Bullets twist rates

Simple answer is what ever shoots best. However with the tighter twist of your barrel your rifle should be able to stabilise the heavier weight in that caliber. So 55/60gr should be fine. more open twist like 1/12 will struggle stabilising heavy for caliber bullets.
I'm not a 223 shooter but do have 22/250 so should be very similar.
 
its not weight its length

I shoot 60gr in a 1:14 .222
they are flat base spitzer
switch to 52 gr boat tail ballistic tip and they fly like bricks!

IMO shoot the heaviest you can for deer, whatever floats your boat for everything else
69 or 77gr TSMK would be my target round of choice
68gr GMX for deer
70 or even 80gr Amax
 
I run a sako 75 223 with a factory 1-8 twist and it works with 40g - 75g amax , tightest groups with heavier bullets but more than acceptable with everything I've tried.
 
Hey guys what grain bullet weight would you use in a .223 1-8twist
You didn't say what rifle and scope setup, distances, uses, targets / game.... but it will shoot 55 to 77-gr with the right load. For deer, I recommend buying a box of Winchester 64-gr Power Point bonded ammunition and try that, as well as the Federal Fusion deer ammo. My 1:9 AR-15s (A2, 20-inch barrels) are designed to shoot 55-gr to 63-gr and they shoot these Winchester very well. So does my 1:12 bolt action (22-inch barrel, 3,000 FPS). So I just bought a bag of 100 bullets last week for loading ( the first time I have seen the components for sale).

Our wildlife officers use this Winchester ammo for culling deer on some of the sea islands, and controlling coyotes and wild swine with night vision ( head shots on the pigs). Police SWAT teams around here use it now, as well.
 
I have a remi in 223, its a 1 in 10 twist, I load 69gn mainly for target, the first ones i loaded wouldnt stabilise, so i needed to up the powder to 24-5 gns of N135, this is about (slightly above) max recomendations, however it will shoot rather well at 300meters even with me behind it. You should be able to get up to about 80+ gn bullets with a 1:8, but i guess you will need to make sure they are accurate and fast enough . I find for accuracy at over 100meters the heavier the bullet , the less the wind moves it, the downside is heavier bullets dont fly so flat so you need to be more aware of the rise/fall of flight path.
For vermin you wont go wrong with 55gn Vmax. If you dont load your own , just try differnt weights and see where you are. With modern bullets, personally i would go for accuracy first, and then choose the type of bullet to do the job, a 55gn vmax does more damage to a fox than a 69gn non-expanding, although i wouldnt think a 223 is suitable for anything much bigger than a fox in the UK, to meet policeforce guidlines, good luck !
 
My 1:8 wont stabalise anything less than 60 grns. Ideally look at 69 Sierra or an 75grn a max. Just waiting for some of the new polymer tipped 69grn sierras to come in which should be very good.

D
 
Google Berger twist rate stability. There you will find a very handy app that lets you input all your particular data and ir will tell you if it is any good. A brilliant little calc.
 
isn't it just a case that if you spin a bullet at 3,000+ rps it's generally very stable i.e. 1:12 barrel at 3,000fps in a 1:12 is 3000 rps .....:stir: .... or well it is when it leaves the barrel, getting it out of the barrel smoothly is the trick without unwanted harmonics
 
Google Berger twist rate stability. There you will find a very handy app that lets you input all your particular data and ir will tell you if it is any good. A brilliant little calc.


its a good guide but I have shot bullets that the app said wouldnt and vice versa

real world test and a variety of velocities required for definitive answer
 
I have a 1:8 twist tikka t3 .223.
shoots well anything from 50gr up to 75gr amax which is the heaviest that I have tried.

the 75gr amax are like lasers! shot crows at 250 yds with a bit of luck.
 
My 1:8 wont stabalise anything less than 60 grns. Ideally look at 69 Sierra or an 75grn a max. Just waiting for some of the new polymer tipped 69grn sierras to come in which should be very good.

D

I've had exactly the same experience with .224 heads through 1:8 223REM barrels. I assume it is an over-stabilization. My Tikka needed 60gr+, typically 69gr Sierra matchking but also happy with the 80gr. I've also read others have had the same problem. I did try a series of powders and heads etc, but couldn't fix it.
Can't say for my Sako as the barrel has been changed for a 1:9 from the standard 1:8.
 
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