I want a reamer for short/light 223. Thinking 52 SMK and 40 Vmax. Something to hammer yote sized game and down inside 500. Looking to get a slow twist AR barrel and bolt barrel. Anyone have any ideas, reamers, or is this a dumb idea?
- Thread starter mjspeers
- Start date
A normal standard plain jane saami 223 should do just fine
Here are some reamer dimensions that might help.
Yep - it fits the original intentions of the cartridge. I'd still go 223 Wylde in order to keep my options open in the future, but that wouldn't be the most useful with something like a 1:14 barrel.
Something like the 3 with the .025 freebore would be best for shorter bullets correct? Probably looking at a 12 twist to stabilize up to 52gn.Here are some reamer dimensions that might help.
Although I imagine I’d still be unable to reach the lands? Is it worth having a reamer made?
Given how well the common fast twist barrels can shoot the 50-55gr varmint bullets, I have to wonder - why bother? Is this just based on an assumption that a faster twist barrel won't shoot well?
You aren't gaining any significant velocity by going to a slow twist; even the theoretical advantage is miniscule and so small it gets lost in the noise of differences between one barrel and the next.
My own personal experience - I've had fast twist (i.e. 1:7, 1:8) 5.56/223W/223 Rem barrels from 10" to 26", in bolt guns and ARs, and every single barrel that shot the heavy bullets well was also a tack driver with the 50gr varmint loads I sometimes use. I've also had slow twist 223 Rem barrels, one that only was happy with 40gr bullets, and a second that was fine with 50gr but not better than the faster twists. That's just me and my rifles of course, but IMO the versatility of those faster twist barrels is worth a lot more than any imperceptible advantages of the old school 1:12/1:14 stuff.
I'll also go out on a limb here and say the results with the faster twists seem a little more explosive on little rodents. But some guys will say that's bunk, and that's fine too; if there's a difference it's not night and day, just something I've noticed.
My 2 cents, worth what you paid for it.
You aren't gaining any significant velocity by going to a slow twist; even the theoretical advantage is miniscule and so small it gets lost in the noise of differences between one barrel and the next.
My own personal experience - I've had fast twist (i.e. 1:7, 1:8) 5.56/223W/223 Rem barrels from 10" to 26", in bolt guns and ARs, and every single barrel that shot the heavy bullets well was also a tack driver with the 50gr varmint loads I sometimes use. I've also had slow twist 223 Rem barrels, one that only was happy with 40gr bullets, and a second that was fine with 50gr but not better than the faster twists. That's just me and my rifles of course, but IMO the versatility of those faster twist barrels is worth a lot more than any imperceptible advantages of the old school 1:12/1:14 stuff.
I'll also go out on a limb here and say the results with the faster twists seem a little more explosive on little rodents. But some guys will say that's bunk, and that's fine too; if there's a difference it's not night and day, just something I've noticed.
My 2 cents, worth what you paid for it.
Thank you all for the input.
I guess I'm most concerned with giving the rifle the best chance to shoot the lighter bullets well. I just assume the best bet for that is a lighter bullet and a chamber cut so that those bullets could reach the lands. Sounds like the general consensus is the juice isn't worth the squeeze. CarbonSix makes barrels to spec and will use a custom reamer for a pretty reasonable price, so the added expense would really just be having a reamer made up.
I guess I'm most concerned with giving the rifle the best chance to shoot the lighter bullets well. I just assume the best bet for that is a lighter bullet and a chamber cut so that those bullets could reach the lands. Sounds like the general consensus is the juice isn't worth the squeeze. CarbonSix makes barrels to spec and will use a custom reamer for a pretty reasonable price, so the added expense would really just be having a reamer made up.
