The 22 Creedmoor is a high-performance precision rifle cartridge created by necking down the 6.5 Creedmoor or 6mm Creedmoor to accept a .224 diameter bullet. By pushing heavy, high-BC bullets at blistering velocities, the 22 Creedmoor has effectively dethroned the venerable 22-250 as the king of varmint and coyote calibers, while also bridging the gap into long-range precision target shooting.
Whether you are building a custom coyote rifle or a low-recoil competition gun, below is the comprehensive technical data, optimal twist rates, and load data for the 22 Creedmoor.
22 Creedmoor Load Data
Reloading the 22 Creedmoor requires careful attention to pressure signs, as chambers and freebore dimensions can vary wildly between custom reamers. The cartridge performs best with medium-slow to slow-burning propellants like H4350, RL-26, and Winchester StaBALL 6.5 for heavy bullets, and Varget for lighter varmint loads.
Note: The data below provides a baseline for the most highly searched 22 Creedmoor components. Because 22 Creedmoor chambers and freebore can vary wildly, it is critical to build a custom load ladder for your exact rifle. Run your profile in LoadForge to get precise starting and max charges. Always start low and work up safely.
Heavy Match & Long-Range Hunting (80gr+)
| Bullet | Powder | Start Charge (gr) | Max Charge (gr) | Est. Velocity (fps) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 80gr ELD-X | H4350 | 34.4 | 37.7 | 3,150 | Exceptional hunting bullet. Requires 1:8 twist minimum. |
| Hornady 88gr ELD Match | RL-26 | 37.2 | 43.9 | 3,200 | Massive BC. Needs a fast 1:7 or 1:6.5 twist barrel to stabilize. |
| Berger 85.5gr LRHT | H1000 | 39 | 42.5 | 3,100 | Top-tier competitive choice. Very consistent jump tolerance. |
Varmint & Target Bullets (55gr – 75gr)
| Bullet | Powder | Start Charge (gr) | Max Charge (gr) | Est. Velocity (fps) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 69gr ELD-VT | H4831 | 41 | 44.6 | 3,400 | High BC varmint bullet. Explosive terminal performance. |
| Hornady 62gr ELD-VT | Varget | 35.9 | 38.3 | 3,550 | Pushes extreme velocities. Watch for pressure signs in hot weather. |
| 55gr V-MAX | StaBALL 6.5 | 41.8 | 45.3 | 3,750 | Laser-flat trajectory to 400 yards. Pure predator/varmint load. |
Optimal Twist Rates for 22 Creedmoor
Because the 22 Creedmoor is designed to push heavy-for-caliber bullets, standard .223 Remington twist rates (like 1:9) are not fast enough to stabilize the optimal projectiles. When building a 22 Creedmoor, select your twist rate based on your intended bullet weight:
- 1:8 Twist: This is the standard twist rate for most 22 Creedmoor builds. It will perfectly stabilize bullets from 60gr up to 80gr, including the 80gr ELD-X.
- 1:7 Twist: If you plan to shoot heavy match bullets like the 85.5gr Berger LRHT or the 88gr ELD Match, a 1:7 twist is required to properly stabilize them.
- 1:6.5 Twist: For shooters experimenting with the absolute heaviest .224 bullets (90gr+), a highly specialized 1:6.5 twist barrel is necessary.
22 Creedmoor Brass & Components
Initially to create brass for 22 Creedmoor cartridges, one would simply neck down high quality 6mm Creedmoor brass with a good full length sizing die and enough case lube, or by fire forming 22-250 brass.
Thankfully though, there are many companies now including Hornady, Peterson, Alpha Munitions and a few more, making 22 Creedmoor brass cases. There is also 22 Creedmoor SRP brass available offering small rifle primer holes for shooters preferring small rifle primers. The 22 Creedmoor trim length for cases is 1.910″.
22 Creedmoor Reloading Dies
Thanks to the popularity of the 6mm Dasher cartridge for so many year already, most of the top manufacturers are selling reloading dies for the cartridge, although there aren’t any official SAAMI specification for it. You can check availability and price for a set of dies by clicking on this button below.
