What does “Barrel Twist” mean? Does it matter?

Barrel twist is the inches the bullet travels to do one full rotation.  1:8 twist means the bullet traveled 8″ to do one full turn.  We like 1:8, as its the closest to what the average shooter will need.  If you look at the picture above,  this is the best chart that I can find to help show you what twist rate is best for you.  The “gr” or “grain” of the bullet is the weight.  The heavier the bullet; less spin is better.  The lighter; the more spin… thats it.  This does not mean you cannot shoot a 45 grain bullet through a 1:7 twist.  This means it will be more accurate** long distance if you use something with more twist rate.

If you are like most of us and bought a mountain of bulk .223 or 5.56 ammo during one of the many “scares”.  Then you may want to take a look at what grain you have.  This will help you selecting the twist rate you want.  I have personally shot 45 gr. through a 1:7 then put it through a 1:9 and guess what, at 100 yards, there was no difference.  If you are shooting long distances, then you will notice a some difference.  Don’t beat yourself up over this when deciding what AR-15 upper to purchase.

**If you buy cheap barrels, the twist rate will not matter as you will not be able to hit anything 100 yards accurately.  This is because there is a lot that goes into making barrels accurate.  Twist rate is just one of many variables that go into making good AR15 barrels