So I am curious what ammo others have had the best luck with in their 12 twist 22lr barrels? Please only make an ammo suggestion if you actually have a 12 twist rimfire or experience with one. Ive shot a pile.of different stuff but havent found anything outstanding yet.
Ammo for 12 twist 22lr
- Thread starter Robmcleod82
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- Rural Atlantic Canada
I have great luck with Lapua SLR. Good high end SV has been good as well. A good barrel appears to be less fussy as long as i stay with the better stuff.
There's no reason to think that .22LR ammo that is of good, consistent quality won't perform well in a 12 twist barrel just as it will in a standard twist.
When it comes to genuine match ammo, it's not a question of the name on the package. All match ammo makers will make ammo that will shoot well in any good rifle/barrel. The issue is that not all lots are equal. Some are better than others, no matter who made it.
When it comes to entry level target/match ammo some boxes/rounds can be notably better than others. These ammos often have more variation in performance.
Another thing all shooters should keep in mind is that no rifle/barrel, no mater the make or the twist rate, will outshoot the ammo it's given. In other words, no rifle/barrel will change inconsistent ammo into something else.
Er.. without running a rod down my rugers, cooey, savage, browning, and norinco .22s, to find out what I have, what is a “standard” twist rate for .22LR? The only rifles I have with marked twist rates are a (gasp) AR (7 inch rate), and a TR 5.56 single shot with 9” rate…
Pardon the ignorance but I’ve only been shooting since 1965 and never worried about rifling twist rate in .22LR
Pardon the ignorance but I’ve only been shooting since 1965 and never worried about rifling twist rate in .22LR
ScottMisfits
CGN Regular
The standard twist rate of a 22lr is 16. For the everyday 22lr shooter, it really doesn't matter. For the competition shooter, every little detail "could" matter. The faster twists, in theory, should create more stability for the bullet, which helps stabilize for longer distance of the flight path of the bullet. Not a big deal at 50-75 yards, bit it "could" come in to play at longer distance. The furthest I've made impacts, in a 22 match, has been 350m. And there are guys shooting farther than that, pretty consistently. Me? I'm not so consistent, lol
Scott is right about .22LR rifle standard twist rate being 1:16 (some have 1:16.5). The challenge of finding consistent ammo, especially difficult for long distance shooting, has been the impetus for shooters to look for other ways to achieve desired accuracy goals. One of these has been to use twist rates other than standard twist.
A few years ago the winnowed orthodoxy was that for longer distance shooting it was necessary to use faster twist barrels. These were supposed to achieve improved accuracy performance over standard twist.
There is no accumulated body of testing evidence, however, that clearly proves that faster twist gives better results than standard. The difficulties of developing reliable and repeatable test results at long distances, invariably shot outdoors, are not readily overcome.
Many other "tricks" have been forwarded to help achieve improved performance with .22LR at longer distances, including hand loading ammo (see information on Cutting Edge .22LR reloading). This has not been successful. Other methods include the use of tuners to shoot at a variety of long distances but their efficacy is questionable at long distances.
A few years ago the winnowed orthodoxy was that for longer distance shooting it was necessary to use faster twist barrels. These were supposed to achieve improved accuracy performance over standard twist.
There is no accumulated body of testing evidence, however, that clearly proves that faster twist gives better results than standard. The difficulties of developing reliable and repeatable test results at long distances, invariably shot outdoors, are not readily overcome.
Many other "tricks" have been forwarded to help achieve improved performance with .22LR at longer distances, including hand loading ammo (see information on Cutting Edge .22LR reloading). This has not been successful. Other methods include the use of tuners to shoot at a variety of long distances but their efficacy is questionable at long distances.
I am not asking anyone about their opinion of accuracy of a 12 twist rate, only asking if they had found any ammo that seemed to shine in a 12 twist. Dennis I have some 60 grain aguila subs and they deffinately shoot way better in my 12 twist barrel than any of my 16s but its still doesnt seem to be very Accurate/consistent ammo. That being said it is comical to shoot gophers with.
You don't understand. Asking that particular question is no different from asking what ammo seems to shine in a standard twist barrel.
It's never a particular make or variety of .22LR ammo that will shine (e.g. Lapua CX or SK RM). Find good quality, consistent ammo. All good ammo is made in batches called "lots". Not all lots shoot the same. The shooter must test to find good shooting ammo.
Put another way, no one can tell a shooter that if he uses a certain make of ammo his accuracy will shine.
I understand perfectly well. Some lots shoot better than others, different bullets react differently to different twist rates, not all rimfire bullets are the same shape or diameter or have the same coatings, and I would suspect some are harder than others. Maybe we shouldnt presume what people understand or dont.
I shoot a few rifles in rimfire PRS. One being a 22” 1/12 Twist IBI .920 Straight. I have not found anything pro or con to the faster twist rate. I can see about running testing at 300m head to head - shot for shot against a friend shooting a 1/16 twist if this is something the people want. The 42gr Eley Force or Contact is where I thought it would shine but sadly I never found good lots. Both lots I had shot like crap out of both 1/16 and 1/12 barrels. Chrono data supported what I was seeing. Large SD/ES. Asked around at different matches and it seemed to be an Eley production issue. Have not had the time to try it again.
SK LRM and CCI SV is all I feed it.
SK LRM and CCI SV is all I feed it.
For best results with 1:12 barrels it's a well-known secret that the best ammo is the following because of their shape and diameter and weight. No one should spend time trying anything else with fast twist barrels.
For the ultimate 12 twist ammo, try the example shown at the bottom. They are hand loaded with Cutting Edge .22LR bullets and require special equipment. They don't do well in standard twist but are great in 1:12. Unfortunately, they are not easy to find.
Rounds with Cutting Edge .22LR bullets.
For the ultimate 12 twist ammo, try the example shown at the bottom. They are hand loaded with Cutting Edge .22LR bullets and require special equipment. They don't do well in standard twist but are great in 1:12. Unfortunately, they are not easy to find.
Rounds with Cutting Edge .22LR bullets.
