Thanks to this board- specifically the outstanding people that comprise it, I am shooting and shooting fairly well; I am reloading with some success (load development) and exploring m[SUP]ore and more. A GOOD THING in my estimation-but with more knowledge comes more questions.

I finally got a quality cleaning rod- Dewey SS in .22 cal. for my only centerfire, Savage 110 LA, .223, heavy barrel (26"). Early 1990s manufacture. I found, to my shock, that what I always thought was a 1:12 twist barrel is a 1:14 twist (!) The gun shoots nicely but can you folks tell me what the "high end" of bullet weight is for this twist? I read on another forum ONLY 55 and 50 Gr. bullets will shoot well out of this twist rate.

The last two cleanings I'm getting a LOT of copper fouling- evidenced by green on the patches. I'm using Hoppes 9 as I have for decades, same cotton patches- the only difference is the better rod and a more quality bore brush. Any explanation for more copper? Incidently- I am reloading .224 Hornady 55 Gr. SP and 50 Gr. V-max bullets only.

The last cleaning, I noted a possibly "chatter" mark on the rifling about 1.5 to 2" from the muzzle, on the "upper left" land. I'm pretty "anal" and am surprised I didn't notice it before. It doesn't look terrible- but I wonder if this may have been uncovered during my more meticulous cleaning? Its not a heavy gouge- a little "line" in that particular land. Any ideas?

Finally, someday I'm going to get a new gun, and probably a new barrel for this one. Does Savage make / sell a long shank .223 Rem. barrel in varmint or heavy contour? What is the process for buying a barrel from Savage?

Thanks for your patience folks. Just trying to learn and not worry to death in the meantime! BTW- the barrel shoots 3 round groups into .34xx" to (worst) .671x" at 100 yards (that's BEFORE subtracting bullet diameter) so I feel I've got a better than average shooter- but as distances increase and I gain skill, I want to have the best possible outcomes with my somewhat (!) limited monetary capabilities...THANKS!
Brian