Originally Posted By: JohnnyJohnson
Non lead bullets are longer than lead bullets they take more twist to stabilize.
This is true, and is the main reason so many guns have difficulty shooting Barnes solid copper bullets with any degree of accuracy. Copper does not have the density of lead. Because of that most every solid copper bullet has to be made longer to achieve the same weight as a standard lead core, copper jacketed projectile. In many cases this requires a higher twist rate to stabilize it. In a rifle caliber like .223 this isn't as big of an issue, because there are a ton of AR platform weapons out there with 1 in 7" twist barrels. While some bolt action sporters in .223 used mostly for varmint hunting can have twist rates as high as 1 in 12" twist.
Varmint hunters using centerfire .223's like light weight, thin jacketed explosive bullets, driven at very high velocities. These type of bullets will disintegrate in flight, if they are driven too fast and over rotated in a high twist rate barrel. By the same token if you like and want to shoot homogenous solid copper bullets, you want the highest twist rate possible, or you will have accuracy issues. Keyholing among them. The biggest issue with handguns is the twist rate is pretty much standard for the caliber of weapon, regardless of the manufacturer. All of this is not a fault of Barnes lack of quality. Their bullets are some of the highest quality out there. But rather the result of physics.