The 22 creedmoor thread

[id_jon]

Starting to debate if I need the 22CM in the line up. It’s stupid fun to shoot, but is it half the barrel life of a 6CM fun to shoot? I suspect I’ll be done with the current barrel by the end of the summer and will have had a few months to compare.

That's where I ended up. 223 and 6.5cm only right now, thinking I'll build a 22arc to use up the pile of 85.5s I have

 

[Lawnboi]

That's where I ended up. 223 and 6.5cm only right now, thinking I'll build a 22arc to use up the pile of 85.5s I have

Kind of what I’m doing but just shooting a 6 dasher for everything this year

 

[Schmo]

That's where I ended up. 223 and 6.5cm only right now, thinking I'll build a 22arc to use up the pile of 85.5s I have

It seems to me that the 22 ARC is a great sweet spot. A good mix of barrel life & performance. I’m thinking I’ll have to get a barrel and play with it sometime this year. I don’t see a place for the 22 Creed for me, unless I was gonna make it a dedicated hunting rifle. A 20” ARC pushing the 88 at 2900 would be legit! I’ve heard barrel life is roughly 2000 rounds, but seems like it should have longer life than that.

 

[swavescatter]

I think both my 22 Creed and 7 PRC will hold the same place as hunting rifles, saving the practice for my 223's and 6.5 creed. And 243 that I want to burn the barrel out on.

 

[Stocky]

I was comparing the 77 TMK at 3330fps and 112 MB at 2900fps, 6800 ft elevation. Couldn’t find a load my current 22CM barrel liked w the 80s, hoping the next one likes 80s and 88s.

Starting to debate if I need the 22CM in the line up. It’s stupid fun to shoot, but is it half the barrel life of a 6CM fun to shoot? I suspect I’ll be done with the current barrel by the end of the summer and will have had a few months to compare.

Could try 88.5 LRHTs or 95 SMKs. I'm going to see what they do on animals in some stage in the next little bit.

 

[Castle Rock]

Could try 88.5 LRHTs or 95 SMKs. I'm going to see what they do on animals in some stage in the next little bit.

Sounds like a really good option, particularly if they were nose ringed

 

[Castle Rock]

It seems to me that the 22 ARC is a great sweet spot. A good mix of barrel life & performance. I’m thinking I’ll have to get a barrel and play with it sometime this year. I don’t see a place for the 22 Creed for me, unless I was gonna make it a dedicated hunting rifle. A 20” ARC pushing the 88 at 2900 would be legit! I’ve heard barrel life is roughly 2000 rounds, but seems like it should have longer life than that.

I would build an ARC in a minute if I had a Tikka action with the right bolt face, otherwise the 22 BR will be my next gun.
It is too easy if you are already invested in the 6 BR, same magazines, and just a bushing away from dies, and good brass available.

Does anyone else make arc brass?

 

[Schmo]

Alpha and Hornady make the ARC brass. I’ve talked to Starline. Looks like they’ll probably produce it, but may be a year or two.

 

[Schmo]

I would build an ARC in a minute if I had a Tikka action with the right bolt face, otherwise the 22 BR will be my next gun.
It is too easy if you are already invested in the 6 BR, same magazines, and just a bushing away from dies, and good brass available.

Does anyone else make arc brass?

So 22BR would take 6BR bushing dies with a smaller bushing, correct? Standard bolt face. And what, comparable or slightly higher performance than the ARC?

 

[Castle Rock]

So 22BR would take 6BR bushing dies with a smaller bushing, correct? Standard bolt face. And what, comparable or slightly higher performance than the ARC?

Yes and yes

 

[Schmo]

Yes and yes

You’re really close to having me convinced that this is a better way to go. What freebore would be used for running 88 ELDs?

 

[Castle Rock]

Unsure, I will have to do a bit more research, but I want the option of using 95s too.
The extra long neck makes things easier

 

[Castle Rock]

7 twist goes without saying, and if I can get one a 6.5 maybe

 

[ACHILLES]

22BR has 3.5-4gr more h20 capacity than the ARC. Looks like .120” freebore is ideal with the 90smk. So probably .165” or more for the 95s. Although I haven’t built one.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I have done no such testing but that is surprising to me unless there is parallax error or shooters are having “target panic” type issues.

Seems like benchrest scopes are 30x or higher with the sole purpose of shooting tightest groups.

It was/is surprising to me as well. Bench rest shooters shoot 3 shot "groups" with 20-30 lb guns on concrete benches with extra weights placed where needed. They could be on 10X 30X or 50X and it wouldn't matter.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I see this written frequently. Is there a data set you can share or link to?

Seems like a lot of variables to sift through, so it would have to be significant. Not that I don't agree, I practice the same thing. I'd just really like to see the data or even a reference to a reference of the data.

I've only seen the opposite written, where else are you seeing this, I'd like to see it.

I only have my own data written in field note books and then brought into Excel sheets going back 10+ years now.

I can dig for the spreadsheets on my external hard drive and see what I find.

 

[wind gypsy]

It was/is surprising to me as well. Bench rest shooters shoot 3 shot "groups" with 20-30 lb guns on concrete benches with extra weights placed where needed. They could be on 10X 30X or 50X and it wouldn't matter.

I could definitely see how things could be noise. I’d guess I can see/hold within 0.1” (prob smaller) of where exact dead center of a 1” dot with 9x mag, I just have to focus a lot harder with my vision which I’d assume takes focus away from the trigger press/follow through. But all in all I wouldn’t expect to have statistically significant dif in group sizes unless I had a one off one hole gun.

 

[Castle Rock]

It was/is surprising to me as well. Bench rest shooters shoot 3 shot "groups" with 20-30 lb guns on concrete benches with extra weights placed where needed. They could be on 10X 30X or 50X and it wouldn't matter.

There is some serious misinformation in this post
Would you care to elaborate

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

There is some serious misinformation in this post
Would you care to elaborate

Not that it matters, but I shot IBS, NBRSA, and VHA for years and competed with some of the best “shooters” in the country. This post is referring to sighting in guns at 100 yards btw and how much to “zoom in”. The conversation isn’t about how much zoom we use/used for 1,000+ yard comps.

Which part of my post would you like more info on?

 

[Northarnme]

View attachment 520331

Iv gotten enough questions and have had enough questions about this cartridge that I think it needs it’s own thread. Too much clutter in the 223 thread. I’ll start with my build, and findings on what I’m hoping will be the ultimate deer gun. Hopefully others can add their experience as well as I know a handful of us on here are in the process of making one of these things .


I’ll start with the barrel, I ordered a 16.5” PVA prefit, on a 7 twist blank, the prefit has .100 freebore, is PVA 3B contour and threaded 1/2”, barrel is also cerakoted. I ordered on the 10th of January and got the barrel today. The barrel weighs 2lbs 9oz. The way PVA contours their barrels you end up with the same or similar muzzle diameter whether 16” or 26”, so going longer would likely increase weight more than expected.

THIS IS A TIKKA PREFIT.
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The barrel spec is a 7 RH twist, .219 bore, 6 groove barrel. The chamber is cut for .100 freebore. Speaking with PVA they are specd with a large neck so alpha and the like will run, alpha brass drops in the chamber without difficulty. Machine work looks excellent. I took some measurements with 88eldm with it off the rifle.

I screwed the barrel on, and torqued with a SAC modular action wrench to 75 ft lbs. Headspace was confirmed with forester headspace guages.
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I’ll update this thread as it gets screwed on, as I load ammo for it and as I hopefully shoot some animals this fall with it.

I encourage others to share their experience with it as well.

Wow awesome write up with pictures