The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - .30-06 -- 180gr down to 165gr?

Bart B. · September 7, 2012, 03:41 PM

Pure accuracy wise. 180's will shoot better in the traditional 1:10 twist in .30-06 barrels. 190's would be better. And 200's still better yet.

Note the original twist for that round was designed for slow moving 200-gr. round nose bullets used in the .30-40 Krags; even famout barrel maker Harry Pope (at the time) said it was the right choice. The US Army should have spec'd a 1:12 twist for the 150-gr. bullets in that case in 1906, but they didn't. In its heyday as a match cartridge for bolt action rifles, 1:12 twist barrels shot bullets from 150 through 200 grains more accurate than 1:10 twist ones did from the .30-06 case. They still will do that today. The Army got smart with the 7.62 NATO and its 147-gr. bullets; 1:12 twist was best and that's what they used.

September 7, 2012, 03:41 PM	#28
Bart B. Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Posts: 8,927	Pure accuracy wise. 180's will shoot better in the traditional 1:10 twist in .30-06 barrels. 190's would be better. And 200's still better yet. Note the original twist for that round was designed for slow moving 200-gr. round nose bullets used in the .30-40 Krags; even famout barrel maker Harry Pope (at the time) said it was the right choice. The US Army should have spec'd a 1:12 twist for the 150-gr. bullets in that case in 1906, but they didn't. In its heyday as a match cartridge for bolt action rifles, 1:12 twist barrels shot bullets from 150 through 200 grains more accurate than 1:10 twist ones did from the .30-06 case. They still will do that today. The Army got smart with the 7.62 NATO and its 147-gr. bullets; 1:12 twist was best and that's what they used.