Heavy 22s

[quigley257]

Looking for recommendations for heavy 22 caliber bullets. I have a 1/7 twist 22 Creedmoor that tends to shoot most bullets quite accurately. What I'm after is a heavier bullet(69gr and up) that gives the best splat factor on targets like Prairie Dogs and Rock Chucks. It shoots the 95gr SMKs and CEB 79gr MTACs very well but I forsee them just drilling a hole through with very little energy transfer. I'm looking for as close to VMAX/NBT performance as I can get in a heavy bullet. What are your favorites for varmint shooting? A couple that I came across but have not used are the 77 and 85gr Barnes Matchburners. Red mist and low orbit launches are the goal. Thanks!

 

[FrogFire7]

75 Eld-m works well on eastern groundhogs for me in the past, in 223 and 22-250

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

I shoot 80.5 bergers, and 88 grain ELDMs —and it hits stuff pretty hard really smallest stuff I've shot with it is probably a skunk or raccoon…did fine on those

 

[Dmagna]

Been shooting 85.5 bergers at 3300 fps. Does a tremendous amount of damage. I have shot chucks, foxes, yote, and a deer. All very dead.

 

[Justice1327]

75gr. ELD and 77gr TMK

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I used the 75 A-Max for years in a 22-243AI 8 twist. Shot fat PA groundhogs out to 1,000yds. Results were impressive.
I'd be looking at an ELD-M for what you want.

 

[sable tireur]

Red mist and low orbit launches are the goal.

Realistically, the majority of the heavier .22 caliber bullets are aligned with the Match bullet concept. Now some of these may work but the ideal is that they perform at longer ranges with accuracy on paper targets or steel.

There are exceptions of course.

When I concentrate on prairie dogs and ground hogs, my usual choices have been the Hornady 75 gr. and 80 gr. AMAX. I had the foresight to purchase as many as I could find because they performed the best in several cartridges. Hopefully the supply outlasts me!

Anticipating chamber variations and reamer changes, I shot a few of the ELD bullets and did not achieve what I have with the AMAX design. So I went to the heavier 90 gr. A-Tip bullets. These, while pricey, do perform as I expect in a couple of different cartridges, the .22 Creedmoor and the .22 Dasher. I've also used these in a .223 WSSM rifle for long range PD shooting. This has excellent potential for moderate range deer hunting as well. All of these bullets will need the 1:7" twist to perform.

Start your testing when these all become available!

 

[benchracer]

Looking for recommendations for heavy 22 caliber bullets. I have a 1/7 twist 22 Creedmoor that tends to shoot most bullets quite accurately. What I'm after is a heavier bullet(69gr and up) that gives the best splat factor on targets like Prairie Dogs and Rock Chucks. It shoots the 95gr SMKs and CEB 79gr MTACs very well but I forsee them just drilling a hole through with very little energy transfer. I'm looking for as close to VMAX/NBT performance as I can get in a heavy bullet. What are your favorites for varmint shooting? A couple that I came across but have not used are the 77 and 85gr Barnes Matchburners. Red mist and low orbit launches are the goal. Thanks!

From a 26" barrel, you can run a 69 TMK @ 3600+, a 75 ELDM @ 3500+, an 80 ELDM @ 3350+, or an 88 ELDM right around 3300. Pick a bullet weight and velocity. LOTS of options!

 

[dogz]

Tons of good choices out there, I say load em up and get to it. I hear good things about the 77 Sierra as well.

Side note, I was on a ranch property last week that had a couple of canyons that had 3 or 4 world supply of chucks on them. I generally don't bother chucks much anymore but might need to take the Grandkids on a safari...naturally after the pups show up...

(back in the days when I hit it hard my best summer was 457 of the big fuzzy rodents, all shot with my big game rifles_

 

[quigley257]

I realize that I can push the velocities up. The problem is I am running a 1/7 twist. Anything over about 3150/3200fps and I have had bullets blowing up. I have not tried the TMKs yet, but most of the others. In a 1/7 barrel 3150fps is really starting to stress bullets as the RPMs are at 324,000 and only get worse as I increase speed. Given my druthers, I will likely rebarrel it with an 8 twist in the future. We built my brothers as a 1/8 and it shoots everything up to 88s with good accuracy.

 

[ButterBean]

Can never go wrong wit the Sierras

 

[436]

80gr Berger VLD match, most of the shooting I do with them is through a .223 Rem LR rifle with a 1-8 twist with that said, all the 1-7 twist I've used with them have worked great as well. My back up is the Sierra 80gr MK. Good luck Cheer

 

[Zen Archery]

 

[Hugnot]

Another vote for the .224 75 ELD. I shoot them from a 7.7 twist .22-.250 at 3200 plus. No dramatic splat effects on pop can size rodents but smack down with authority. Good results at 500 yard plus.

Some number stuff on various heavy .224 bullets:

I can shoot a 75 faster than an 80 or 88 making up for minor deficit in BC as shown in G7 Form Factor.