Most folks would be very impressed with a centerfire rifle that can shoot a quarter-inch group at 100 yards. But to do that with a rimfire rifle, shooting little .22 LR cartridges, that’s quite an accomplishment. Today’s Sunday GunDay story spotlights a superbly accurate new .22 LR Benchrest gun belonging to Forum member Dave Way. This rimfire tack-driver was crafted by respected gunsmith Alex Wheeler of Wheeler Accuracy. Check out this five-shot group Dave shot once he had figured out his optimal tuner position. That is mighty impressive for a rimfire rifle!
A sub-quarter-MOA group at 100 yards is impressive for a centerfire rifle. But for a rimfire rifle, it is truly stunning. Check it out — this rifle hammers!
I tested three lots of Lapua Super Long Range today. This lot looked really good so I bought a case. It’s a blast shooting this rifle over wind flags. It’s amazing how little wind it takes to move the bullet at 100 yards. I was having to hold off today to finish up groups. That’s when it’s the most fun. — Dave Way
Dave posted in our Shooters’ Forum: “To say I was impressed with the quality of the action and the accuracy of the rifle would be an understatement. I shot five different lots of Lapua Midas, Lapua Long Range, and Lapua Super Long Range ammunition. At 50 yards all the groups were pretty tight. I was shooting in some wind, using flags. One lot seemed to stand out so I put a target at 100 yards and shot three rounds in it as aiming points. I shot three five shot groups with the last 15 rounds of that lot that I had with me. All three groups were under 1/2″ and they were getting tighter as I moved the tuner!”
Above are initial 100-yard, 5-shot groups Dave Way shot with his rifle, while experimenting with different tuner positions. The largest group (on left) was a 0.416″, while the smallest (on right) was 0.296″. The average of the three groups was a stellar 0.369″ (0.352 MOA).
Dave Way treasures this rifle and praised Alex Wheeler’s skills as a gunsmith: “I have never received a rifle from Alex that didn’t shoot incredibly well and this one is no exception. I’m just getting into the .22 world so I don’t know if this is good, great, or excellent accuracy but it seems pretty accurate to me.”
Lot Testing and Tuner Experimentation Pays Off
Here are some initial groups Dave Way shot during initial ammo testing. They are all under half-inch at 100 yards. That’s pretty impressive — but read on. When Dave optimized his tuner position and found a great lot of Lapua Super Long Range .22 LR ammo — his groups got even smaller. Dave notes: “They could have been better but I was just getting used to the trigger and everything.”
Here are a series of three-shot, 50-yard groups. You can see this rifle is quite consistent. This is with five different lots of Lapua .22 LR ammunition.
Lot Testing with Lapua Ammo — Three-Shot Groups at 50 Yards
Rifle Components
Holeshot 2500X Right Bolt, Left Port Action
Muller Works 1:16″-twist, 8-groove Barrel
Holeshot Barrel Tuner
Bix-N-Andy Trigger
Holeshot 2500X actions and Holeshot tuners are now produced and sold by Precision Quest Products.
Have questions about this ultra-accurate rig? You can discuss this Wheeler-built rimfire rifle in a current AccurateShooter Forum Thread.
Three 50-Yard Groups, All Under 0.180″ — That’s Consistency!
With the right ammo, this rig is wicked accurate. Here are three groups shot at 50 yards one after another. Dave shot these three 5-shot groups consecutively while optimizing his tuner: “Working with tuner the last two trips to the range. [It was] very consistent and pretty tight at tuner setting 162. Here are three consecutive 50-yard groups (5 shots each).” The biggest group (at bottom) measured 0.175″ (0.334 MOA), while the smallest group (middle) was a stellar 0.154″ (0.294 MOA) — that’s mighty impressive!
