22 Nosler updated velocities

[Sawtooth]

Guys,

I just got some new boxes of Nosler’s 55 grain ballistic tips and they now rate them at 3500fps from a 18” barrel vs the original 24” barrel test. Have they made the newer loads hotter?

 

[wboggs]

Anyone shooting a .22 nosler out of a 18" barrel?

 

[Rocketvapor]

A lot of the earlier barrels were 18".

 

[TAJ45]

In my diaper days of reloading, l took as gospel the #s published on the box awa the reloading manuals.
I'm thinking the mileage will always vary.
It will be interesting to see what the feedback will produce.

 

[Sawtooth]

My chronograph is broke but may buy a new one just to see.

 

[JSH]

My 22Nosler bolt gun is considerable faster than what is on the box, ymmv.

Listed speed wether it is load data or loaded ammo can vary a huge amount. I pay little attention to what is publicized, they are in it for the selling point for the most part.

 

[Sawtooth]

I will just be stoked if it even matches specs on box. I’ll be shooting from a 20” Wilson Combat so keeping my fingers crossed. My .223’s from a 16” barrel are no where even close to that number. More like 3000fps so hope to see the extra 500fps for coyote hunting. Guess we will see.

 

[Sawtooth]

 

[Rocketvapor]

I bought a few hundred of the 62gr ammo on clearance (less than brass cost).
Listed as 3400fps. I got 3500 from a 24" barrel.

I mostly shoot long loaded heavies now. There seems to be a node just under 3000fps with 88s out of my 1:7 5R 28" barrel.
I've been over 3000 but didn't reach another node so back down.
My gun is a kitchen assembled No-Gas AR shooting rebated rim Dogtown brass, and the wife now has a 28" with gas. Ejector spring cut, gas turned way down and shooting 22 NOSGAR.
Home made Bipod of my design

Nice to see some discussion about the 22N that isn't just regurgitated media crap.

22 Nosler, Valkyrie's big brother

 

[Sawtooth]

Yeah it’s like all the early stuff was mostly people complaining about the round or Nosler’s own hype about it. Looking at later post and info it looks like there’s a good number of people that actually like this caliber. I think for the amount of speed you get combined with a fairly efficient amount of powder you get some nice attributes as well. Like lower noise and recoil levels as compared to a 22-250 etc. I like it for coyote hunting and I feel the extra 300 fps is very attractive for what I’m doing.

 

[JSH]

Yeah it’s like all the early stuff was mostly people complaining about the round or Nosler’s own hype about it. Looking at later post and info it looks like there’s a good number of people that actually like this caliber. I think for the amount of speed you get combined with a fairly efficient amount of powder you get some nice attributes as well. Like lower noise and recoil levels as compared to a 22-250 etc. I like it for coyote hunting and I feel the extra 300 fps is very attractive for what I’m doing.

Soooo many kept saying Nosler was trying to reinvent the 22-250. I never ever looked at it that way, maybe more of a 222 mag +P. I run a bolt gun, 1-9” twist 27”, I won’t go into everything but it has achieved way over my expectations. It fills a fairly large gap between a 223/5.56 and a 22-250.

 

[Rocketvapor]

It's been over a year since I went to 600yds with the 22N so this year I put together a gasser for the wife (she don't like the stickage with the No-Gas).
X-caliber 28" bull barrel, BCA side charge upper, and formed 6mm Hagar brass to 22 NOSGAR for her.
Now we go as a couple to the range. Both are retired.
The 22N puts us in F-Open against the big guns so we won't really be competitive.
Just want to shoot to improve and I think the 22N is perfect for that.
We go often to a local 100yd range to practice. 600yd this coming Saturday.

I did have an issue with some earlier Nosler brass. Sharp edges on the rim instead of a bevel.
Would shave brass when the extractor slipped over and leave flakes on the bolt face.
Hand beveled and all is OK. The no-gas gun doesn't rip up brass like some report and the NOSGAR brass with the 224V sized rim does fine. Cut the ejector spring and cut down the gas. Dribbles out cases a foot or two @ 2 o'clock.

 

[Sawtooth]

So is the new Nosler brass harder?

 

[Sawtooth]

Soooo many kept saying Nosler was trying to reinvent the 22-250. I never ever looked at it that way, maybe more of a 222 mag +P. I run a bolt gun, 1-9” twist 27”, I won’t go into everything but it has achieved way over my expectations. It fills a fairly large gap between a 223/5.56 and a 22-250.

And I agree with this 100%. Has been a huge gap for sometime now between .223 and the 22-250. They each have their place but especially for coyote hunting with AR’s the 22 Nosler is a home run in my book.

New Wilson Combat arrived today. Will start with standard glass optic then move to Thermal soon.

 

[Rocketvapor]

With my No-Gas AR I didn't have issues with swipes or pulled rims like others reported.
Moderate loads, about 2800 -2850fps with 88s I start losing pockets after 5 or so reloads.
Heavier loads, pockets go after 3 reloads. About 10 per 100.

With the wife's gasser, gas turned down low the Hagar brass hardly shows any sign of firing.

I shoot slow fire prone and loading longer than mag length isn't an issue. Still doesn't compare with the normal F-Open gun but does well against the .223 and .308.

