22 Creed / 95 SMK Thread -

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Minuteman
Feb 12, 2010
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Haven't seen a thread focused on launching the heavies out of the 22 Creedmoor so here it be.

Just finished my first ladder test, my rig is as follows:

AIAX w/ 24" Krieger 6.7" Twist 4-Groove
Alpha SRP Brass - 1x fired
95 Grain Sierra Match King Seated at 2.188 to Ogive (.010 jump)
Hodgdon H4350
CCI SRP Primers

I'm using a 6.5 Creedmor, Redding Type-S full length bushing neck sizing die with a .252" bushing gives me around 1.5 thou of neck tension. For seating, I'm using Hornady's custom Grade seating die. I'm doing minimal case prep - only chamfer and debur until I get the case holder for my Giraud trimmer.

I ran 24 rounds through the rifle in .5 grain grain increments up to 42 grains to find my pressure ceiling. I was getting a sticky bolt at everything above 41 grains. For my ladder test, I used 40.8 grains as my top end and worked down to 38.4 gr in .4 gr increments. I had one sticky round at 40.8, otherwise everything was good to go. My OCW landed at 39.6 grains of H4350 which netted me 3115 FPS average for 3 shots. It seems like a pretty moderate load. the accuracy for 39.2, 39.6 and 40 gr was all around .300" for 3-shots and had the exact same POI.

So far I have 50 rounds through the barrel and I am VERY impressed. I'm going to do some minimal seating depth testing with the 39.6gr load and see if I can get it a little better, but quite honestly, I'm happy with where its at! I'm going to load up 40 rounds with some new Alpha brass and stretch it out to 825 yards this wednesday.

Anyone else have any 95 gr SMK data????? Anyone try out H1000 with the 22 Creed and 95 grain slugs?


By the way, this round cycles 100% out of the double stack AIAX mags, something the 22-250 would not do for me when I was messing with it.
 
Haven't seen a thread focused on launching the heavies out of the 22 Creedmoor so here it be.

Just finished my first ladder test, my rig is as follows:

AIAX w/ 24" Krieger 6.7" Twist 4-Groove
Alpha SRP Brass - 1x fired
95 Grain Sierra Match King Seated at 2.188 to Ogive (.010 jump)
Hodgdon H4350
CCI SRP Primers

I'm using a 6.5 Creedmor, Redding Type-S full length bushing neck sizing die with a .252" bushing gives me around 1.5 thou of neck tension. For seating, I'm using Hornady's custom Grade seating die. I'm doing minimal case prep - only chamfer and debur until I get the case holder for my Giraud trimmer.

I ran 24 rounds through the rifle in .5 grain grain increments up to 42 grains to find my pressure ceiling. I was getting a sticky bolt at everything above 41 grains. For my ladder test, I used 40.8 grains as my top end and worked down to 38.4 gr in .4 gr increments. I had one sticky round at 40.8, otherwise everything was good to go. My OCW landed at 39.6 grains of H4350 which netted me 3115 FPS average for 3 shots. It seems like a pretty moderate load. the accuracy for 39.2, 39.6 and 40 gr was all around .300" for 3-shots and had the exact same POI.

So far I have 50 rounds through the barrel and I am VERY impressed. I'm going to do some minimal seating depth testing with the 39.6gr load and see if I can get it a little better, but quite honestly, I'm happy with where its at! I'm going to load up 40 rounds with some new Alpha brass and stretch it out to 825 yards this wednesday.

Anyone else have any 95 gr SMK data????? Anyone try out H1000 with the 22 Creed and 95 grain slugs?


By the way, this round cycles 100% out of the double stack AIAX mags, something the 22-250 would not do for me when I was messing with it.
I’m actually the process of gathering everything for a 22 Creedmoor. I have two rifles getting 22cm barrels put on them, an origin and tl2 Bartlein 26” 6.5 twist barrels. Should be ready next month maybe.

I’ve pretty much got everything ordered or already here but haven’t settled on a powder. From what I’ve seen and hear RL26 supposed to work really well but seeing how it is unavailable everywhere I don’t feel like going through the same thing everyone was going through with H4350 a year or two ago. I have been playing with qucikload and IMR 7828 looked kind of promising as well as Vihtavuori N560 but I have not used either one of those powders before and have not seen anyone else using them or experimenting with them for 22cm. I have used some IMR powders but never Vihtavuori.