Alex Wheeler Crafted His Own Superb Rimfire Rifle First
Gunsmith Alex Wheeler of Wheeler Accuracy has, over the years, concentrated on ultra-accurate mid-range and long-range centerfire benchrest rifles, along with some stellar long-range hunting rifles. But Alex has started to venture into rimfire shooting. Prior to building the Dave Way rimfire rifle featured here, Alex built a “sister rifle” for himself with similar components. That gun turned out so well that Dave asked Alex to build another. And, as you can see, Dave’s new Wheeler-built rimfire rifle turned out to be a true tack-driver.
Alex credits Dave’s shooting skills: “I don’t think its possible for anyone to send a rifle to Dave that doesn’t shoot. He just has a knack for it. I’m glad I got into the rimfire stuff. I don’t have any interest in rimfire competition but it’s taught me a lot about bench manners and I get a lot more trigger time. It’s a great tool to learn wind flags with as well. It should make me a better centerfire shooter. That was really why I built mine. I normally sell every gun I build eventually and Dave was going to get mine but I said you should start gathering parts, I think I’m keeping this one!”
Lapua Long Range and Super Long Range .22 LR Ammunition
Dave Way had great results with his Lapua .22 LR ammo. Lapua Long Range and Super Long Range ammunition comes from Finland, and is designed for the growing long-range rimfire disciplines with targets at 100-300 yards. This ammo delivers very low ES and SD numbers. Our friend F-Class John tested this ammo and confirmed it performs very well (SEE Test Video).
Capstone’s Marketing Director, Geoff Esterline, explains: “Each production lot of Lapua’s [LR and Super LR] are test-fired in 50-round groups for dispersion. The results determine whether it makes Super Long Range or Long Range packaging.”
Need a top-notch Ballistics App for your iPhone or iPad? Start with Ballistic: Advanced Edition (AE), the number 1 (i.e. most installed) App for iOS systems (iPhones and iPads). Ballistics AE (Advanced Edition) is the most popular iOS ballistics program for many good reasons. It offers a full feature set with Ballistic Solver, Ballistic Comparison (with up to 8 projectiles), Target Log (records group sizes), Advanced WindKit, and more. The Ballistic: Advanced Edition software is easy to use, with nice controls. Underneath it all is the proven JBM Ballistics calculator. And here’s the kicker — this excellent mobile App software is now FREE to download and install on iPhones and iPads!
This Video Explains How to Set Up and Use Ballistic: Advanced Edition
Full-featured and easy to use, Ballistics AE has been refined over many years, and it supplies rock-solid solutions derived from JBM Ballistics solver (created by James B. Millard). Unlike some other Apps, Ballistics AE is STABLE on iPhones (with various OS levels). What’s cool is that Ballistics AE is now available for FREE for both iPhones and iPads. This software is now provided by Federal Premium Ammunition, with in-App purchase functionality.
We’ve used the Ballistic: Advanced Edition program on an iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, and iPad, and it performed well. Here are some of the features we liked:
1. Mirrors output from online version of JBM Ballistics we often use for initial calculations.
2. Controls are simple to use and (mostly) intuitive.
3. Handy comparison feature lets you compare ballistics for different projectiles side by side.
4. Advanced Wind Kit allows you to account for complex wind situations.
5. Projectile and BC Databases are very comprehensive.
6. Software is regularly updated to match Apple OS changes.
This article is Copyright 2025 AccurateShooter.com. No republication is authorized. Any appearance of this story on another site obliges that site to pay liquidated damages and/or licensing fees.
This article is part of Sinclair Int’l Step-By-Step Reloading Series. Most of the products mentioned in this article are sold through Brownells.com.
by Roy Hill, Brownells/Sinclair Copywriter
Making your own precision handloads is a meticulous journey with many steps, many important matters to consider, and many sets of measurements to calculate. For those who pursue the perfect group, the highest score, the really long accurate shot, the rewards more than outweigh the effort. Choosing the right cases, deburring the flash holes, making the primer pockets uniform, trimming the cases, and lubricating them are all familiar – and critical – steps along the journey. And now that your brass preparation is complete, you are at last ready to start running the cases through your press and fill them with primers, powder, and bullets. The very first die the brass encounters is the sizing die. You insert the case, work the press’s lever to return the case to its correct pre-fired dimensions – and the journey continues.
