LocoGringo
Member
So I did a little experiment today that I have never tried before. The twist rate on a rifle I own was unknown, so I coated about 14" of a cleaning rod with masking tape, attached a cleaning patch to the end of the jag and marked necessary points on the masking tape. After trying 4 times, I came up with the same answer 3 times...10.5" for 1 full rotation. I believe the time I came up with a different answer I over-rotated. That seems like an odd twist rate.
So here's the rest of the story. The rifle is an Argentine Mauser bolt action 30-06 my grandfather built with a 28" barrel. I have no idea when it was built, but my guess is before I was born in the mid-70s. It seems the theory behind the build is to maximize powder burn and velocity for the 30-06, but it's not a heavy barrel profile for prone only shooting. It can actually be shot offhand, although it is heavy and unwieldy due to the length. I don't handload for 30-06 (yet), but I have been disappointed with factory ammo accuracy as well as the left over handloads my Grandfather gave to me. They're adequate for hunting, but nothing spectacular like cloverleafs which I would expect from such a long barrel. The muzzle is .645", so I'm guessing there might be a lot of muzzle whip.
I'm trying to figure out what weight bullet would be best through a long barrel like this with a 1:10.5" twist rate. I'm guessing something like the 175 SMK or 178 SST from Hornady. What do you think?
So here's the rest of the story. The rifle is an Argentine Mauser bolt action 30-06 my grandfather built with a 28" barrel. I have no idea when it was built, but my guess is before I was born in the mid-70s. It seems the theory behind the build is to maximize powder burn and velocity for the 30-06, but it's not a heavy barrel profile for prone only shooting. It can actually be shot offhand, although it is heavy and unwieldy due to the length. I don't handload for 30-06 (yet), but I have been disappointed with factory ammo accuracy as well as the left over handloads my Grandfather gave to me. They're adequate for hunting, but nothing spectacular like cloverleafs which I would expect from such a long barrel. The muzzle is .645", so I'm guessing there might be a lot of muzzle whip.
I'm trying to figure out what weight bullet would be best through a long barrel like this with a 1:10.5" twist rate. I'm guessing something like the 175 SMK or 178 SST from Hornady. What do you think?