.22 Creedmoor (Handloader TV)

.22 Creedmoor (Handloader TV)

The .22 Creedmoor, featured in the “Handloading the .22 Creedmoor” episode on Handloader TV, is a modern high-performance cartridge derived from necking down the 6.5 Creedmoor case to .224 caliber. This adaptation allows shooters to push heavy, high-BC bullets at velocities that approach or exceed many traditional .22 centerfire rounds, all while maintaining recoil and barrel life closer to moderate levels. The Handloader TV segment offers hands-on load development, velocity testing, and group performance in real rifles to validate the cartridge’s practical potential.

In the featured video, they used a custom Remington Model 700 rifle with a 1:7" twist, 26-inch Proof Research barrel, and components including Peterson Large Rifle Primer brass, Federal 210M primers, and Redding dies. They tested a variety of bullets including Nosler RDF, Sierra HPBT, Berger LRHT, Berger VLD, and others. The test loads were chronographed using an Oehler 35P, and they report velocities, group sizes, extreme spreads, and standard deviations under controlled conditions. (Loaddata.com also carries their test data summary).

Some of the standout loads from the test include: • 70 gr Nosler RDF at ~3,110 fps, with extremely low SD and good accuracy. • 77 gr Sierra HPBT over Sta-Ball 6.5 at ~3,100 fps, producing solid groups across multiple strings. • 86 gr Berger LRHT with Alliant RL-26 achieving velocities in excess of 3,200 fps with competitive precision.

The Handloader TV approach emphasizes not just peak numbers but consistency over multiple shots, thermal effects, and how the rifle handles long strings with modern bullets in a wildcat context. Because the .22 Creedmoor is still relatively new and partly experimental, the video is particularly helpful for showing real-world behavior, pressure signs, and how minute adjustments (seating depth, powder lot, brass prep) influence results.

For reloaders interested in building a .22 Creedmoor, the Handloader TV coverage is a great practical resource—complementing printed load tables and manual data. The live testing helps validate what works in a tuned rifle, and shows what fails under stress.

Source: Handloader TV / Wolfe Publishing