There are three types of sizing dies to think about: neck, full-length, and small base. All three have specific benefits and potential drawbacks, and you should choose the type of die you use by thinking very carefully about what kind of shooting you plan to do with your handloads. No matter which type you select, most sizing dies will also punch out the old spent primer with some sort of decapper assembly that uses a hardened steel rod. Many types of sizing dies use an expander ball inside the die to make sure the neck of the case will accommodate a bullet after being sized. With some size dies, the expanders are easily removable and interchangeable, letting you get exactly the neck tension you want. When sizing cases (neck of full-length), rifle cases always need lube.
Neck-Sizing Dies Neck-sizing dies resize only the neck of the case. The benefit of sizing only the neck is that the brass is “worked” very little, reducing the amount of changes to the brss. [We recommend full-length sizing for all applications after the first couple of firings, and semi-auto brass should be full-length sized every time!] Sinclair recommends that neck-sized-only cartridges should not be used any in other rifle besides the one they were originally fired from [unless they are also FL-sized], or in any action other than a bolt-action.
Full-Length Sizing Dies
Full-length sizing dies resize the full length of the case, not just the neck. Full-length sizing helps create handloads that will function in any rifle, not just the one from which the cases were originally fired. The potential downside of full-length sizing is that it may shorten case life because it works the brass more than neck sizing. But it’s possible to “tune” today’s full-length sizing dies so they barely work the brass at all, as this article by Sinclair Reloading Tech Ron Dague shows.
Illustration Shows How a Full-Length Sizing Die Works
Another way to reap the benefits of full-length sizing is to use Redding’s full-length bushing dies, which size the full length of the case but use a system of interchangeable bushings that enable you give the case neck the bare minimum of resizing needed. To see how finely adjustable bushing dies are, and how they resize the case while fully supported, CLICK HERE for Video. The neck bushing helps you precisely control the neck tension to help increase the consistency and accuracy of your handloads.
Small Base Dies
A Small Base Die is another type of full-length sizing die, but one that is typically used when reloading for semi-automatic rifles, like the AR-15, M14, or AR-style .308 rifles. (It may also work well for bolt guns that need extra sizing on the lower section of the case.) A small base die works exactly like a full-length sizing die, only it compresses the brass just a bit more, usually about .001″ more, and may even push the case shoulder back just a hair. Small base dies give that extra bit of compression to the brass to help make sure the case will properly extract from a semi-automatic firearm. The upside is that you get handloads that should work flawlessly in your semi-automatic. The downside is case life may be shortened as compared to brass used only in one bolt-action rifle, because the brass is worked more.
Shoulder Bump Gauges
A handy tool for setting up your full-length sizing dies as close as possible to your rifle’s chamber is a shoulder bump gauge. The bump gauge lets you resize the case as little as possible, to extend case life and help your handloads fit your rifle almost like a neck-sized only die. You use deprimed cases fired in your rifle and bump gauge inserts to help you set up the die so it resizes the case only about .001″ to .004″, depending on what type of rifle you’re shooting.
Video shows how to use a shoulder bump gauge to set up your full-length dies
Article Find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions
NOTE: If you prefer drying your brass in an oven we recommend a temp setting no higher than 200° F. Better yet, use a dedicated case dryer that cannot possibly over-cook your cases.
Tech Tip by Craig Arnzen of Area419.com
As wet-tumbling brass has become more popular in recent years, guys have tried a LOT of ways to get their brass dry — towels, hair dryers, and even food dehydrators. (See Top Ten Brass Drying Methods). Another common method — albeit with some potential issues — is putting your wet brass in the oven to dry. Provided you monitor TEMP and TIME, this method is fast, effective, and easy (as long don’t use the wife’s favorite cooking pans — that’ll get you in trouble.)