The sharp edge I spoke of and my hand bevel Battery drill and file:


A pair of my kitchen assembled 22N ARs:

 

[284winner]

Considering I can push a 75 ELD around 3000 fps with a .223, I'd say the 22N is just faster than a 223 not even close to the 22-250. My 22-250s shot 3300 with 75 ELDs with a moderate load. Definitely a step above the 223 but if anything maybe equal the 223 improved or just a tad better. The 22-250/220 swift (22CM also) still reign supreme for now. The 22N sure does improve the AR-15 over the .223. Probably the best platform improvement for the round.

 

[Rocketvapor]

The 224V is probably a better AR-15 round than the 22N. Mag length, factory ammo with the heavies.
Long freebore, longer than mag length handloads, and the 22N can take advantage of the extra powder.
You are sort of limited to what you can fit in a normal AR-15 compared to a bolt gun or AR10.
Putting together a 22 Thunderbolt would be interesting.

The bad press of one and done pockets, ripped rims, swipes, and the horrible 18" barrels offered early on made the 22N a red headed step child from the get go. Youtube users that couldn't get the 22N to shoot didn't help either.
I think gas issues reinforced the claims of soft brass. To me soft brass would be indicated with imprints in the head at reasonable loads, not swipes. I don't see that. There are some bullet weights and loads that can be used at mag length but for my primary use long loads give me even more powder space.

I don't normally take it but I do have a 22" (ARP 3R) upper I can swap in for mag dumps. OR even a 223 upper or two Spare 5.56 and 224V bolts and I can swap from the 22N rebated rim to the 22 NOSGAR.
Seems dropping the NOSGAR loads by about 1 grain gives similar performance due to the heavier cases.

A few years ago I bought the last three boxes (50round) of HAGAR brass from Creedmore, and the last three from Powder valley and so far three 500 case boxes from Creedmore. Still have 22N factory ammo to make once fired cases and a few hundred Nosler and Dogtown brass. I expect brass supply to dry up and the cartridge to become even more obsolete but I'm set for a while . This winter I will watch for another 20% off sale @ X-caliber and buy another barrel to replace a long-in-the-tooth one I now have with throat erosion. I load the 88s 040 off @ 2.520" Still shoots pretty good at about 2500 rounds.
Recent 100yd target. Of course it's a cherry picked group. Quit when the rain came.




Obviously the 22N is not very popular but if someone can shoot a mile with the 224V, why can't if be done with the 22N? One day, maybe

 

[Sawtooth]

And I agree with this 100%. Has been a huge gap for sometime now between .223 and the 22-250. They each have their place but especially for coyote hunting with AR’s the 22 Nosler is a home run in my book.

New Wilson Combat arrived today. Will start with standard glass optic then move to Thermal soon.

The 224V is probably a better AR-15 round than the 22N. Mag length, factory ammo with the heavies.
Long freebore, longer than mag length handloads, and the 22N can take advantage of the extra powder.
You are sort of limited to what you can fit in a normal AR-15 compared to a bolt gun or AR10.
Putting together a 22 Thunderbolt would be interesting.

The bad press of one and done pockets, ripped rims, swipes, and the horrible 18" barrels offered early on made the 22N a red headed step child from the get go. Youtube users that couldn't get the 22N to shoot didn't help either.
I think gas issues reinforced the claims of soft brass. To me soft brass would be indicated with imprints in the head at reasonable loads, not swipes. I don't see that. There are some bullet weights and loads that can be used at mag length but for my primary use long loads give me even more powder space.

I don't normally take it but I do have a 22" (ARP 3R) upper I can swap in for mag dumps. OR even a 223 upper or two Spare 5.56 and 224V bolts and I can swap from the 22N rebated rim to the 22 NOSGAR.
Seems dropping the NOSGAR loads by about 1 grain gives similar performance due to the heavier cases.

A few years ago I bought the last three boxes (50round) of HAGAR brass from Creedmore, and the last three from Powder valley and so far three 500 case boxes from Creedmore. Still have 22N factory ammo to make once fired cases and a few hundred Nosler and Dogtown brass. I expect brass supply to dry up and the cartridge to become even more obsolete but I'm set for a while . This winter I will watch for another 20% off sale @ X-caliber and buy another barrel to replace a long-in-the-tooth one I now have with throat erosion. I load the 88s 040 off @ 2.520" Still shoots pretty good at about 2500 rounds.
Recent 100yd target. Of course it's a cherry picked group.
View attachment 1355557

Obviously the 22N is not very popular but if someone can shoot a mile with the 224V, why can't if be done with the 22N? One day, maybe

Also some of use are not looking to shoot a mile. Here in the east 400 yards is a long shot. For coyote hunting I want the fastest and lowest recoil cartridge that can move 22 cal bullets in 55-60 grain weights using a AR15 platform. In my opinion this is where the 22 Nosler shines.

 

[JSH]

The first two 22Nosler gas guns I was around were factory built. Zero issues. Forward a year or two. A couple of basement mechanics built them and had problem after problem. They finally got them working well after figuring out that it ain’t no 5.56.

A lot of folks say it will be soon to die, the 22 Nosler. Seems a few short years ago the 284 was all but doomed as well. Time will tell for sure.
I wish Nosler would get off their hands and just bring out the full length case for the 20 Nosler!
Put a 50-55 grain bullet in their and go.

 

[Sawtooth]

I wish Nosler would restock the 62gr flat base loads. I’ve been looking for them for several months now but still no luck.