1-7 twist that loves 52gr Hornady

[Smoker9000]

I built a coyote/target AR a few years ago, it has a saturn 20" 1-7 twist barrel, I've ran every match grade 69 and 77 grain bullet through it with generally the same results, about a minute and a quarter. I tried some 52gr Hornady supervarmint on a whim and wow, less than half a minute. This makes no sense to me, am I missing something?

 

[Cerberus]

Every 1:7 I've ever shot on the civilian side has handled the lighter stuff just fine (under 55 gr).

 

[M67]

Can't be, I read on the interwebz that the 1:7 will only stabilize 100+gr bullets and will burst into flames if you try anything else

 

[buckwacker]

I got slightly sub-moa out of my RR predator pursuit 20" 8 twist with fiocci 50gr vmax factory rounds.

 

[42769vette]

Can't be, I read on the interwebz that the 1:7 will only stabilize 100+gr bullets and will burst into flames if you try anything else

Agreed

 

[DoggyDaddy]

This is good to know for me. I've been dutifully avoiding 55 grain ammo except for plinking purposes. Bought some projectiles to start loading some more suitable (I thought) ammo in case I get the chance to hunt coyote eventually and I stuck to the heavier ones.

 

[natdscott]

Gentlemen, the issue lies with the ammo/bullet usually, not the bullet's weight.

In the 7.0-8.0 twist barrels, 50-class bullets can be made to shoot well--particularly the 52 and 53-grain Benchrest Bullets--IF the ammo is loaded well into decent casings and the barrel is chambered straight.

Match grade barrels such as the Satern 1:7.0 listed above WILL usually shoot an 80-class bullet like the SMK or the Berger BTHP well inside what the light bullets can do though.

As to why the 69 and 77 loads didn't shoot better than 1.25 MOA...can't say. Shooter? Barrel didn't like that particular load? Lots of things can cause that thing.

Now.

Make NO mistake about 55-grain ball. It WILL shoot like crap. Don't think that just because this "smoke9000" dude on INGO got great results from match grade 52-grain Hornady that you will get the same results from IMI brown box just because it's a similar weight bullet. Doesn't work that way, and ball bullets are trash, at least for this purpose.

If you loaded the 55 BlitzKing or something along those lines, it would probably shoot pretty well.

-Nate

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Gentlemen, the issue lies with the ammo/bullet usually, not the bullet's weight.

In the 7.0-8.0 twist barrels, 50-class bullets can be made to shoot well--particularly the 52 and 53-grain Benchrest Bullets--IF the ammo is loaded well into decent casings and the barrel is chambered straight.

Match grade barrels such as the Satern 1:7.0 listed above WILL usually shoot an 80-class bullet like the SMK or the Berger BTHP well inside what the light bullets can do though.

As to why the 69 and 77 loads didn't shoot better than 1.25 MOA...can't say. Shooter? Barrel didn't like that particular load? Lots of things can cause that thing.

Now.

Make NO mistake about 55-grain ball. It WILL shoot like crap. Don't think that just because this "smoke9000" dude on INGO got great results from match grade 52-grain Hornady that you will get the same results from IMI brown box just because it's a similar weight bullet. Doesn't work that way, and ball bullets are trash, at least for this purpose.

If you loaded the 55 BlitzKing or something along those lines, it would probably shoot pretty well.

-Nate

That makes sense, and yeah I don't generally have high expectations out of ball ammo, especially surplus ball ammo. I would have been looking at the "varmint" type projectiles but I (incorrectly I see now) thought that they would be too light for the 1:7 twist.

 

[Leo]

I had great performance with 52 grain Sierra matchKings in several 7.7 twist Kreiger barrels. The light bullets that did not shoot well were the 55 gr combat rounds from multiple brands. I chalked that up to combat bullets being lower quality, not a barrel twist issue.

 

[sloughfoot]

I had great performance with 52 grain Sierra matchKings in several 7.7 twist Kreiger barrels. The light bullets that did not shoot well were the 55 gr combat rounds from multiple brands. I chalked that up to combat bullets being lower quality, not a barrel twist issue.

Me too. It is a great short line bullet no matter the twist. Match bullets shoot great.

The ONLY time I have trouble with light bullets out of fast twist barrels was with thin jacketed varmint bullets. The gray puff of smoke about 50 yards downrange was the bullet blowing up.

 

[Indycar:v1.1]

Youz mesherin stik be bad! Intranutz be da truff!

 

[natdscott]

Youz mesherin stik be bad! Intranutz be da truff!

Do you have a point to make in relation to the original post, Indycar?

-Nate

 

[Small's]

I think its the quality of the bullets that matter... I have a PSA lightweight 16" 1:7 chf gun that shoots xm193 ok but it love the AE 50gr varmit tipped. I picked that ammo up on PSA for $5.99 a box. 4 shot at 100 yards was right at an inch. I thought it was just luck. I went to 200 yards and put 5 shots at 1/7/8".

 

[ruger1800]

Used 62 grainers in a 1-14 twist 22-250 shot horribly 3 inches at a hundred 2 inches at 200, 4 inches at 400 only thing I can figure the bullet stopped yawing at longer ranges, have had similar experiences with other calibers and twist.