With oven-drying, however, unexpected issues can arise, as illustrated by this worrisome story: “I put my brass in for an hour at 200° F and turned it off. Next thing I know I realize my wife has the oven pre-heating to 350° F. Is my brass ruined?”
If you search the AccurateShooter.com Shooters’ Forum, you’ll find at least three threads with stories like that (i.e. higher-than-expected oven temps when drying brass), and answers on both sides of the line. I know this, because it happened to me — I had some 6XC brass drying and the wife pre-heated the oven. Concerned about my cases, I consulted a genuine annealing expert, Andrew Rixon.
Andrew is the Director of Engineering and Manufacturing at Alpha Munitions, makers of premium-grade rifle brass. I had baked a batch of Alpha 6XC brass, which is exceptionally consistent and well-made. (This 6XC brass is currently out of production, but Alpha produces many other good 6mm cases including 6 PPC, 6mm ARC, 6mm BR, 6 Dasher, 6BRA, 6 GT, and 6mm Creedmoor).
Before Andrew would answer my question though, he gave me a little lesson on what really happens during annealing:
“Annealing is performed by heating the brass to specific temperatures. There are three phases of annealing: recovery, recrystallization, and grain growth. All of which have specific temperatures and or exposure times related to them. It is key for cartridge brass annealing processes to hit the recrystallization phase which allows for strain-free grains to grow. The growth of strain-free grains eliminate dislocations, drastically decreasing hardness and increasing ductility. For recrystallization to occur the material temperature must be within 600-1000 degrees Fahrenheit (F).”
He then got into really answering the question, and was (fortunately) definitive in his answer: “If the temps do not exceed 450 degrees F then there is nothing to worry about as it did not exceed the critical temperature for annealing to occur.” Editor: Caution — do NOT assume that the temperature marked on the oven knob is the actual temperature INSIDE the oven, particularly near the back. Some older ovens can be off as much as 75 degrees F. Be conservative!
Well, there you have it. If you’ve baked your brass, you’re probably OK. If you got it hotter than 450° F then there can start to be some changes to the metal.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
NOTE: All listed products are for sale to persons 18 years of age or older. No products are intended for use by minors.
Creedmoor Sports — Major Berger Bullet Sale
⏺️ » Great savings on high quality Berger match and hunting Bullets
When it comes to competition, Berger Bullets are among the very best with countless wins in PRS, High Power, F-Class, and other disciplines. Berger also makes great varmint and hunting bullets. With the current Berger Sale at Creedmoor Sports you can enjoy major savings on hunting and match bullets in all popular calibers. Save now with this major sale, which includes top benchrest, fullbore, and F-Class bullets.
Graf & Sons — Lyman Ultimate Reloading System, $549.99
⏺️ » Complete system with turret press, powder measure, tumbler and more
Here is a truly great combo reloading kit at a fantastic price, just $549.99 at Grafs.com (Save $74!). The Lyman Ultimate Reloading System includes top-of-the-line tools including 8-station Turret Press, Gen 6 Digital Powder System, Universal Case Trimmer, Pro 1200 Turbo Tumbler, and everything else needed to turn out high quality rounds fast. Here is a list of everything you get with this Lyman combo kit:
All American 8-Station turret press
Gen 6 Electronic Powder Dispenser/Scale
Universal Case Trimmer
Pro 1200 Turbo® Tumbler
E-ZEE Prime Hand Priming Tool
Case Prep Multi-Tool
Magnum Inertia Bullet Puller
Setting optimal bullet seating depth is very important for maximum accuracy. While some cartridges and barrels may deliver good accuracy with a wide range of bullet seating depths, other barrels may be more fussy, and may strongly prefer a specific seating depth, such as .006″ in the lands or .020″ off. To get this kind of precision, you need to know the exact position of the lands in your barrel. In addition, because barrel throats tend to move as the round count goes up, you should check the position of the lands regularly on a competition rifle.
