Mini 14, 1:9 twist bullets

[TexasPatriot.308]

I have been shooting 55 grain bullets thru my new mini 14 Tactical, will the 1:9 twist get performance out of heavier bullets like a 62 or even 67 grain bullett, I would like to beef up for hogs, thanks.

 

[LoonWulf]

It should. i used to shoot 62s with no problems in my 1-9, and i tryed some 77s and even those stabalized at 100yds tho i only had about a dozen so didnt do much else. Also if your shots are short range theres always Speers 70grn Semispitzer, friend usee those on deer all the time in his Mini-14

 

[Al LaVodka]

Go with 62's. 68's'll probably be as good as 55's stability wise and have their advantages. More or less than those weights shall not fair well.

 

[67rschev]

I have run some 68 gr hpbt match though my 581 16 inch 1 in 9 , and was very disappointed with the accuracy of those loads . Not key holing , but opened up quite substantially over 60gr and 62gr projectiles . Of coarse these aren't hunting bullets , and we are talking about punching paper here .

 

[BADUNAME37]

I use Barnes Triple Shock Solid Copper X bullets I load for my AR 1:9. From what I read, these are very similar to the new NATO government round they just came out with.

I have pretty good results with them, good enough for deer and black bear hunting out to about 200 yards. Most shots I would have would average maybe 50 yards.

As I understand it, 62 grains is really the heaviest I can go before accuracy will diminish. With the X Bullet, they advertise to use a bullet weight for the X that is one step lighter than normal, so the 62g X is apparently equivelant in stopping power as if I had a regular bullet of approx, 70 grains or so.

Then I have cheap 55g I load just for shooting, which I don't do much of.

If you want better stabilization for the heavier ones, you need a 1:8 or even 1:7 twist at the expense of having rapid barrel wear, from what I understand.

 

[Red State]

My mini 14 shoots 62 grain bullets better than the 55 grain bullets.

Its still not a MOA gun, but it is much better.

 

[benEzra]

1:9 works well up to 69gr (assuming lead core; all-copper bullets are less dense and therefore longer for a given weight, and it's the length that determines the required twist rate).

 

[TonyAngel]

Really, you've gotta try them to know. There's no hard fast rule that says that your 1:9 barrel shouldn't shoot the 69s pretty well, but all barrels are different and you won't know until you try.

 

[M1key]

Try heavier bullets. As has been said, you won't know until you try...

My Stag upper, 16 inch barrel, 1:9 twist, 4X scope, Hornady 75 BTHP, and Varget powder gives me 1.2" groups at 100yds and ~3.0" at 200yds.

I plan to try Sierra 77s when the UPS truck ever gets here with my package.

 

[RatDrall]

Does 7 grains really matter? I seriously doubt that a 62 grain bullet would stop a hog, or whatever, any differently from a 55 grain bullet.

I would worry a lot more about bullet construction....

 

[NCsmitty]

I suggest trying the Winchester 64gr Power-point bullet, as it seems to have a heavier jacket, and holds together on larger game. As does the Nosler 60gr partition, but at twice the price.



NCsmitty

 

[Al LaVodka]

Yes. 62's are the NATO norm and common.
Good luck.
Al

 

[Sheepdog1968]

I tried a number of weights out of a 1:9 mini14 ranging from about 50 to 75 grains. It's posted somewhere on THR about 6 months ago. Most of the shooting was done at 50 yards with a scope. I was getting 3 to 4 MOA more or less out of all the ammo. I didn't notice a huge difference in group size.

I dug up the post where I posted the picture. I shot 10 rounds for each group measuring. There is one photo that has all of the various brands and grains showing as well as a tape measure. Posting #41 describes how I tested. Posting #44 shows the photos. I hope this helps.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=508282&page=2

 

[benEzra]

Does 7 grains really matter? I seriously doubt that a 62 grain bullet would stop a hog, or whatever, any differently from a 55 grain bullet.

I would worry a lot more about bullet construction....

The weight difference has more to do with performance at long range. The longer, heavier bullets have a better ballistic coefficient, and hence retain their initial velocity longer. As you point out, bullet construction has more to do with performance when the bullet actually hits something.