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What is a 22 Creedmoor?
First off, what is a 22? The 22, not-so-obvious to some and obvious to others, stands for the bore diameter of the barrel, more specifically actually a .224″ or 5.7mm bullet diameter. The bullet diameter is .224, the same as any other .22 centerfire cartridge like the 223 Rem., 22-250 Rem., 224 Weatherby Magnum, 223 WSSM and 220 Swift.
The Creedmoor in 22 Creedmoor denotes the fact that it comes from a 6.5mm Creedmoor which has been necked down to accept a .224 bullet, the Creedmoor in 6.5mm Creedmoor in turn comes from Creedmoor Sports, for whom the 6.5mm Creedmoor cartridge was developed by Hornady and Creedmoor Sports jointly. It is the baby of the Creedmoor Cartridge family, but by no means need to stand back.
The History & Creation
The 22 Creedmoor or 22CM as some call it, was bound to happen at some point as almost every new caliber or cartridge created gets necked down to a wildcat with a lighter bullet for more speed at some point in time. However, the exact person to first do it is still heavily debated. In our research, it seems to have been made first either by George Gardner of GA Precision or by Tim McWhorter of McWhorter Custom Rifles.
The oldest mention and claim of a rifle chambered in 22 Creedmoor is a comment made on 24 October 2013 on a SnipersHide post where a user claimed to have suggested a 223 bullet faster with more reliable feeding, and George Gardner of GA Precision and Josh Lapin of Copper Creek Ammo joked about the 22 Creedmoor. The oldest actual proof of the 22 Creedmoor caliber in a rifle is an image uploaded on a McWhorter Custom Rifles blog post about the caliber and the speed achieved by one shot on 22 September 2012.
Regardless of who the actual pioneer was, the caliber was created, and with it, possibly the all-time best 22 caliber rifle cartridge ever. We would even recommend it above 6mm competition calibers in precision shooting matches under 800 yards (other than PRS matches with their 3,200 fps limit).
Most shooters first roll their eyes when hearing you say you have a 22 Creedmoor, just hearing the word Creedmoor, but they often do a double-take a second or two later and ask, ’22?’. Interest is then sparked. The popularity of this round has only just started gaining momentum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because the 22 Creedmoor pushes a small bullet with a large powder charge, it is significantly overbore. You can expect a barrel life of roughly 1,000 to 1,500 rounds before match-grade accuracy begins to degrade.
Yes, for most modern applications. While both are incredibly fast, the 22 Creedmoor case design and standard fast-twist barrels allow it to shoot heavy, high-BC bullets (like the 80gr ELD-X) that the standard 1:12 or 1:14 twist 22-250 barrels cannot stabilize.
Yes. When loaded with a heavy, controlled-expansion bullet like the 80gr Hornady ELD-X or a solid copper bullet, the 22 Creedmoor is highly effective on medium game like whitetail deer and antelope, offering devastating hydrostatic shock with virtually zero recoil.
AJ Deysel is a competitive rifle shooter in the PRS and NRL Hunter series, a lifelong hunter, and a recognized ballistics specialist whose load development expertise has been featured by industry leaders like Hornady. He is the founder and lead editor of LoadDevelopment.com. Read more about AJ or view our Editorial & Testing Guidelines.
Really interesting post!
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what load data for the 75 eld bullet powder brand a nd charge
For mine, the perfect load for the 75gr mentioned in the post, was at 40.6gr Vihtavuori N550.
Just letting you know it was first created by Horizon Firearms out of Texas February of 2014. We have checked the reamer records accordingly.
Not sure that you actually read the post. Proof was posted where McWorther custom rifles having already built and chambered on in 2012, so your reamer records were checked incorrectly….
Congratulations…you just invented the .22 ARC, which has been available for about 15 years now.
Are you referring to the .22 ARC that Hornady released only last year in 2024?