Best Bullet Weight For One in Eight Twist Rifle

woodcock 52

Hi, I have a Tikka T3 one in eight tiwst rifle which I use for shooting foxes at night. I'm just wondering what is the best bullet weight that suits this rifle. I'm currently shooting Hornady 55 grain. I don't want too shoot too heavy of a bullet grain in case it just passes straight through the fox, without breaking up. A friend suggested that I should be shooting a 69 grain bullet. Does anybody have a similar twist rifle and what rounds suit it best, Thanks.

foxshooter243

woodcock 52 wrote: »

Hi, I have a Tikka T3 one in eight tiwst rifle which I use for shooting foxes at night. I'm just wondering what is the best bullet weight that suits this rifle. I'm currently shooting Hornady 55 grain. I don't want too shoot too heavy of a bullet grain in case it just passes straight through the fox, without breaking up. A friend suggested that I should be shooting a 69 grain bullet. Does anybody have a similar twist rifle and what rounds suit it best, Thanks.

I have a sako 75 heavy varmint in 223 with an eight twist, for foxing its more about the appropriate type of bullet rather than the weight, I use a 40 grain v max in mines for foxing and have killed foxes out to 311 lasered yards with it, its flat shooting and accurate. Polymer tipped ammo in the 40 ,50 and 55 grain range is excellent foxing medicine, its down to personal preference after that.However to get the most out of your rifle
for target shooting then a heavier bullet will produce better results at the longer ranges, youll also move up to bullets with higher B.Cs.
I target shoot with mines using a sierra 69 grain matchking bullet, this produces great results out to 600 yards, where if im on form I can easily hit clay pigeons and even some smaller targets on a fairly regular basis.
Lots of guys have thought I was using a 308 when they seen the accuracy of that round in an eight twist 223;)-another cracking round is a 75 grain v max, I had good results with that as well. So in short , any good polymer tipped ammo in the 40 -55 grain range is excellent for the Irish foxing scene-The 69 matchkings and their ilk are much better suited target rounds for your rifle. Thats how I see it:)

clivej

foxshooter243 wrote: »

I have a sako 75 heavy varmint in 223 with an eight twist, for foxing its more about the appropriate type of bullet rather than the weight, I use a 40 grain v max in mines for foxing and have killed foxes out to 311 lasered yards with it, its flat shooting and accurate. Polymer tipped ammo in the 40 ,50 and 55 grain range is excellent foxing medicine, its down to personal preference after that.However to get the most out of your rifle
for target shooting then a heavier bullet will produce better results at the longer ranges, youll also move up to bullets with higher B.Cs.
I target shoot with mines using a sierra 69 grain matchking bullet, this produces great results out to 600 yards, where if im on form I can easily hit clay pigeons and even some smaller targets on a fairly regular basis.
Lots of guys have thought I was using a 308 when they seen the accuracy of that round in an eight twist 223;)-another cracking round is a 75 grain v max, I had good results with that as well. So in short , any good polymer tipped ammo in the 40 -55 grain range is excellent for the Irish foxing scene-The 69 matchkings and their ilk are much better suited target rounds for your rifle. Thats how I see it:)

I have to agree with Fox Shooter on that
My varmint is 1 in 9 but the 40gr Federal V Shok are very good best was 3 shot group 28mm @300m.

I haven't tried the heavyer bullets yet. only 55ggr SP BT

woodcock 52

Thanks Lads, I will have to try the 40 grain V Max, I was afraid that they might become unstable and hit off my T8 mod. I will try the heavier rounds for target shooting.:)

foxshooter243

woodcock 52 wrote: »

Thanks Lads, I will have to try the 40 grain V Max, I was afraid that they might become unstable and hit off my T8 mod. I will try the heavier rounds for target shooting.:)

A light bullet in a fast twist wont ever become unstable, but a heavy bullet in a slow twist will, depending on circumstances of course.
your twist will handle everything out there between 40 -80 grain;)

clivej

And the lighter bullets are going faster 40gr @3700fps 55gr @3100fps

Jonty

My tikka fires 40gr bullets ok. Its the length of the bullet, not weight, that affects stability - It just so happens that heavy bullets are long. The exception is poly tip bullets which are long for their weight.

foxshooter243

Jonty wrote: »

My tikka fires 40gr bullets ok. Its the length of the bullet, not weight, that affects stability - It just so happens that heavy bullets are long. The exception is poly tip bullets which are long for their weight.

and these bad boys as well;
http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/varmint-grenade/

due to the fact that they are lead free, they are extremley long for their weight !

Jonty

foxshooter243 wrote: »

and these bad boys as well;
http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/varmint-grenade/

due to the fact that they are lead free, they are extremley long for their weight !

There fairly explosive alright but reading from a lot of websites they're not as accurate

foxshooter243

Jonty wrote: »

There fairly explosive alright but reading from a lot of websites they're not as accurate

ive tried them myself, not all they are cracked up to be:)

Jonty

Just in from a bit of lamping. I was out on a field with slurry spread on it. Milled 4 foxes out of it. 3 of 4 shots in excess of 200yds, I know the field and have ranged it. I must start using the ballistic tip stuff, coz the 3 that were over 200 yds ran about 30yds after solid hits with American Eagle Hollow Point