Today’s Saturday Videos demonstrate a number of methods for finding Length to Lands in your rifle barrel. We start with the most common method — using the Hornady O.A.L. Gauge with a threaded modified case. With some practice, and a refined touch, this is actually very accurate. After this, we offer videos that have alternative methods, each with its pros and cons. You should find a method that works for you, that can achieve results within a couple thousandths for multiple measurements.
Finding Cartridge Length to Lands with O.A.L. Gauge
Probably the most common method to find length to lands is using a Hornady O.A.L. Gauge Tool with a comparator on a set of calipers. We regularly use this method with a custom modified case for our 6mmBR rifle. Using the technique described below, we can get results within .0015″ or so three out of four times. We do recommend taking multiple measurements. As explained below, be consistent and do NOT push the gray plastic rod too fast or with too much force.
During this measurement process, the modified case, with a bullet in its neck, is inserted in the chamber. Go slow, take your time. Here are FIVE TIPS that will help you get repeatable and reliable length-to-lands measurements with the Hornady O.A.L. Gauge:
1. Start with a clean chamber and clean barrel throat.
2. Make sure the modified case is fully screwed down and seated on the O.A.L. Gauge. It can sometimes unscrew a bit during repeated measurements.
3. Insert the modified case slowly and gently, but ensure the shoulder of the modified case is fully seated on the end of the chamber.
4. Push the gray plastic rod GENTLY. It is common for the bullet to be tilted a bit. You want to allow the bullet to self-center in the throat BEFORE you apply much pressure. Then tap a couple times and push until you feel resistance. Do NOT push too hard — that will jam the bullet in the lands.
5. Repeat the measurement at least 3 more times. If you follow our instructions, you should, typically, get a repeatable measurement, within 0.0015″ or so, 3 out of 4 times.
NOTE: We’ve seen some folks struggle to get repeatable measurements with this tool. In most cases, they were going too fast and pushing too hard on the gray rod, creating a hard jam.
Brownells — Using Hornady O.A.L. Gauge with Modified Case
This Brownells video shows how to use the modified (threaded) case for the cartridge your rifle shoots. Attach it to the O.A.L. Gauge, then insert a bullet into the case neck and slide the tool into the chamber. It takes a little practice to get consistent results. After getting the measurement in the barrel, you ascertain the length to lands using a Hornady Bullet Comparator attached to your calipers.
Making Your Own Modified Case — Threading the Case End
This helpful video from our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com shows how to create a custom modified case to use with a Hornady O.A.L. Gauge. You need to drill out the primer pocket area, then tap and thread the bottom of the case.
Ultimate Reloader Shows 3 Ways to Find the Lands
This video shows three different ways to measure distance to lands. First Gavin Gear shows how to use a Hornady O.A.L. Gauge with Modified Case. The second methods shows how to use a bit of Loctite INSIDE the neck to secure a bullet. Be sure there is NO Loctite on the outside of the neck — you don’t want that in your chamber! You place the case with bullet into the chamber, then close bolt to seat the bullet. After waiting 5-10 minutes for the Loctite to set, you remove the cartridge gently. The third method (time-mark 16:50) is a Jam method using a bolt with the firing pin assembly and ejector removed (so there is no extra pressure on the case). Gavin notes: “The bullet ogive can be colored with a permanent marker if you want to indicate lands contact.”
About this third Jam method, ace F-Class shooter Erik Cortina posted: “My method is actually the last one that Travis showed. The one where you let the lands push bullet in. But it is neck tension dependent. I also put die wax in bullet ogive to prevent it from sticking in the lands. The method of seating bullet deeper and deeper until bolt closes is the Alex Wheeler method. As you said, there are a tons of ways to measure this.”
