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.223 .62 Grain through 1:12?

7K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  MitchAlsup 
#1 ·
Greetings all. Okay, here's another .223 question for y'all- I have a 1:12 twist barrel on my Howa 1500 bolt action, will that stabilize a .62 grain round?

Everything I can find on the web sez "No." So I started doing some research on barrels, thinking perhaps in a year or two I could get my Howa rebarreled with a faster twist. Lo and behold, on Shilen's website http://www.shilen.com/calibersAndTwists.html they show/offer the following-

" - 12: for bullets up to 63gr."

Now if anyone knows what they're talking about I'd think it would be Shilen. So, what's the consensus? Will a 1:12 work (Accurately) with a .62 grain round?

I hesitate to buy any only to find out they just keyhole as I've nothing else to shoot them in. Thanx.

Cheers,

Mark
 
#2 ·
If you want to know for sure, try a few rounds of 62g through your Howa, and see what happens.It will either stabilize, or 'keyhole' (tumble) through the target. Try it at 50 yards or less first, there's less chance of a bullet going where you don't want it that way. I'd be willing to betn that they would stabilize, but as Aixelsid said, it's borderline.
At any rate, your Howa sounds like it's set up for varminting. 40 and 55 grain bullets shine in that arena.

Jeff
 
#3 ·
My present rifle is a 1:12 24 inch bbl. We have tried 50-62 grain with varied results. We have one load worked up with a 55gr FMJ that works well out to 300 meters.

So far 62 grain bullets of various makers do not give very promising results. The best grouping with the 62 was just over 1 moa at 100 yds. With the 55gr it reduced to .25 with a 2-4 mph cross wind.

I am used to shooting 5.56/.223 with a 1:9 M4 or Govt profile bbl and we almost always had good results up to 300 yds and mediocre at 500 yds.

I have no confidence in the 40 gr bullet for TACOPS work but yet it seems we have no choice that the longer bbls are most common in the 1:12. Those of stuck shooting .223 weapons are caught in the weight vs accuracy scenario.
Does anyone have any info on load data for 62gr bullets out of 1:12 bbls?

Ron
 
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