Which twist is more accurate

[Zeak]

In a 223 handi which twist is the most accurate, the 1-12 or the 1-9? Which year did they go with the 1&9. Been looking at a used barrel in the classifides, its a 1&12 and seems like everyone is backing away from this one.  Zeak

[quickdtoo]

223 twist rate changes are explained in the FAQs and Help sticky, generally 55gr is max for the 1:12" but there are exceptions to that like the 64gr Win PP and 63gr Sierra Varminter since the length of the bullet is more critical than weight, but the 1:9" shoots em too as well as bullets a bit heavier, but each barrel is unique, you'll just have to shoot different bullets and loads to learn what it likes.

Tim

[remfan]

barrels are individuals!  kinda like women lol    some fickle and picky some are not  BUT   i would try 40-55 grain bullets in it first   my 1-9 223 shoots 55 grain sierra hpbt game kings into   .140-.160 5 shot groups @ 100 yards off the bench  BUT that is with weighed cases that are trimmed and de-burred,  primer pockets uniformed and flash hole trimmed and weighed bullets that match
with weighted 24.7 grains of BENCHMARK at an OAL 0f 2.280 (seated little long) everything else the same and using a 55 grain Nosler ballistic tip it shoot a 2 inch group (why?),    and its SUPPOSED to like only heavy 60-69 grain because of the twist   so ya just gotta try it   what kind of groups do YOU want/need?   hunting or bench? ground  squirrels  or foxes and coyotes or crows? DEER?(i would not but people do it)  mine is a 350 yard coyote gun    and i use it
   Lets say ya want to hunt varmints with it?  ok I can bench mine and get those awesome groups   sure! (and make the savage,remington,browning guys hot @ my $230 gun)   BUT  in the field  offhand shooting? maybe 2 inches@ a hundred on a good day   with a field rest (a limb,rockpile, my backpack ) "yotes are pretty much toast to 350
 crows ? depends on the wind  250  maybe 300 if its calm  So  if you get it and try different factory ammo( guys here swear by the winchester white box 45grain load) one guy on here said his loves the cheap lead softpoints (wolf?) i say go for it try it   that why we do this for the aggravation   >:(and fun  if ya cannot get to shoot for you sell it and find a different barrel.   REmFAN

[PHATINJUN]

I asked this same ? a few yrs ago because of what I had heard . But once you get it into your mind that twist is more than just a # and that it has every thing to do with what bullets or ammo you want to use .If you hand load you can match the bullet perfect for the twist if you buy your ammo you need to shoot specific gr and type of bullets to get the best accuracy. Ussually and this is all in the FAQ'S for the 223 a smaller or shorter bullet say 50gr and under will shoot well out of the 1-12 but so do some 55grainers the 1-9 I have used up to 69gr and others have used even higher than that with very good success. So it's not just one twist vs the other it all has to do with bullet vs bullet what the twist does is stabilize the bullet. There is a lot more to it than my simple explanation but understanding it the way I do has helped me understand it more. Hope this don't confuse you to much. Kurt

[rickt300]

My AR15 is set up just like the rifle we carried in Viet Nam. It has the 1 in 12 twist barrel and shoots the 70 gr. Speer, the Hornady 60 gr. spire hollow point and the 55 gr. FMJ's into 1 1/2 inches and it is not scoped. The hornady and fmj are reasonably long bullets.  In reality for a varmint bullet I put a scope on it and shoot the 50 grain Hornady SX and it is a better than MOA rifle.  If I were to pick up a 223 barrel with a 1 in 9 twist I'd be tempted to get it rechambered to 22-243 and shoot the heavier 22 caliber bullets at deer,

[PHATINJUN]

Rickt300 that's kind of what I did with one of my 1-9 fluted 223's only the rechamber was to 225winchester I use 75gr AMax's and 50gr Varmint Grenades as they are very long bullets. Working my way past 3500fps headed to 4000. Kurt

[rickt300]

I built a 22 Cheetah 22/6MM Remington improved several years ago.  I never could get much past 3550 using the 75 grain Amax and still have accuracy. That barrel had a 1 in 8 twist.