What case holder are you going to use for the giraud? I checked the fit in my 6.5 holder and not sure how well that would work, probably not well just too much space around the neck. I thought about buying a blank and sending it to the smith to do when he does the barrels but seemed like a lot of trouble.
 
Ya, I may play with R26 later on but I have a decent enough supply of H4350 which should last the life of this barrel. So far I’m right where I wanted to be as far as velocity goes. Launching a .600 BC bullet at 3100 is pretty righteous.

I ordered a 22 BR case holder for the Giraud trimmer. The case dimensions up at the shoulder are almost identical. Worst case is I may have to kiss the inside of the shell holder with my 22CM reamer, but it should be pretty perfect.
 
if You don’t mind let me know how how the 22br holder fits when it arrives.

Yea around 3100 is what I am shooting for as well, H4350 just looked like the pressure spike was higher than some of the other slower burning powders which “could” “should” give similar speeds at least that was my hope. I have plenty of 4350 and IMR 4451 as well for my 6.5cm so I may start with those, not sure yet. Wish I had my rifles now so I could share some data but will be a month or two before I do.
 
That’s great to know about the holder. I’ll have to buy one of the 22 be holders.

I just loaded ladders up for with both H1000 and H4831sc under the 95smk. I found the lands in my rifle at a coal of 2.68
 
I have been working on load development on a 22 Creed. I am working with the 88 ELDM and the 95 SMK as this is what the gunsmith set it up to run. I am working with H4350 and H4831sc on the 88 ELDMs and then H4831sc and H1000 on the 95 SMK. I did run a little RL26 on the 88 ELDs but since it is hard to find right now I decided to stop until it is easier to get.

I started with 95 SMKs at 70 rounds on the barrel for the first round of testing and then did some more 88 ELDM testing before working with the SMKs again. I am guessing second round load testing was at about 125ish....

Disclaimer.... I am not a great shot nor a professional reloader!

Specs:
  • Bartlein
  • 1 in 6.5 twist
  • Heavy Palma
  • 24"
  • Area 419 Break
  • Alpha II action
  • SAC did all the work
  • Alpha SRP 22 CM
  • CCI 450
  • Whidden full length Non-bushing click adjust dies (I normally run Redding Type S, but really impressed with these)
  • K&M mandrel with .002 neck tension
  • .023 Jump

H4831sc and 95 SMK (grains then FPS)
39.8 - 2948​
40.0 - 2977​
40.2 - 2986​
40.4 - 2992​
40.6 - 3001​
40.8 - Error​
41.0 - 3043​
41.2 - 3034​
41.4 - 3053​
41.6 - 3071​
41.4 - 3018​
41.5 - 3049​
41.6 - 3077​
41.7 - 3084​
41.8 - 3093​
41.9 - 3080​
42.0 - 3099​
42.1 - 3096​
42.2 - 3101​
42.3 - 3107​

H1000 and 95 SMK (grains then FPS) - Could get a little more H1000 in there... maybe up to 45.6 or 45.7
41.8 - 2972​
42.0 - 2930​
42.2 - 2966​
42.4 - 2963​
42.6 - 2993​
42.8 - 3009​
43.0 - 2996​
43.2 - 3011​
43.4 - 3019​
43.6 - 3027​
43.4 - 3037​
43.6 - 3040​
43.8 - 3052​
44.0 - 3052​
44.2 - 3062​
44.4 - 3063​
44.6 - 3089​
44.8 - 3102​
45.0 - 3119​
45.2 - 3134​
I hope the info helps, couple picts of the second round of testing.... 10 shots at 100 yards, looking for some data. Hopefully can shoot at distance soon.

H4831SC 41.4 to 42.3
7069261

H1000 43.4 to 45.2
7069262
 
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I started getting a heavy bolt lift after 43 grains of H1000. What’s your freebore on the rifle and what coal are you loading too?

I’ve got 150 rounds thru my barrel using a mix of h4350, H4831sc, H1000 and R26 and measured the throat growth at .020 so far. It cold be the mixture of faster burning powders that did it but I’m not too worried as the freebore on my reamer was a little shorter than I wanted to start
 
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I am not sure on the freebore, my COAL is 2.800" and running them at .023" of jump. I will inquire on the freebore and let you know.

