What is the best bullet weight for precision shooting with a rifle that has a 22 inch, 1 in 9 twist barrel?
http://stevespages.com/page8e.htm
Or… 55 to 62 me thinks
You will have to test it with your individual rifle but. You can probably push 69 gr and I have even seen some people stabilizing 72 grain from a 1:9.
68-69 gr BTHP bullets seems to shoot well with several powders in both 1/9 and 1/7 twist barrels, at least the few my SIL and I have. Sierra 69 MK are the tops, but Hornady 68 and Nosler 69 are very close as well and often significantly cheaper in the bulk packs. Like 3/4" versus 7/8" five-shot groups. That is when you could find them.
Nowadays you make have to settle for anything reasonable. I would look for BTHP or tipped bullets like Vmax and Ballistic Tip in the 50gr - 60 gr range if the 68-69 gr BTHP are not available. I found the Hornady 60 gr SP is much cheaper and still fairly accurate (1.25" five-shot group versus the 3/4" groups). Those are out of a 20" FN barrel so not match quality, so I think it shows the bullet is more than doing its part for accuracy.
Depends on the actual twist… but I’d try 77 gr SMKs. We run those in a nominal 1/9 Rem 700 5R 20" barrel and they work to 1000 yards.
Your 22" barrel should be able to handle 77matchkings.
I lost most of what it typed. So ill be short. Measure your true twist rate. If it is closer to 1 in 8 you will be fine. Event with the 1 in 9 you should be fine.
My Savage Hunter 11 Really likes the 69 gr SMK’s tried the Horn 75 gr they were so so, 75 Amax a tad better.
I like 69s in my R700 SPS Tactical 20 inch 1-9 twist.
That’s my 69 SMK load with 25.5g Varget load with Lapua match brass and Federal match primer. 600 yards just under 6 inches, but as you can see very capable of being tighter. The 2 shots outside the 9 ring were all me, screwing up the dope call.