[MtnClimber]

I wonder how the Aguila SSS 60 grain round stabilizes in a pistol. These SSS would probably be well below the subsonic limit in a pistol so the Browning probably gives more velocity. Any info for cycling reliability in a semiaoto?

[marktwain]

I have had poor luck with the 60 grain Aguila SSS round stabilizing in anything with a 1 in 16 twist.

However, the new compact Taurus TX22 has a 1 in 10 twist barrel. There is an excellent chance it will stabilize the 60 grain bullet.

[Manuel OKelley]

I used to shoot those a lot when I didn’t want to make a lot of noise on cold foggy mornings, they worked but accuracy beyond 30-40 feet was lacking in everything I fired them from

Buddy of mine built a 10/22 with a custom barrel with a much faster twist and modified springs to operate reliably

With that barrel he could hold a nice tight group out to about 50-60 yards but beyond that it was much the same with little consistency

[mylife]

it tends to tumble and keyhole but hits the mark with a mighty thump

[Paal Gulli]

"I wonder how the Aguila SSS 60 grain round stabilizes in a pistol...."

GREAT! So long as the barrel has a 1:9 twist. The problem is the standard twist for a .22LR is 1:16. The bigger problem is the 60-gr Aguila is horrible ammunition. Extreme spread is more than 10% of average muzzle velocity. Shoots groups the size of a bowling ball at 50 yards, even from a 1:9 twist barrel.

I would have my suspicions about whether a 45-gr bullet would be stable from 1:16, but bullets need more twist to stabilize when they're supersonic, less when they're subsonic.

The elephant in the room is that basically all standard velocity .22lr ammo is subsonic when fired from a pistol-length barrel (https://ballisticsbytheinch.com/22.html). The point of the heavier bullet is to give the projectile greater momentum to make up for some of the penetration it might otherwise lose from the subsonic velocity..

Mr Weingarten gets into the matter of muzzle energy, and ignoring for a moment that muzzle energy is the most talked about and least useful numerical value in shooting, that 40gr CCI would only need 1120 fps (from a rifle mind you) to have ME equal to Browning's specs for the .45-gr load. And 1120 fps isn't much to brag about but it will come equipped with its own sonic boom.

Muzzle energy issues aside, the velocities are close enough that the heavier bullet will penetrate deeper because penetration favors mass (and doesn't give a rip about muzzle energy).