Barrel twist

[DARK-KNIGHT]

What would be the best all around barrel twist for a 308 Win. that I wanted to use out to 800-1000yd? Most will probably be around 6-700, but plan on taking a class where they shoot to 1000-1100yd. 1 in 10", 1 in 11.25", or 1 in 12"?

[Alpha Sierra]

A 308 struggles with bullets heavier than 180 grains. There just isn't enough powder space to drive them fast enough to realize the ballistic advantages of heavier bullets.

For your state application with a barrel 26" or less, stick to 175 grain bullets and for that a 1 in 12 will work perfectly.

IF you want a rifle with a pretty long barrel (30" or so), you might be better off loading some of the high BC 155 grain Palma match bullets to achieve 3000 - 3100 fps.

[sdw308]

My 308 has a 1:11.25 twist in a 5R cut. It really likes 165 to168 grain. I didn't measure the group I shot the last range trip, but you could cover 4 shots with a half dollar at 300yds.
And my barrel is 26in. Total gun weight of 17lbs.

[tuck]

It kinda depends on what you want to shoot, but for all intensive purposes 1:10 twist is the most versatile. It'll stabilize the majority of bullets available for the .308 win.

Thats not to say that 1:12, or 1:11.25 (5R) won't cut it either, but if I could chose, I'd pick a barrel with 1:10 twist all day.

[Alpha Sierra]

Just as an FYI, regardless of what you have heard elsewhere, barrel twist is a factor in bullet stabilization ONLY. Once the twist is fast enough to stabilize what you choose to shoot, it becomes irrelevant from the point of view of accuracy.

There are several other things that actually matter to accuracy such as the dimensional consistency of the barrel bore and chamber, the straightness of the barrel and bore (yes, you can gun drill crooked if you do not start out with a truly straight workpiece), the surface finish of the bore and chamber, the squareness of the muzzle and crown, the quality of the bedding, the trueness of the action and bolt to the barrel, etc, etc, etc.

To say my barrel is a 1 in whatever and likes 168 grain bullets the best doesn't mean much at all. The next "identical" barrel from the same maker may like a completely different load altogether.

[tuck]

To say my barrel is a 1 in whatever and likes 168 grain bullets the best doesn't mean much at all. The next "identical" barrel from the same maker may like a completely different load altogether.

Good point.

Every barrel, even on the same make and model rifle, will shoot different. You can get the most out of you're barrel by either picking the factory load that shoots the best, or dialing in a hand load specifically for your rifle.

But since the OP was concerned about twist rate, see my advice in my previous post and go buy something with a 1:10 twist. ;)

[Alpha Sierra]

With a 1/10, everything up to about 210 - 220 grains (too heavy for .308) is covered.

With 1/12, everything to up 185 - 190 is GTG.

With 1/14, you are limited to 155 grains.

[sdw308]

To say my barrel is a 1 in whatever and likes 168 grain bullets the best doesn't mean much at all. The next "identical" barrel from the same maker may like a completely different load altogether.

I bought 2 barrels from same manufacturer and they both shot exactly the same even when I changed the bullets and powder charges. I might have just got lucky...I don't know.

[Alpha Sierra]

I bought 2 barrels from same manufacturer and they both shot exactly the same even when I changed the bullets and powder charges. I might have just got lucky...I don't know.

I said "may", not "will".