Why do manufactures still cling to the 1/12" twist .223 barrel

[R.W.Dale]

Particularly amongst bolt actions, why is it manufacturers still cling to the antiquated notion of a .223 with a 1/12" twist rate. Other than the very few of us who shoot 45grn bullets I simply cannot think of anything a 1-12 twist does that a 1/9 or faster twist doesn't do better. To me this is like buying a new car and finding out it still has a cassette deck.

 

[Nolo]

Isn't the M193 ideally stabilized by a 1-in-12?
Just asking.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Well, most don't, but some do.

Remingtons can be had in either 1 in 9, or 1 in 12, depending upon model, IIRC
NEF Handis are now 1 in 9
Tikkas are 1 in 8
Savages can be had in 1 in 9, and one model is 1 in 7.

What else?

Frustrating to me that Howa/Vanguard still cling to the 1 in 12 however. I would have already bought a .223 Vanguard Sub-MOA if it had a 1 in 9 twist.

 

[taliv]

isn't 223 still the most popular varmint gun due to barrel life? i always assumed 45g-52g varmint ammo was the most common in bolt 223 guns.

why would you want a 223 bolt gun if not for varmints?

because basically, anything a 223 bolt gun can do, dang near any other cartridge can do better (like 308, 260, 6xc, 6.5x47, 6mmbr, 243win, etc etc etc etc)

 

[R.W.Dale]

why would you want a 223 bolt gun if not for varmints?

A 69grn HP kill a varmint or bullseye just as dead as a 50grn bullet only it'll do it a lot farther out in a lot windier conditions for a lot less $$$ than the other calibers you mention

 

[rangerruck]

they have their place; they exhibit less wear, and for what they are designed to do , they can give you quite explosive performance. Their accuracy , even in a factory gun, can be quite a bit above outstanding.
As a matter of fact, they origionally came out in a 1/14 twist, for really good terminal performance with 55 grainers.
Speaking to the accuracy bit. Here are some pics of a cz 527 carbine, shooting various rounds from 45 to 62 grains at 100 yds. all groups are under 1 inch, and all were shot off of just sandbags, at 100 yds, using a Tasco Varmint scope, 6x24.






those top'marks' above the black hills are not holes, they are pen marks i had scratched through.

 

[Art Eatman]

About 99% of my .223 shooting is with 50- to 55-grain bullets. Sometimes I get a wild hair to mess around with 40- or 45-grain bullets.

Soooooo, prairie poodles to around 300 yards and coyotes to around 200 and I'm a happy camper.

, Art

 

[rcmodel]

+1

Kansas coyotes fall over dead faster with a 55 grain bullet blowing up inside them, then a .22 hole through them from a 69 grain bullet that failed to expand at long range.

rcmodel

 

[cpttango30]

The only thing I shoot in my piss poor old 12 twist is Honday 50gr V-max. Sucks that it is a 12 twist as it shoots .4" 5 shots 100 yard groups at 3700fps with VV N133

 

[R.W.Dale]

You guys assume that a 1/9 won't shoot lighter bullets well.

these groups were fired using 45grn sierras in a factory fluted 1/9" savage barrel

 

[only1asterisk]

1 in 12 twist is SAAMI spec. Advantages to the slower twist are higher velocity and lower pressure.

David

 

[Sitting Duck]

Ah... A voice of why and not why would you. :banghead:

Thank you, only1asterisk.

 

[only1asterisk]

To clarify further, widespread use heavy bullets (over 60 grains) in the .223 are a fairly recent development in the history of the cartridge. As noted above manufacturers have already started to adjust. While it is easy to be impatient, the change has actually been pretty quick by industry standards.

David

 

[stubbicatt]

For what I use mine for, the 12 twist is just fine.

I had an old spacegun that I used in Highpower with a 7.7 twist Krieger barrel. It would blow up the lighter projectiles before they hit the target.

I haven't noticed any detriment in shooting prairie rats from the slower twist.

 

[alsaqr]

Isn't the M193 ideally stabilized by a 1-in-12?
Just asking.

They work really well in my guns.

 

[Seafarer12]

I am getting a wild hair for a 223 pistol barrel for my encore. All the TC barrels are 1-12 I wish it was a 1-10 for a little heavier bullet. I have shot 45 grainers from a 1-9 without any issues.

 

[PercyShelley]

A little birdy once told me that one of the reasons for the erratic fragmentation performance of M855 ball was that it is overstabilized with the 1/7 twist, which leads to precession and AOA variability.

Don't know if that's true, but it's well documented that using a faster than necessary twist raises pressure and reduces barrel life and velocity.

 

[Harley Quinn]

I have a Howa 22-250 any thoughts what that twist might be? I bought it 20 years ago Have not shot it in 10 years LOL...
I have a bullbarrel 243 that is heavy, and shoots well, so it is used more.

 

[NCsmitty]

Harley Quinn, chances are that it's a 1in14 twist that most manufacturers used back then. My 22-250 Remington barreled Mauser is also "handicapped" by a 1in14 twist. It will only 5 shot group about 3/8" at a hundred with the 52gr A-Max Hornady. So sad!

NCsmitty