[varmint]

As I was filling my cart at Bass - Pro yesterday I inadvertently threw in a few boxes of the 80 grain A-Max ( they were in with the 75's), has anyone shot them with less than a 7" twist?

I will be going back tomorrow for more of the Z-max 500 packs of the 50 grainers, I thought I would ask before I returned them.....thanks Franklin

View attachment 8377 this guy came down with lead poisoning

 

[meketrefe]

Yes you should be ok but it also depends on the rifling and speed though. What case/speed do you have in mind?

 

[niacin]

I tried them in a 1:9 twist but they were all over the place. I shot about 10 of them and put the rest on a shelf.

 

[meketrefe]

1:9 is good for up to ~70gr like the 69SMK.

According to Hornady's reloading manual they are ok for 1:8 and in my 1:8 barrels they do stabilize ok.
Shooting 223rem at 2.44 COAL from VLD mag. Barrel 24" 1:8 5R. 2785fps*10

Also VLD's that are the hardest to stabilize are ok in 1:8 according to Berger. I don't have any problems.
All_Bullets

As soon as you stay away from new 'exotic' riflings like the Black Hole new fashion show you should be ok.

I hope this helps.

 

[niacin]

Thanks for the Berger link. Been looking for some good info for my 1:10 .308 SPS Tactical.

 

[meketrefe]

No problem but always check with the specific bullet's manufacturer. I never had problems until recently I got a 6mm - 6x45 1:9 Black Hole barrel that doesn't do what it is supposed to do. Something funky is going on with their polygonal rifling but with quality barrels and even other budget barrels never had any problem before. Sometimes data is hard to find. If you have questions about any bullet let me know I have a few books around.

SPS tac.. what a tack driver that is!
1:10 will stabilize anything up to 240grains but it is a lot for the 308w. and too slow.
...in subsonic you can do some 168, 175 or 180's with that twist depending on the bullet.

 

[meketrefe]

Also I forgot...
As you might know solid copper bullets need faster rates. They are longer, they have to be longer to meet the grain required. There is no lead in them.
So for example the 1:9 will not stabilize the Barnes TSX 70gr in .224 caliber, you need at least 1:8. You can also find info in barnes website
in this case...

Read at the bottom of the chart...
TSX Bullet | Barnes Bullets

 

[varmint]

I have 26 inch 1 in 9's in that will shoot the 75 gr hornady bullet...the 80 gr is over an inch long...the last time I called Hornady I had to explain bullet rpm to the individual on the other end. It's not a big deal { $24 a box} I'll see how fast I can spin them.

 

[meketrefe]

the 75gr BTHP are a tad shorter than the Amaxes but with that much barrel you will get considerable speed. I think the 80 grainer will not stabilize in 1:9 no matter what speed but hey!, give it a try with a couple of loads and see what happens. Even if they look good at 50 or 100 yards angular momentum wears off too, and in a long shot bullet might start to yaw..

If they do not work and you want to trade I can send you some 69s or 75s.

...Or that is a good excuse to buy a new barrel or gun !! lol.