Why is it so hard to find a .223 in 10 or 12 twist?

[fouled bore]

I was just looking around at entry level .223 bolt action rifles hoping to find one in 1/10 or 1/12 twist rate. I was thinking about a prairie dog gun that I would use shooting 40-55 grain varmint bullets. The slowest twist I found is 1/9. I know I could get a 22-250 with a 1/12 twist but I have so much .223 brass I would like to stay with .223 Rem. When I see a .223 gun with a 1/7-1/9 twist I think of it being a 556 chamber. Doesn't the 556 chamber have a longer throat than the .223 Rem chamber? If using a 40-55 grain bullet in a 556 chamber with it having to make the long jump to the lands along with the fast twist loose some accuracy?

 

[horsey300]

I was just looking around at entry level .223 bolt action rifles hoping to find one in 1/10 or 1/12 twist rate. I was thinking about a prairie dog gun that I would use shooting 40-55 grain varmint bullets. The slowest twist I found is 1/9. I know I could get a 22-250 with a 1/12 twist but I have so much .223 brass I would like to stay with .223 Rem. When I see a .223 gun with a 1/7-1/9 twist I think of it being a 556 chamber. Doesn't the 556 chamber have a longer throat than the .223 Rem chamber? If using a 40-55 grain bullet in a 556 chamber with it having to make the long jump to the lands along with the fast twist loose some accuracy?

Run the 9 twist, I envy your troubles, my first cf 22s were 12&14 twist, they leave you wanting more.....my 5.56 9 twister has no issues with lightweight .223 amom, you're overthinking this (but you've come to the right place).

 

[Texas10mm]

In the current market you would be hard pressed to give a slow twist 223 AR away.

Everyone wants fast twist, even though the vast majority of them will never shoot anything heavier than 55 grains.

 

[jmr40]

My 1:8 twist barrels shoot 45-50 gr bullets just fine. Doesn't matter if they are in the 223 bolt rifle or the 5.56 AR's. Generally speaking there is no downside to spinning lighter bullets faster than necessary. But there is a downside to trying to shoot longer, heavier bullets in a slow twist barrel. Although I don't see quite as much accuracy with 50 gr bullets in the 7 twist. The difference isn't great, it is there.

IMO the 8 twist is the most versatile. It will shoot even the lightest bullets just fine and still handle up to 75-77 gr. It might not be the best choice for the 90 gr loads out there but those are far from common.

 

[LoonWulf]

Look for a used rifle from early 2ks or before, nearly all will be 1-10 or slower.
1-9s where i want to be for anything short of the 75+, and all of those i wwnt more case capacity. Ive run a fair number of 40gr bullets from 1-9s with zero issues, and good accuracy.

 

[Jim Rau]

Have you tried any of the 'custom' bbl makers?

 

[ms6852]

If it is only going to be used for prairie dog, I would consider a 204, or 222 swift. At 500 yards the 204 is only dropping about 28 inches vs the 223 which is almost dropping 40".

 

[Bfh_auto]

My 1:8 twist barrels shoot 45-50 gr bullets just fine. Doesn't matter if they are in the 223 bolt rifle or the 5.56 AR's. Generally speaking there is no downside to spinning lighter bullets faster than necessary. But there is a downside to trying to shoot longer, heavier bullets in a slow twist barrel. Although I don't see quite as much accuracy with 50 gr bullets in the 7 twist. The difference isn't great, it is there.

IMO the 8 twist is the most versatile. It will shoot even the lightest bullets just fine and still handle up to 75-77 gr. It might not be the best choice for the 90 gr loads out there but those are far from common.

Totally agree. My 8 twist even shot some 35 grain hornet bullets well.
My 1-12 doesn't stabilize a 55 boat tail.

 

[BigBL87]

1:9 twist should be fine for 55 gr and MUCH easier to find. You MIGHT be able to find 1:12 twist in varmint specific models, but I haven't found any looking the last few minutes. If you have to have 1:12 on a budget, might be better off finding a Savage Axis or 11/111 cheap and rebarreling it with something like this.

https://www.eabco.net/EABCO-Accuracy-Barrel-fits-Savage-10110-and-Axis-223-Rem-112-Blue_p_15617.html

 

[BigBL87]

Having a hard time confirming twist rate, but one source said this is 1:12 twist. Not sure of it qualifies as budget though.

https://gunprodeals.com/product/HOW...N-VARMINT-RIFLE-WBLUE-BARREL--SYNTHETIC-STOCK

 

[fouled bore]

Run the 9 twist, I envy your troubles, my first cf 22s were 12&14 twist, they leave you wanting more.....my 5.56 9 twister has no issues with lightweight .223 amom, you're overthinking this (but you've come to the right place).

I very well could be over thinking it.

 

[fouled bore]

My 1:8 twist barrels shoot 45-50 gr bullets just fine. Doesn't matter if they are in the 223 bolt rifle or the 5.56 AR's. Generally speaking there is no downside to spinning lighter bullets faster than necessary. But there is a downside to trying to shoot longer, heavier bullets in a slow twist barrel. Although I don't see quite as much accuracy with 50 gr bullets in the 7 twist. The difference isn't great, it is there.