Finding Length to Lands the Speedy Way
Here is another method to find length to lands that can work with an unmounted barrel. This method is explained by Thomas “Speedy” Gonzales, a top gunsmith and ace benchrest shooter. Speedy drops a case with bullet seated into the chamber and then adjusts the seating depth with an inline seating die until there is no sticking or resistance felt. He can then adjust the true length to lands easily with his micrometer seating die. If you don’t have a modified case and do not want to partially disassemble your bolt to take measurement, you might want to use Speedy’s method.
Finding Length to Lands Using Bolt Movement — Primal Rights
This video shows how to remove the firing pin assembly in your bolt. This way the bolt can be used to advance a case with bullet smoothly into the chamber. Then the bullet seated in the case neck will move back to “first touch” contact position. Then extract the case slowly and measure.
The video host states: “Overall length gauges and modified cases tend to be close, but never as precise as we would like them to be. Here we describe how to measure the length to your lands in your rifle as precisely as possible, using a caliper and bullet comparator.” NOTE: The host says a store-bought Modified Case may not deliver that exact same length from case base to lands as your own fired case. That is true, but as long as the commercial Modified Case gives you repeatable results, you have a functional reference point which you can then use to test seating depths relative to that measurement.
Finding Length to Lands Using Bullet in Case With Split-Cut Neck
Here is a common method that requires no special tools. Simply take a fired (no primer), neck-sized case and split the necks down vertically with a Dremel. Done right, this will hold the bullet in place when you chamber the unloaded round. As the bullet touches the rifling it will move back. As the cartridge chambers, the bullet slides back into the case to give you length to lands. This is not super-accurate but it is probably good enough for finding the length to lands for a hunting rifle. The video maker explains: “No need to purchase gauges for this if you are willing to sacrifice one case. With a little time and patience you can get good results with this method.” Further Explanation.
How to Adjust Tension — Length and Number of Neck Cuts
Forum member Andris Silins, who uses this method, explains: “I made the neck cuts using a Dremel with a cut-off wheel. You can adjust tension two ways. First, you can make the cuts longer or shorter. Longer cuts = less tension. If you used only three cuts instead of four you would get more tension. The trick is to be gentle when you open and close the bolt. If you ram the bolt closed you may wedge the bullet into the lands. When you open the bolt it helps to keep a finger or two near by to guide the case out straight because the ejector wants to push it sideways.” READ MORE.
Finding the Lands with HK Rifleworks
This is another video that demonstrates how to disassemble the bolt so that the firing pin assembly and spring does not apply pressure on the empty case which would affect the bullet as it touches the lands. The video maker shows how to use a Brownells bolt disassembly tool to quickly take the bolt apart (3:20 time-mark). Once you have a repeatable measurement, you know exactly where is “first touch”. Then you can adjust your seating depth to be into the lands, or jumping the bullets. Many benchrest shooters like to load “into the lands”. PRS/NRL shooters and hunters will generally prefer to jump their bullets .0020″ or more.
For some applications, we prefer a non-bushing FL die over a bushing die. Shown here are three Forster full-length sizing dies, with necks honed to three different dimensions: 0.265″, 0.266″, and 0.267″.
The Honed Full-Length Sizing Die Option
There are many good options in full-length (FL) sizing dies. Most precision hand-loaders prefer FL dies with neck bushings. These let you adjust the “grip” on your bullet by using larger or smaller bushings. FL bushing dies are available from Whidden Gunworks, Forster, Redding and other makers.
Conventional, non-bushing full-length sizing dies can create ultra-accurate ammo with very low run-out. But many conventional non-bushing FL dies have an undersized neck diameter so you end up with excess neck tension, and you work the brass excessively.
There is another effective option, one that promises extremely low run-out. The honed FL die is a full-length sizing die that has the necked honed to provide a precise fit to the case-neck. When done right, honed FL dies produce extremely straight ammo — as there are no issues with bushing alignment (or bushings that are not perfectly concentric). This Editor owns honed dies from Forster, Redding, and Whidden Gunworks. They all perform extremely well, delivering match ammunition with extremely low run-out measured with a 21st Century Concentricity Gauge.
