I have a friend that I reload for who mail-ordered some 60 grain Ballistic Tips for his CZ .223 without my knowledge. The Nosler box is labeled "For 1-7" to 1-10" Twists Only".

I figured he was screwed, but I loaded a sample of five for my Sako .223 (1-13" twist, as measured) to try. They shot into a nice little sub-inch cluster, with no evidence of keyholing on the target.

We often rely on some standardized assumptions and customs on twist rates, but this bullet -- in this gun -- obviously defied the rules.

On the other hand, some 100 grain spitzers in a 1-11.8" twist .244 keyholed badly, thus supporting the long-held notion that heavy spitzers won't shoot in the 1-12 twist barrels of the original .244s.

Anyone else have experience with the 60 grain Ballistic Tips?

Not the BT but the 60 grain Partitions did not shoot well out of my Anschütz .222 Remington which I guess has a 1/14 twist. Groups were around 3 inches if I remember that well.

Stone,

Good info.
Was just PM'ing back and forth with a guy on another Forum about shooting 60 grain bullets in his 1-14 twist 22-250. I have same chambering and twist rifle, and want to use 60 grain bullets but haven't been able to get the 60 grain Berger's I have to shoot.
He said that the 60 grain partitions and the same weight Sierra's shoot well at max loadings with IMR-4350 in his rifle. I'll get some of those same bullets and give them a try.
FWIW,

Don

DUK,

Your Anschutz may even have a 1-16" twist, or its near metric equivalent (1-400mm?). It may depend on when it was made, with many older models having the slower twist. It seems that many of the European manufacturers had been using 1-16" twists for years on their .22 Hornets, so when the .222 came along they simply used the same barrels. I own a 1950 vintage Sako L46 in .222 which measures 1-16".

Lots of sources list 1-12" for the later Sako .223's, but I've carefully measured my Sako A-1 at thirteen inches (maybe 1-330mm?).

Don, I assume that the Bergers have a somewhat longer ogive than the Noslers in a similar weight. We sometimes forget that it is more the length of the bullet, not the weight per se, that dictates the required spin.

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
Don, I assume that the Bergers have a somewhat longer ogive than the Noslers in a similar weight. We sometimes forget that it is more the length of the bullet, not the weight per se, that dictates the required spin.

Yep, you nailed it.
Gotta get some of the Sierra and Nosler 60's to try.

Thanks,

Don