.223 ammo question, does the twist of your barrel determine what ammo you should use?

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hobgob

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So i was on cheaper than dirt looking at ammo prices and I came across the lake city surplus ammo, which got mixed reviews. anyway one of the reviews stated that if you have a 1:9 or 1:7 twist on your AR than you should be shooting 62gr bullets to achieve maximum accuracy and if you had the old AR's with the 1:14 twists and what not that you should be shooting lighter bullets. I was not aware of this and was wondering if anyone has anymore experience here. any input?
ive got a RRA entry tactical with a chrome lined 1:9 twist.
 
You should shoot lighter bullets out of slower twists and heavier bullets out of faster twists. What you posted is essentially correct.
 
Short answer = No.

Longer answer = Seldom.

A tight-twist barrel, such as a 1-7, will allow you to shoot any weight bullet you choose.
A slower-twist barrel will limit you to lighter (shorter) bullets.

Those most concerned with accuracy will choose a match-grade bullet then order a barrel with a twist that will just barely stabilize it. For almost all of us we will not be able notice any accuracy difference with twist rate - so long as the bullet is stable enough not to tumble.
 
No. The results you get on paper should determine the ammo you use. Try different bullet weights until you find the one that gives the best results. You may well find that conventional wisdom regarding bullet weight and barrel twist doesn't always hold true when the rubber hits the road.
 
The original .223 with either a 1 in 14 and later with the 1 in 12 twist rate was designed to shoot a 55 grain bullet. It will also shoot anything lighter than that. Some will shoot a slightly heavier bullet, however, most heavier bullets will not stabilize with the original twist rate.

It really depends what you want to do with your .223. If you have a good fast round in a 1 in 12 twist rifle then you have an effective point blank range of about 235 yards give or take a few yards.

All of the heavier rounds from a .223 are for bench shooting. The arc on a 70 grain bullet from a .223 must be slightly ridiculous for field use. Any rifle can be made to shoot a long way if you know the ballistic curve of the round. You can shoot a 45 70 out to about a mile but so what?

I have shot 45 grain varmint rounds from my AR with a 1 in 9 twist with no problem. I don't shoot heavier rounds because it would limit the point blank range for field use to something less than what the round is capable of at standard bullet weights.
 
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