by Belgiboy on Thu Jan 29, 2009 3:45 pm
Rifles with a very fast twist (like a 1\7) make the bullet spin a lot faster, plus the faster a bullet travels through the barrel the faster the spin will be. It is possible for a light, thin jacketed bullet (like a 40 gr V-max) to spin so fast that it will desintegrate in the air due to the centrifugal force. This said, I have shot my 50 gr V-max load (which I developed for my Rem 700 VS with the 1\12 twist) in my AR15 which has a 1\8 twist. That was no problem and proved to be quite accurate, around 0.8 MOA. I don't really know if it is a big issue with the .223, but it definately is with the 220 swift or the 22-250. These cartridges shoot a couple hundred fps faster than the .223 with essentially the same bullets but they are notorious barrel-burners.
If your primary interest is popping prairiepoodles, coyotes and crows, you are absolutely fine with using 50-60 gr bullets. If you want to reach out and touch 600 yards away, maybe look into a faster twist. Maybe that Savage with the 1\9 twist is the best of both worlds... I would not trade my Remington 700 VS for it, that is for sure.