite T3 223 bolt gun has a 1:8 twist

Remington 700 SPS Tactical 20" has a 1:9

Those 2 will often more versatility as far as bullet weights.

M
 
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1/12 is for 'varmint' guns. 55 grains or less, going much faster than your typical match AR15 load.

Optimized for 'flat shooting' trajectories when distances are unknown, as is often the case when shooting 'varmints' (see a trend here yet?)

A 75 grain projectile may carry more energy at longer ranges, but the lightweight bullets still kill varmints dead, and wind performance isn't compromised by the lower BC light bullets because the flight time is shorter at the higher velocities.
 
I have a TC Encore in .223 with a 1:12 twist. One afternoon I grabbed the wrong box of ammo... grabbed 62 grain instead of 55 grain. I would have been better off throwing the whole damn round at the target!! At first I couldn't figure out what was wrong... 6 to 7 inch groups... if you can call that a group!! When I returned home and I was putting the ammo away it hit me :banghead:! The next week I took a box of 55 grain and was shooting groups you could cover with a nickel :cool:! Yes, it's that sensitive to bullet weight...
 
Just found a quick formula for twist and bullet. Take dia x dia x 180 if over 2800 FPS / bullet LENGTH...

Substitute 150 for 180 if under 2800 fps. answer will be the twist that the bullet best responds to.

example: .243 x .243x 180=10.63 divided by bullet length of 1.15" =9.24 (twist) that this bullet will best respond to. Has little to due with Grains except that longer bullets equal greater Grains. Find the bullet that has the best BC to go along with this formula and you have a winner for that particular rifle.

A bullet length guide can be found at http://www.shootforum.com/forum/bulletdb.html
Hope this helps...:)
I have a .223 in 1:12. I kinda wished I have purchased one with a different twist, but....shots straight as hell and I only use it for varmints and paper.
 
My Remington model 700 BDL 223 Rem. has a 24" barrel with a 1 in 12 twist. It's devastatingly accurate with 55 gr. and lighter bullets.

NYH1.
 
As chrome_austex alluded to, most of the bullets used for varmints are 60gr and under, and have frangible jackets for good results on game and work great in a 1in12" twist. Most of the heavy bullets requiring a faster twist are made for target use, so it's all about what you want to use it for.


NCsmitty
 
1 turn in 12 inches will give you best accuracy with bullets up to 60 grains. I don't know about 62 grains.
I shot a coyote at 235 yards with 60 gr. partition out of a 1/12 22" stainless barrel.
 
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