AusVarmint

If this pacnor group by goes ahead I am going to get a prefit barrel for my savage/stevens 223 in 20 practical.
Just wondering what barrel weight, length and twist I should look at getting.
Rifle currently has the stock pencil/sporter barrel on it with a boyds featherweight thumbhole - plenty of meat in the for end for thicker barrel.

Rifle is predominately used for spotlighting (off back of ute) busting bunnies and foxes. Occasionally gets used for a spot of longer range bunny missing and a touch of fox whistling

Cheers
James

You have most of your thoughts going in the right direction Bimbo, chambering is a little off though. My 20/222 is a prefit from them, number 4 douglas profile, its a good compromise I rekcon. No need to go for a long barrel, 24 inches is perfect for in a ute.

Camel wrote: No need to go for a long barrel, 24 inches is perfect for in a ute.

I would have said 20-22 for a ute rifle as they are easy to move around. Not sure what it will do to the velocity on a 20cal though.

Your probably looking around 3600-3700 in that length barrel. My lothar walther used to do that. Could get it to 3750 with reloader 10X that was with 39gr sierras.

I like heavy barrels on my varmint guns but would probably suggest a palma profile barrel at 24-26 inches would be about right. Palma profiles are so close to rem varmint its not funny.

24 light varmint . My 20 has a no 5 shilen.

I think I will go for a 24inch barrel, not sure if it will be too long but if it is it is much easier to lop a few inched off the end than to stick more on .
Twist wise they have plenty of options - 9, 10, 11, 12. I want to make sure I can shoot 40's which should be fine with 11? any reason to go a faster twist?

Weight wise I don't really want to go full varmint but a bit heavier than standard - might have to throw the calipers on the stock barrel ans see what it is but thinking a #4 or #5 might be the go

bimbo wrote:I think I will go for a 24inch barrel, not sure if it will be too long but if it is it is much easier to lop a few inched off the end than to stick more on .
Twist wise they have plenty of options - 9, 10, 11, 12. I want to make sure I can shoot 40's which should be fine with 11? any reason to go a faster twist?

Weight wise I don't really want to go full varmint but a bit heavier than standard - might have to throw the calipers on the stock barrel ans see what it is but thinking a #4 or #5 might be the go

don't go to the burger twist rate calc they say a 1:10 is at 1.49 and you need 1.5 or better ?

wow you blokes run heavy barrels compared to all my setups

Bimbo I would go the 11 twist. I don't know the reality or otherwise of the science but I've read using a faster twist to spin a lighter pill more than you need to is diluting some of the forward thrust energy into rotation so all other things being equal an identical pill leaving identical barrels should should go faster from the slower twist one

deye223 wrote:
don't go to the burger twist rate calc they say a 1:10 is at 1.49 and you need 1.5 or better ?

http://www.bergerbullets.com/twist-requ ... bt-bullet/ says 1.4 or better

Seems that with the 40gr proj some 1:12 will shoot some won't - probably depends if it is a true 1:12 or not? Berger website says 12 for their 40's. Will either go 1:11 or 1:10 just to be on the safe side. I did look at something faster for heavier proj (50's etc) for a bit better downrange ballistics but out to 400 it makes 4/5th FA so I will scrap the heavy's idea and stick to 35-40's

1 in 10 or 1 in 11 will do the trick mate.

I have 1in10 on my prac. its shooting the 40s just fine I just had to find the sweet spot

The Berger 40s are shorter than the plastic tipped ones so they will shoot in a 1 in 12 no problem.

And everything I've read agrees with your assumption that the barrels that don't shoot 40s aren't true 1 in 12 barrels despite the makers assertions.

I'll stick with the 1 in 11 recommendation

hi still working my way around this site a mate and I just built a 20 prac each I used a rem 204 barrel and a sako l461 action I am using 39gr sbk at the moment it seems to go alright it is my first 20 cal so I can not compare it to any thing .I mainly use a 222 for spot lighting

I have a Pac Nor No#3 1/11twist 24inch on my custom 204R and think its about perfect