a light bullet weight for a 1-12" twist barrel?

[lostsniper308]

Do longer twist rates shoot lighter bullets better?
my problem is finding the right bullet in a factory load for a 1-12" rossi .223
my buddy says a long twist need light bullets and faster twists can shoot heavier bullets.
I did use 40gr NBT and i think they did well but that was a while ago, Sportsman's Guide is sold out for now though and thats the only place i got them.

[nomosendero]

By longer twists I assume you mean slower twist. If so, yes the faster the twiist, the heavier bullet as a general rule of thumb. With a
1-12 twist the 40BT is usually good, but so is the 40V-Max. Usually the 50's work very good, many times as good as the 40's. Some 55's might work if you can push them fast enough, maybe borderline in your Rossi. 6mmbr says that 65gr is max, but they are refering to bolt guns with long barrels that can get more vel than your rifle. So, I would look at all bullets you like from 40-52 grains.

Some great 223 stuff is here:  http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html

Good luck 

[rickt300]

Your 1 in 12 twist barrel will work just fine with bullet up to 64 grains. I have never had a 22 caliber barrel that had a twist faster than this and they have handled every bullet I have loaded including the 70 grain Speer semi spitzer.  Just try any bullet and see how it shoots.

[nomosendero]

What I have seen is some will shoot 60-64gr & some won't, but the absolute best accuracy is usually a lighter bullet.

[rickt300]

The 1 in 12 inch twist was used with the relativly long 55 grain boattail first loaded in the M16 and mostly it shot very well. Mine an AR 15 copy of the original m16A1 definitly prefers 50-55 grain bullets but shoots the 60 grain bullet well enough for most practical purposes I would put this rifle to. Then again it is a light barreled semi auto not a heavy barreled varmint rifle.

[jasonprox700]

I have an AR with 1:9 twist that shoots the 45 grain winchester white box ammo great.  I only usually shoot 52 - 55 grain handloads through it with pretty good results.

[beemanbeme]

To answer your question, yes a 50-55gr factory load will work best in your 1/12 twist rifle.  1/12 & 1/14 is fairly "standard" for the various 22 calibre centerfires and 40-55 grain bullets are the normal fodder except for the folks shooting heavier milsup ammo or trying to duplicate military specs in which case a "faster" twist is called for, ie 1/9 or so. 

[lostsniper308]

50-55gr any specific factory loads y'all know about?
and rickt300 if you were referring to my rossi, its the standard barrel which i find is rather thin.

[beemanbeme]

Mmmmm, each rifle has its likes and dislikes. I'd suggest buying a box of each brand you find available (starting with the cheapest, some folks swear by the remanufactured white box stuff) and your rifle will probably like one or two brands better than others. Then rush back and buy all you can afford of the same lot number as the companies sometimes change components from lot to lot. 
In the FWIW dept: be sure and save your brass and remember, it don't take too many boxes of ready rolled ammo to come up with the price of a starter reloading kit. 

[rickt300]

We have a brand called "Coyote" and it shoots 55 grain bullets that look a lot like Hornady 55 gr. spire points that i buy to shoot up for brass and it is finely accurate in my rifle.

[303Guy]

For what it is worth - I have shot an impressive 3/4 MOA group with 60gr Hornady Spire Point in my 1 in 16 twist Hornet! (No sign of bullet yaw on the target - perfectly symmetrical holes.  That group was a perfect vertical string).   My Mini-14 with a 1 in 10 twist did not like that same bullet.  So......

[PeterCartwright]

I spent some time working up loads for a Youth Superlight Handi-Rifle in .223 this Fall.  It also has a 12" twist.  My best experience to date has been with Barnes 53gr. TSX bullets.  I've also had modest success with Speer 55gr. softpoints and Nosler 60gr. Partitions.  My barrel isn't really broken in yet, so my efforts are pretty preliminary.  I'm hoping to develop a youth rifle capable of taking deer at modest ranges when a youngster is particularly recoil sensitive. 

Others who have worked with these 12" twist .223s insist that they will stabilize bullets up to 60gr. or perhaps a smidge more when driven at appropriate velocities.

[sportsman223]

  Midsouth Shooter Supply has the 40Gr  NBT  They are a GBO sponser

[auk1124]

Another vote for the 40 grain ballistic tips from Nosler.  For cheapo components, Winchester makes a 45 or 46 grain hollow point that shot surprisingly good in a 223 I had with that twist.  The Winchesters shot so well for me that I carried them for a coyote load.