I ran into some pressure with H1000 and would have stopped at 44.6, but shot the last few as the bolt lift was not too bad and the brass was looking fair. I ended up shooting 5 shots at 44.3 grains with an ES of 20, but felt it was a bit on the hot side to run it. I will work with the H4831sc a little more to see where the node ends up being there. I have heard guys claiming a node in the mid 41.s on with a 95SMK and H4831sc.
 
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I am not sure on the freebore, my COAL is 2.800" and running them at .023" of jump. I will inquire on the freebore and let you know.

I ran into some pressure with H1000 and would have stopped at 44.6, but shot the last few as the bolt lift was not too bad and the brass was looking fair. I ended up shooting 5 shots at 44.3 grains with an ES of 20, but felt it was a bit on the hot side to run it. I will work with the H4831sc a little more to see where the node ends up being there. I have heard guys claiming a node in the mid 41.s on with a 95SMK and H4831sc.

Just looking at my reamer and COAL i can reach it sounds like the freebores is close to or a little over .200.

I would definitely believe that would be a great node with H4831sc, considering i see it go about 100fps faster than H1000 with a grain less of powder and my 42.5 grain H1000 load is low 3100 fps. H4831sc might be a great PRS powder.
 
Wow those numbers look slow for a 22cm??

Im slinging 90smk at 3100 in my 220TB with 29.5gr Varget. Just received a bunch of 95smk to test next. I would have expected a lot faster speeds with 12-17gr more powder.. Zero pressure signs and excellent accuracy and SD's in a 7twist.
 
Wow those numbers look slow for a 22cm??

Im slinging 90smk at 3100 in my 220TB with 29.5gr Varget. Just received a bunch of 95smk to test next. I would have expected a lot faster speeds with 12-17gr more powder.. Zero pressure signs and excellent accuracy and SD's in a 7twist.


My barrel seems to be a bit quicker than Zandnubbs or maybe his hasn't finished speeding up, but with something like varget I think you could push these to crazy speeds although that hasn't been the purpose of my testing. I'm trying to stay under the PRS speed limit which pushed me to slower burning powders to fill the case more and hopefully extend barrel life a little. I don't think comparing varget to H1000 or even H4831sc is an apples to apples comparison due to their respective place on the burn chart. In testing I've been able to push a 80.5 berger to 3550 using H4350 which is still slightly slower burning than varget with ease and saw no pressure signs. I've also gotten the 95 SMK into the low 3300 FPS using reloader powders but after testing in two different temperatures saw a 30fps difference so just moved on from using it.

With all that being said I'm not an expert so i may be wrong and I'm always open to doing something better, what is a 220TB as I can't find much on it.

Also, I hope you don't take this as confrontational just think you should take another look at the 22CM instead of writing the cartridge off.
 
My barrel seems to be a bit quicker than Zandnubbs or maybe his hasn't finished speeding up, but with something like varget I think you could push these to crazy speeds although that hasn't been the purpose of my testing. I'm trying to stay under the PRS speed limit which pushed me to slower burning powders to fill the case more and hopefully extend barrel life a little. I don't think comparing varget to H1000 or even H4831sc is an apples to apples comparison due to their respective place on the burn chart. In testing I've been able to push a 80.5 berger to 3550 using H4350 which is still slightly slower burning than varget with ease and saw no pressure signs. I've also gotten the 95 SMK into the low 3300 FPS using reloader powders but after testing in two different temperatures saw a 30fps difference so just moved on from using it.

With all that being said I'm not an expert so i may be wrong and I'm always open to doing something better, what is a 220TB as I can't find much on it.

Also, I hope you don't take this as confrontational just think you should take another look at the 22CM instead of writing the cartridge off.

Who wrote the cartridge off? I asked a simple question if these speeds were slow for the cartridge...Relax there and stop making assumptions.

.220 Thunderbolt

Fast 22cal speeds with heavies in a bolt gun and 2500-3500rd barrel life....

http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...s-220-thunderbolt.6939322/page-2#post-7703660

https://www.keystoneaccuracy.com/the-220-thunderbolt.html