Intriguing - .22 Creedmoor

[tanks]

I am supposed to go to Africa at the end of July. If it doesn't happen I have been thinking of going prairie dog hunting for a few days taking 500+ yard shots.

I have used a .220 Swift for this in the past and a friend was interested in that rifle, so I let him talk me out of it.

So, I have no rifles for this. I do have a .308 that would work but I don't want to shoot several hundred rounds out of it per day. It is also hard to see your shot with the recoil moving the rifle. Not to mention it is a bit of an overkill.

I was thinking about another .220 Swift, then a friend mentioned the .22 Creedmoor and directed me to this web site.

https://22creedmoor.com/

Interesting to say the least.

Anyone have experience with this caliber?

[damon1272]

Not much time to develop loads. 110 Grn work wonders on dogs but 500+ is pushing it with them.

[longrange1]

Not much time to develop loads. 110 Grn work wonders on dogs but 500+ is pushing it with them.

a 110g in a 22 creed? or are you talking about a 308? or 6mm?

[LynnJr]

Tanks
In all these examples they want to hunt varmints with a 22 centerfire but then they always want to use the heaviest bullets made.
Once you add that extra bullet weight you scrub off velocity and need a fast twist barrel.
If you want to shoot bullets in the 70-90 grain weight range use a 6mm chambering you'll be much happier with the end results in my humble opinion.

[Fjold]

Andy,

I shoot a lot of long range varmints with multiple 22s including 10" twist 22-250 AI. For prairie dogs I like the 22s for 600 yards or less as the low recoil makes for the best shooting/viewing. I use the 36 grain Varmint Grenades at 4,500+ fps and even the 50 grain VG's at over 4,000 fps and they are great for 400 yard shooting and the 70 - 80 grain bullets are needed at 500 yards to 600 yards. Any of the big 22s with a 1:7.5 or 8 twist barrel will do for the 75+ grain bullets

Once the distances get past that and the wind in Wyoming or the Dakotas gets going, nothing beats the 100+ grain 6 mm and 120 - 140 grain 6.5 mm bullets.

My record on a prairie dog is 799 yards on a windy Wyoming day using the 142 grain SMK out of my 6.5X284.

[JackEllis]

Tanks

If you want to shoot bullets in the 70-90 grain weight range use a 6mm chambering you'll be much happier with the end results in my humble opinion.

When I first saw this thread last night I was thinking the same thing. For shooting small targets at that distance, you want heavier bullets to buck the wind better, especially in prairie dog country. You may be able to get that out of a .22 caliber cartridge but you'll have to give up some speed. Looks like they all cost about the same to load (I assume you're a reloader).

Then there's the time for load development, though I suppose you'll have that problem with any new rifle you buy.

[TomReloaded]

Is 500yd the closest shot and it goes further from there? Or is that the occasional long shot with the rest being closer?

Lynnjr makes a good point. Thats intended for shooting the heavy stuff. Bulk shooting and berger 90 grains or something seem like a odd combo. A 22-250 could blast out 45-55gr varmint bullets with the benefit of easy ammo availability and cheap projectiles.

[damon1272]

a 110g in a 22 creed? or are you talking about a 308? or 6mm?

No that would be for a 308

[tanks]

Is 500yd the closest shot and it goes further from there? Or is that the occasional long shot with the rest being closer?

Lynnjr makes a good point. Thats intended for shooting the heavy stuff. Bulk shooting and berger 90 grains or something seem like a odd combo. A 22-250 could blast out 45-55gr varmint bullets with the benefit of easy ammo availability and cheap projectiles.

No, 500 and beyond. According to all the info the .22 Creedmoor is optimized for a 70 grain bullet with a fast twist.

[LynnJr]

When I first saw this thread last night I was thinking the same thing. For shooting small targets at that distance, you want heavier bullets to buck the wind better, especially in prairie dog country. You may be able to get that out of a .22 caliber cartridge but you'll have to give up some speed. Looks like they all cost about the same to load (I assume you're a reloader).

Then there's the time for load development, though I suppose you'll have that problem with any new rifle you buy.

.Yes I am a reloader.
If your shooting out to 500 yards the insanely fast 22's give spectacular flips in the air and are very accurate if no wind is around.
We shoot straight 22-250 and 220 Swift for those shots.
Beyond 500 yards with the need for more BC the 22's scrub off a tremendous amount of velocity. The 22 creedmoor pushes a 70 grain bullet just under 3500 fps in a 24 inch barrel.
That's a 1000 fps slower than the lighter bullets posted above.

If you are in California we shoot Squeaks which are half the size of a prairie dog in the alfalfa fields in the northeast corner of the state.
Do a Google search for "Squirrel Wars" and it should give you the statistics on the various chamberings.
Velocity gives you those nice flips.

Here is a copy and paste from another forum if that is allowed here? If not please delete this post.

Gene Harwood(former NBRSA President) set a world record years ago with his own 60g bullets with H335 with a speed of 3700 fps. In my rifles, I am shooting the 55g Noslers at 3900+ with AA2230 with a Rem 7 1/2 primer, and this load out shoots the 68's at 300 yds hands down. Groups of 1" or less at 300 yards is not uncommon, and my rifle is a varmint rifle.

In the late 80's early 90's, I shot an ungodly number of 60g Sierra hp in the 6 BR with H335, with amazing accuracy, lots of groups in the 1's and 2's. I called Sierra to complement them on the accuracy of the bullet after trying it in my 6 PPC's as well. Sierra told me that it was the most accurate bullet they made at that time.

If you have not tried the 55g NOslers and 60g Sierra's with H335 or AA2230, you are in for a very special surprise. They burn very clean and accuracy will be at speeds that you would never believed attainable in such a small case....just use a thick cup primer.

I went on to shoot P. dogs with the 6 BR, 60g Sierra, and H335. I cleaned in 300 round intervals, that is how clean the powder burns at peak pressure.

You can't make a bad choice either way.

[tanks]

T...
If you want to shoot bullets in the 70-90 grain weight range use a 6mm chambering you'll be much happier with the end results in my humble opinion.

Thanks for the info. I think Christensen Arms makes a lefty 6mm Creedmoor. If I can't travel at the end of July, that will be something I will do.

https://christensenarms.com/modern-precision-rifle/

[duckman1]

Have you looked at .22 Nosler? 22-250 performance in an AR platform.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Elgatodeacero]

The .22 Nosler is very cool for an AR15 platform, but the .22 Creedmoor looks awesome!

I wish I had never read this thread,

[Aeonstar]

if you want fun in a ar get the 6mm WOA or any variant of a 6x6.8spc 65gr vmax sitting on benchmark doing 3400fps death to lil critters out to 600 no problem.......

how many rounds before accuracy goes awol in a 22cm? not that overbore is bad i have a 6.5saum thats overbore like mad! just know that barrels are consumables and you will be getting a new one soon if you go high volume shooting.

[RNE228]

Cartridge It is the same caliber as 22-250 and 220 Swift.

What does it do that the other 22's dont? Heavier bullet like faster twist. You can get that in the other 22's with the right bullets. 22-250AI is in the same league if you're already reloading.

Or do you want the new shiny cartridge?

Anyone have experience with this caliber?