Hey guys, I am re-barreling my .223 Tikka next winter and need to get a barrel ordered. I would like help in selecting the barrel twist. This rifle will be used for shooting an informal league at 100, 200, 300 yds. It will be for score and not group, not sure what the format is called. Anyway I would like to shoot 52-55 gr at 100 and 69/70gr for 200 and 300yds. What I am thinking is a 1 in 9 twist in a varmint contour barrel. I would get the free bore set up so that the shorter bullets would seat half way down the neck and the longer ones deeper. There is roughly .20 difference between the base to ogive from the short to long. Is this a viable set up or should I be doing things different. This is my first re-barrel and I want to get it right. Thoughts?
Re-barreling a .223 Rem need help with twist
- Thread starter Wellington
- Start date
In my opinion, you are asking one barrel to do a lot. Now if you set things up to shoot at 300 yards, it will shoot at 100 yards, but not necessarily the other way around.
I would suggest you get a 1/8 or faster twist and use heavier bullets across all distances. I only shoot 80 gr Berger bullets and have had great success that way. Light bullets are more likely to deflect by wind conditions and this increases as the distance grows. Another advantage is you only have to be concerned with on seating depth. Powder load is the only ingredient that will be of concern when shooting from one distance or another.
I would suggest you get a 1/8 or faster twist and use heavier bullets across all distances. I only shoot 80 gr Berger bullets and have had great success that way. Light bullets are more likely to deflect by wind conditions and this increases as the distance grows. Another advantage is you only have to be concerned with on seating depth. Powder load is the only ingredient that will be of concern when shooting from one distance or another.
I would not use a Wylde chamber in a a target rifle. Most folks who shoot benchrest are not going to use range brass. Have the chamber bored for the kind of ammo you are shooting.
10XSHOOTER
Gold $$ Contributor
I use a Krieger 1-7.7 to shoot 77 & 80 gr bullets. PTG has a reamer set up for 77 gr bullets. Call Dave Kiff.
I can easily hit a 12 X 12 plate at 750 yds on not to windy days with it. Midway will sometime have the IMI ammo with a 77 gr bullet, This will shoot good to 600 yds.
I can easily hit a 12 X 12 plate at 750 yds on not to windy days with it. Midway will sometime have the IMI ammo with a 77 gr bullet, This will shoot good to 600 yds.
Ok, am I giving up accuracy by shooting the heavier bullets at 100yds. Why do the bench rest guys shoot light flat bases at 100yds?
He didn’t say he was shooting BR and a Wylde chamber does fine on target rifles. My match rifle runs a 7 twist with a wylde chamber and its very accurate. Have shot it out past 1100 yards with 75 elds.
OP you will not give up accuracy with heavies at 100 and you will have better BC for longer ranges.
What caliber are they shooting?
Below you will see that I pretty much proved I am right. These are 5 shot groups at 100 yards. Using 21.8 grs of Varget with Berger 80 gr VLD target bullets. I have shot this many times and 200 yards and the results are comparable and consistent. the only thing unusual about the below target is the on flyer. That is on me.
I am not saying you can't get this type of accuracy from 52 gr bullets, but not with an 1/8 twist barrel and especially not at 200 or 300 yards.
For instance, for a 52 gr bullet, Berger recommends a 1/14 twist barrel. When I work up a load, I follow the bullet makers advice on powder and twist rates. They design the bullet and have an vested interest their customers getting the best accuracy.
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I agree with the 8 twist recommendation from @Nick Caprinolo .
I like your 9 twist plan. Its a very versatile twist, some have luck with 73 and 75's. My 9 twist does great with 55s, I have 52 coming. Another to try is the 60gr TMK from Sierra.
8 twist will work. Here are a couple of groups during load work up with 75 ELDs and Varget and CFE223. The CFE groups are 5 shots. This is a .223 Wylde chamber. Nothing special done to brass. Those are the two loads I stuck with obviously. My present 7 twist will do the same but if wanting to be more light bullet friendly the 8 would be a better bet.
I have an AR match rifle with a 1 in 8 twist 20 inch barrel with a 223 Wylde chamber that shoots sub X ring 10 shot groups from the bench with 53 SMK bullets at 100 yards on the NRA reduced course target. I shot a 200-15X in NRA Approved competition with this configuration. It also shoots good groups at 200 and 300 yards with 75 HDY BTHP and 77 SMK and good groups at 600 yards with the 75 A MAX, 77 SMK and 80 SMK. I also have an identical rifle with a 26 inch barrel that gives similar results. I have data and reports; if you would like to see them send me an email at chkunz@bellsouth.net and I will send you copies.
Bunch of opinions. I would also say get a 1:8 twist at least for the heavies if you want. My 1:8 twist benchmark shoots the 80grainers over an extremely wide range of powder into .25”-.5” and the 40-55gr’s into .2’s-.4’s. It’s the easiest shooting rifle I’ve ever owned and loaded for. Largest group over 2 powders, 4 bullets, 10 charges per bullet per powder came in .63”
CharlieNC
Gold $$ Contributor
First I recommend testing to find the bullet that works best and stick with it. Shooting for score is like in fclass, meaning hitting close to the bullseye vs shooting small. An 8 twist will let you shoot heavier, higher bc bullets to buck the wind and hold close to the bullseye. And you will be able to stretch it out to longer distances more effectively as well.
You must have a large jump to lands with the 40's?
Have to go back through my book but it actually wasn’t all that bad if I remember, but there wasn’t a whole bunch of bullet in the neck. Shot the 40gr blitzkings, 52gr sierra match, 70gr rdf, and 80gr amax, behind 8208xbr, and n140
I've sold several 1-9tw .22 cal bbls over the past 12-15yrs, but most were to guys who wanted them chambered for 22-250AI. One of them was shooting the Hornady 75 A-Max at 3400fps with RL-22 out of his 22-250AI, but in a 223, it could be kind of iffy whether the 9-tw would stabilize that long a bullet well enough to get both good accuracy & the full benefit of that bullet's higher BC. I've had several 1-8tw bbls on both bolt rifles & ARs that shot very decent groups with bullets from 52 to 80grs.
I use a 223 Wylde reamer for gas gun barrels, and a 223 Match for bolt rifles; both reamers came from PTG.
I use a 223 Wylde reamer for gas gun barrels, and a 223 Match for bolt rifles; both reamers came from PTG.
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