IMO the 8 twist is the most versatile. It will shoot even the lightest bullets just fine and still handle up to 75-77 gr. It might not be the best choice for the 90 gr loads out there but those are far from common.

I didn't know if you could over stabilise or spin the light bullets too fast and therefore cause the groups to open up.

 

[fouled bore]

Have you tried any of the 'custom' bbl makers?

No but that is a thought, same a Bigbl87 suggest. I could find one that is shot out and get it rebarreled.

 

[fouled bore]

If it is only going to be used for prairie dog, I would consider a 204, or 222 swift. At 500 yards the 204 is only dropping about 28 inches vs the 223 which is almost dropping 40".

I agree, those would be the better route. We just came back from a hunt and most of the shooting we did was from 150 yards to 300. I feel like just staying with the 223 to keep the ammo cost down because I already have plenty of brass.

 

[fouled bore]

Having a hard time confirming twist rate, but one source said this is 1:12 twist. Not sure of it qualifies as budget though.

https://gunprodeals.com/product/HOW...N-VARMINT-RIFLE-WBLUE-BARREL--SYNTHETIC-STOCK

It's also marked as 556 so I would think it would be at least a 1/9. I looked on their website and the slowest twist they show is 1/9.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Several of the varmint hunters I know have gone to the 53 Vmax. Better BC and accuracy in the wind. My 1:7.5, 1:9, and 1:12 rifles stabilize them just fine.

With range finders being so cheap these days, it's easy to just dial or hold for distance.

 

[brasscollector]

I have a 1:9" 223 wylde chambered AR and it loves 40gr VMAXs. If I were actually serious about buying a 223 bolt gun a 1:8" or 1:9" would be preferred.

 

[fouled bore]

I loaded up some 50 grain Nosler SP and used them through a couple ARs with a 1/8 twist. Not getting them to group real well. About 2" at 100yds. I may be pushing them too hard also. I need to go back and work up the load again. Maybe even try different powder. I didn't know if it was the jump to the lands, spinning them too fast or pushing them too hard. I am getting 3050fps out of them in a 16" AR. I was hoping to get them down to 1 moa. I may be asking too much for an AR.

 

[ak257]

The early Weatherby Vanguard Synthetics, those before serial number VB084281, were 1:12. Anything from that serial number, on up, is 1:9.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I didn't know if you could over stabilise or spin the light bullets too fast and therefore cause the groups to open up.

That's more of an issue with poor quality bullets.
Try a 53 vmax seated long. If that doesn't work. The 40gr vmax is a great second choice.

 

[BigBL87]

It's also marked as 556 so I would think it would be at least a 1/9. I looked on their website and the slowest twist they show is 1/9.

With their current rifles that's true, but with the UPC I THINK this one may be new/old stock.

Each place where I've been able to find that particular UPC says 1:12 twist, might be worth shooting the seller a message if it would interest you, they could probably tell you for sure.

 

[greyling22]

My zastava mini Mauser is a 1:10 or 1:12 twist. Shoots 50grn fairly well. 55grn opens the group up a great deal.

They were imported as interarms mini mark x, Charles Daly mini Mauser, Remington 799, century arms and now zastava itself. Maybe as the m85. And they were cheap.

 

[stillquietvoice]

1:9 twist should be fine for 55 gr and MUCH easier to find. You MIGHT be able to find 1:12 twist in varmint specific models, but I haven't found any looking the last few minutes. If you have to have 1:12 on a budget, might be better off finding a Savage Axis or 11/111 cheap and rebarreling it with something like this.

https://www.eabco.net/EABCO-Accuracy-Barrel-fits-Savage-10110-and-Axis-223-Rem-112-Blue_p_15617.html

I've had 3 223, 556 rifles. The axis 2 would stack 50 - 55 bullets into one hole it had a 1-9 twist rate. I've got an m11 I'm 223 that I'm still going load development for that is real promising. My 556 Ar 1 - 7 twist puts those into just over moa. You shouldn't have any issues with that twist rate.

 

[MarshallDodge]

Another option is to find an older Remington 700 VS, or VSSF, with the pre XMark, Walker triggers. Great out of the box accuracy.

 

[BigBL87]

I've had 3 223, 556 rifles. The axis 2 would stack 50 - 55 bullets into one hole it had a 1-9 twist rate. I've got an m11 I'm 223 that I'm still going load development for that is real promising. My 556 Ar 1 - 7 twist puts those into just over moa. You shouldn't have any issues with that twist rate.

My 1:7 AR (PSA Freedom) doesn't seem to like 55gr very much (2 MOA, but that is cheap FMJ so I don't hold it against it). By the same token, my previous upper (PSA Premium) that was also 1:7 shot that same ammo 1-1.5 MOA. That being said, that was based on one range trip over 6 months ago, and it has since been rescoped and not shot yet, so not a great sample size. I have a 223 Weatherby Vanguard with 1:9 twist I haven't shot yet, hoping it'll shoot the 55gr a little tighter.