.224" Barrel Twist Rates vs. Accuracy

S

Slowshot

Member
I am having a rifle re-barreled with a heavy target barrel. This rifle is in 222 Remington. According to the Shilen site, the best twist rate for bullets up to 55 gr. is a 14 twist. For bullets up to 63 gr. Shilen recommends a 12 twist barrel. While I mostly shoot 52-55 gr. bullets, I would like to experiment with heavier bullets. I am considering a 12 twist. My question is, 'what kind of accuracy loss would occur, if I am shooting 55 gr. bullets with a 12 twist barrel as compared to the same bullets in the recommenced 14 twist barrel?'

I was shocked, when I bought the rifle to find it had a 9 twist. I never imagined anyone would put a barrel with a 9 twist on a rifle in 222 Rem. I can't imagine that anyone would be shooting primarily 70 gr. bullets in a 222 rifle. Again, according to the Shilen site, that is what a 9 twist barrel (with .224" bullets) is for.
 
My 1/9 tw Krieger shoot 52 grains bullets better than 69 grains. I believe you wouldn´t see the difference. But I can be wrong on this..
 
Liseo said:
My 1/9 tw Krieger shoot 52 grains bullets better than 69 grains. I believe you wouldn´t see the difference. But I can be wrong on this..
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Is your rifle a 223 or a 222 like mine? Other than one friend, I know no one other than me, shooting 222 Rem.
 
Slowshot

Is a 223, but unless you want top velocities, a 1/9 tw 222 can do the job, either with 52 or 69 grains. So I believe...

The point is that a faster tw dont affected the precision, at least in my rifle.
 
Liseo said:
Slowshot

Is a 223, but unless you want top velocities, a 1/9 tw 222 can do the job, either with 52 or 69 grains. So I believe...

The point is that a faster tw dont affected the precision, at least in my rifle.
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Thanks. That is what I was hoping to learn.

I want the flexibility to shoot heavier bullets, as well as the standard 52-55 gr. bullets. While the rifle is a Ruger No. 1 that I am having converted from a 1A to a 1V, with a heavy varmint barrel and a varmint stock and not a BR competition rifle, I still don't like to give up accuracy, if I don't need to. I used to have a 1V in 220 Swift that I got down from 2 MOA to 1/2 MOA, (out to 200 yards) with a few simple mods and careful load testing. I expect to do as well or even better with this 222 Rem. rifle. Regan Nonneman is doing the conversion for me.
 
My 222 wears a 1-14 Shilen. I mostly feed it 52 grain Bergers but have shot 64's. They still print tight, only giving up a tad to the lighter pill. Any heavier though and I'd want a faster twist.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
 
Lee Martin said:
My 222 wears a 1-14 Shilen. I mostly feed it 52 grain Bergers but have shot 64's. They still print tight, only giving up a tad to the lighter pill. Any heavier though and I'd want a faster twist.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
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That sounds hopeful. My concern comes from my experience with my Ruger No. 1V in 220 Swift. That rifle has a 14 twist. Using Berger 55 gr. bullets, I got that rifle down to a consistent 1/2 MOA. When I tried a box of 63 gr bullets, I found they created textbook keyholes, regardless of the powder loads I tried. It sounds like 222 Rem. is more forgiving of heavier bullets.

I have decided to compromise and try a 12 twist in the project rifle.
 
Slowshot said:
That sounds hopeful. My concern comes from my experience with my Ruger No. 1V in 220 Swift. That rifle has a 14 twist. Using Berger 55 gr. bullets, I got that rifle down to a consistent 1/2 MOA. When I tried a box of 63 gr bullets, I found they created textbook keyholes, regardless of the powder loads I tried. It sounds like 222 Rem. is more forgiving of heavier bullets.

I have decided to compromise and try a 12 twist in the project rifle.
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The length is the important factor not the weight. This is why the 63 gr. Sierra semi point shoots so well in 14 twist barrels. The older M99 250-3000 rifles had 14 twist barrels and most of them would stabilize bullet as long as they were under one inch. That was the key not the weight.
 
Bullets do not "know" what the case is. They only know their muzzle velocity, the barrel's twist rate, and the bullet's length, and shape. Beyond that, in cases where one of these creates a marginal situation, air density/altitude gets involved.
 
I like the 14 twist in .22 barrels. I have shot .222's, .223's, 22/250, 222Mag, 22BR, 220 Swift, .22PPC (regular and .095 shortened) and all of them favored 14 twist. Of course the heaviest bullet that I shot was a 60 grain (not plastic tip). Mostly I shot 52 gr. match bullets and 50 gr. fragile bullets for prairie dogs. Good shooting...James
 
Lee Martin said:
My 222 wears a 1-14 Shilen. I mostly feed it 52 grain Bergers but have shot 64's. They still print tight, only giving up a tad to the lighter pill. Any heavier though and I'd want a faster twist.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
Click to expand...

Lee
How is your 222 shooting? I'm thinking of putting one together just for the fun of it. I don't expect it to shoot with my 6ppc. But I was hoping it might be a lot less finicky and a little easie to load for just for fun shooting

Tim
 
Tim,

It's an exceptional shooter. Not a comp gun by any means, but I've had it in the 1's more times than I can remember.

The set-up is a bit unconventional too. When we built it in '91, H.L. Culver suggested gluing the barrel and free-floating the action (something he was eager to try and we were the guinea pigs). Sounded crazy, but the damn thing shoots. I wouldn't use the technique on a rig where barrels are frequently changed. But on a 222, tube life is decent.

Here's a photo of the gun. The action is home built and the glass is a old Lyman 20X target dot:



-Lee
www.singleactions.com
 
I don't know much about the 222 is it as sensitive to condition changes as far as the powder load?
In other words can you typically find a load and stay with it ? Not for competition but just for fun shoots.
What powders work well with the 52 gr bullets?
 
I've found the 222 to be pretty easy to tune. Of course the lighter bullet is more wind sensitive. As for powders, I've used BL-C(2), RL-7, and H322 with great success. I also plan on trying LT 30 & 32 this spring with the 52 grain Berger.

-Lee
www.singleactions.com
 
Tim Singleton said:
I don't know much about the 222 is it as sensitive to condition changes as far as the powder load?
In other words can you typically find a load and stay with it ? Not for competition but just for fun shoots.
What powders work well with the 52 gr bullets?
Click to expand...

In both my BAT 222 and my Ruger No. 1A 222, I have found a load that gives excellent reliability. It is 22.2 gr. of H322 for my Berger 52 gr. FB bullets. I do not change it for weather and seem to get the same results day after day. Keep in mind, I am not a big time competition guy, just a guy who loves fine rifles, enjoys hand loading ammo and loves to shoot. Though neither of the two 5-shot, 100-yard groups pictured below would win any prizes in a real competition, I have to say I am pleased. They were shot with that load through my BAT 222 in very different conditions:



 
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