.223 contender questions

[NSP64]

I was looking to get a .223 barrel for my contender, and was wondering if the performance differences between the 10",12" and 14" barrels was noticeable . I would use this barrel for shooting boolits exclusively and keeping them under 2000 fps for plinking and varmit control.

[Larry Gibson]

You'll want to get the 14" twist if you can and then the 12" twist as next best assuming a 21"+ barrel. At 1500 fps the difference bewtween the 3 will not be noticeable. However at 1850 - 2000+ fps the 10" twist will loose accuracy over the 12 and 14"" twists. The 12" twist will be good through 2200 fps if you cast them little buggers really good and load them right. The 14" twist can push into the 2400 - 2500+ fps range with very good accuracy.

With a 10 - 14" handgun barrel you'll want a 14" twist for sure as you've got to push the cast bullet harder to hit 2000 fps.

Larry Gibson

[btroj]

Larry, I assumed he was asking about barrel lengths and not twist rate. I supposed some clarification would help?

If asking aout barrel length I would go for 14 inches. I have a 10 K Hornet and it is loud! The extra barrel length will also add velocity with the same powder charge in most cases.

If you asking aout twist rate, listen to what Larry said.

[Larry Gibson]

Ah yes, I just noticed that.....my bad.......[smilie=b:....had twist on the brain........:groner:

Have to agree with you, I've got a 10" Hornet also and it is loud enogh for me. The 14" .223 Contender barrel is the shortest I would go also.

Larry Gibson

[Forrest r]

Any of them will work, it depends more on the burn rate of the powder you use for the 2000 & under range. I've owned 2 different 223 bbl's in the past & went with the 14" bbl's. I pefered the 14" bbl's because any of the bbl lengths you listed could be loaded down for light loads but the longer bbl (14") is easier to load hotter loads in. I fugured for the same money for any of the bbl's, why limit myself.

[ubetcha]

I have a super 16" bbl in 223 for my T/C.Have not shot it much though with cast or J's.Not to hi-jack the thread but any advice for the 16"

[NSP64]

Yes. I was asking about barrel length, not twist rate. I am not looking to get full power, just sumthing in between 22lr and AR speed.

Thanks for the advice. It would be better to have and not need then to want longer. Thats probably why there are so many more 10" barrels for sale used.

Now to post in the WTB section

[subsonic]

I sold my .223 a year or two ago. If you plan on full power loads ever, you'll want the 14".

Even the 14" would sometimes clear the benches near me from the blast and fire.

[stubshaft]

The 14" will give you a little more velocity than the 10", while the 10" is slightly easier to carry. You have to use faster powders or the muzzle blast will burn the ears off of a brass monkey. The best way to develop loads is to use a chrono to see how much velocity is gained with each grain of powder. The shorter barrels will burn only so much and the remainder is blown out the barrel which creates a massive fireball.

[runfiverun]

i understand unique [7-8 grs] and the rcbs 55sp is a good combination in the 14" bbl.

[Three44s]

The .221 Fireball was designed around a 10 3/4" barrel. Hint, it's name is Fireball and that's a smaller case than the .223.

I have a .222 in a 10" barrel and it's plain to see that it does not burn it "food" like I'd like. I have better luck with faster powders with that one.

I have a 14" in .223 and it's a SWEET HEART and a 10" in .22 win mag.

The folks that I converse with on this that have .22 hornet and better still by a wide margin the .22 K-Hornet in 10" barrels are pretty happy with those.

This is a lot of verbage but it leads up to this: You want to match the boiler room (case size) to the barrel length. Now longer in the Hornets certainly would not hurt anything either.

Three 44s

[NSP64]

Thanks for the thoughts.
I have heard the tripple 2 was a nbetter boolit ctge because it has a longer neck, but wanted to keep it .223 cause already have weapons in that cal (no need to buy any reloading stuff, just a mold).
Plus you can get an adaptor to shoot 22lr out of them.

Saw a sweet 12" barrel and thats what started this tread. I will hand load exclusively for it(no factory loads) so I wasn't sure if the extra 2" would make that big of a deal.

Kind of like getting a 16" barrel for your 1911, would it really help.

[stubshaft]

Depends on the throat length. The 225462 when loaded in the 223 puts the GC below the level of the shoulder. It is still covered completely when loaded in my 222 10" Tender. Chrono testing between the two cartridges shows NO difference in cast velocities.

I got the 223 because there is just so much free brass for it. I make brass for my 222 out of the 223 free brass.

[NSP64]

Well, I picked up a new 12" MGM contender barrel for$175.00 and will start working up loads for it this spring.:drinks: