223 rifle rwist

[p t stearman]

gentlemen,
my first time here. i am buying a cz 527 223. it has a 1/12 twist. i am asking for advice as to the best bullet fo this twist. also the bullets to stay away from.
thanks, p.t.

 

[Potatohead]

I'll post a link to a very good article about twist rate that I got from RC. Let me find it.


Here it is:
http://www.gunsandammo.com/2013/12/23/pair-barrel-twist-rates-ammo/

It sums it up nicely.

 

[Robert]

Anything 55gr or less. I am not sure how well, if at all a 1:12 barrel will stabilize the llonger, heavier bullets. But, in that range there are numerous bullets to choose from. What are you looking to do with the rifle?

 

[MIL-DOT]

As Robert pointed out, a 1:12 twist is ideally suited to 55gr and under. I happen to also have a CZ527 carbine ( though I almost immediately scoped it with a Bushnell Elite 3-9x40, I really like having the carbine's irons as back-up, and they've proven to be DEAD-ON !!!)
Anyway, I looked closely at this question myself a while back (posting some querries right here, as i recall), and it was pointed out that some 1:12 twist rifles may handle the heavier 62 gr. pretty well.
I tried my 527 with both M855 "green tip" and some Russian Silver Bear, and my rifle stabilized both of these 62 gr. bullets perfectly out to 100 yards (from what I'd read, if a bullet is going to destabilize, it'll start yawing before a hundred yards, and you'll be able to tell by the hole in the paper target.)
But, I wouldn't even waste the ammo trying to test anything heavier than that, and I still stick primarilly with 40-55 gr. in my CZ.

 

[ZGunner]

I have a Rem700 in .223 with a 1:12 twist 24" barrel. It loves the 50 gr Z-Max I load for it. It also takes 52gr A-max VERY well. I've tried some Federal factory loads with 62 gr SMK, 5 wasted bullets. I couldn't even hit paper at 100 yards.

This is my experience. Inversely, my 1:9 M77 compact shoots the Federal loads 5 rnds under 1" if I let the barrel cool after the 3rd and 4th shots (pencil barrel).

 

[Grumulkin]

If you want heavier bullets, I've found Speer 70 gr. Semi-Spitzers shoot well in 1:12 twist barrels. It's the bullet I use in a 222.

 

[bpl]

My Remington M7 Predator has a 1:12 twist and shoots 55gr Hornady Vmax very well. I have not tested heavier than that.

 

[1911 guy]

I had a Remington 700 VLS with a 1:12 twist and it positively ate up the WWB 45 grain JHP. Actually torqued me off that i couldn't find a handload that shot better.

 

[tuj]

I would not suggest heavier than 55gr. Probably lighter will be more accurate.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

And it is bullet length that is really at play here, not weight (actually the pitch/yaw moment in which shape plays a role as well). For an all Cu design, you may have to go lighter.

Mike

 

[Geno]

The factory loaded Remington 45 grain HPs grouped nicely in my 1-12 twist barrel on my Weatherby Vanguard Varmint Special. The 35 grain projectiles too, however, they bleed off velocity quickly, and as such are not as good of a selection versus (say) 45 grain or 50 grain for longer shots.

Geno

 

[Scot43]

I have a CZ 527 223 and mine likes 50 grain Nosler BT's, Sierra 50 gr Blitz King and most all of the 52 grain HP bullets including Bergers. IMR 8208 XBR works with just about everything. BenchMark would be a second choice.

 

[p t stearman]

cz 1/12 twist

not sure i am doing this correctly, i want to thank everyone for the information concerning ammo choices for 1/12 223 twist.

 

[carbine85]

Why do these manufacturers favor the 1:12? Seems like a tighter twist would be better.

 

[Jim Watson]

They favor the 12 twist because they expect most users to shoot M193 equivalent ammunition, 55 grain boattail or lighter/shorter.

A tighter twist is needed for longer/heavier bullets but those are not common on the high volume commercial ammo market.

 

[HexHead]

Why do these manufacturers favor the 1:12? Seems like a tighter twist would be better.

Because the tighter twist rates are too fast for lighter weight varmint bullets. Twist rates all depend on what you plan to do with the gun.

 

[1947]

The Sierra 60gr hollow point is an excellent bullet in a 1/12 barrel.

 

[loose noose]

My bolt action .223 with a 1/12 definitely prefers 52-53grn. hp/bt bullets Sierra, or Hornady.

 

[2ndtimer]

Why do these manufacturers favor the 1:12? Seems like a tighter twist would be better.

For shooters who want maximum performance with lightweight bullets, the 1 in 12" twist is the best way to go. It allows maximum velocity and accuracy from 40 gr Ballistic Tips or V-Max bullets, which are preferred for gophers and prairie dogs at medium ranges and provide the most impressive performance. (and also minimizes chances of bullet ricochet). My 26" barreled 1 in 12" twist Remington SPS varmint in .223 Rem. can push the 40 gr bullets over 3700 fps with good accuracy. Highly doubtful a 1 in 9" or faster could duplicate that level of performance.