In one of the most popular articles we’ve ever published, Bugholes from Bipod, California shooter “Froggy” explained why he prefers honed dies for his tactical ammo.
Q: Do you FL size every time? Do you use custom dies?
Absolutely, I full length resize all of my brass every time I reload. And guess what? I’ve never had a feeding problem.
I do use a modified sizing die, without bushings. My FL resizing die has been custom-honed in the neck area to give .0015″ press fit on the bullet. I also put a slightly larger radius at the neck shoulder junction. I feel that this helps to seal the chamber. With this die, I get consistent neck tension every time–without bushings. Bushings are useful when you’re fishing around for a good load. But once you find the right amount of sizing for ideal neck tension, you can do this better with a customized FL die.
6.5 Guys Review Forster Honed Full-length Dies
The 6.5 Guys have reviewed honed FL sizing dies from Forster, explaining the pros and cons of this type of reloading die. They explained that, if you load a wide variety of bullets from different manufacturers, you many want to stick with a Bushing FL die. However, if you have settled on a particular bullet and found the “ideal” neck tension, then a honed die may make sense.
In this Gear Update, the 6.5 Guys discuss a service offered by Forster Products to custom hone the neck diameter of its full-length sizing dies to the customer’s specifications (to the thousandth). Whidden Gunworks has also crafted custom-honed FL dies for many customers, including this Editor.
Here’s an extreme range of .224-Caliber bullets: 35gr varmint bullet and 90gr match bullet. Of course, along with bullet length/design, you need to consider MV when choosing twist rate.
Even with the same caliber (and same bullet weight), different bullet types may require different rates of spin to stabilize properly. The bullet’s initial spin rate (RPM) is a function of the bullet’s muzzle velocity and the spin imparted by the rifling in the barrel. You want to ensure your bullet is stable throughout flight. It is better to have too much spin than too little, according to many ballistics experts, including Bryan Litz of Applied Ballistics. The late Glen Zediker put together some basic tips concerning barrel twist rates and bullet stability. These come from Glen’s book, Top Grade Ammo.
Choosing the Right Twist Rate
I’d always rather have a twist too fast than not fast enough. Generally… I recommend erring toward the faster side of a barrel twist decision. 1:8″ twist is becoming a “new standard” for .224 caliber, replacing 1:9″ in the process. The reason is that new bullets tend to be bigger rather than smaller. Don’t let a too-slow twist limit your capacity to [achieve] better long-range performance.
Base your next barrel twist rate decision on the longest, heaviest bullets you choose to use, and at the same time realize that the rate you choose will in turn limit your bullet choices. If the longest, heaviest bullet you’ll shoot (ever) is a 55-grain .224, then there’s honestly no reason not to use a 1:12″. Likewise true for .308-caliber: unless you’re going over 200-grain bullet weight, a 1:10″ will perform perfectly well.
Bullet Length is More Critical than Weight
Bullet length, not weight, [primarily] determines how much rotation is necessary for stability. Twist rate suggestions, though, are most usually given with respect to bullet weight, but that’s more of a generality for convenience’s sake, I think. The reason is that with the introduction of higher-ballistic-coefficient bullet designs, which are longer than conventional forms, it is easily possible to have two same-weight bullets that won’t both stabilize from the same twist rate.
Evidence of Instability
The tell-tale for an unstable (wobbling or tumbling) bullet is an oblong hole in the target paper, a “keyhole,” and that means the bullet contacted the target at some attitude other than nose-first.
Increasing Barrel Length Can Deliver More Velocity, But That May Still Not Provide Enough Stability if the Twist Rate Is Too Slow
Bullet speed and barrel length have an influence on bullet stability, and a higher muzzle velocity through a longer tube will bring on more effect from the twist, but it’s a little too edgy if a particular bullet stabilizes only when running maximum velocity.
My failed 90-grain .224 experiment is a good example of that: I could get them asleep in a 1:7″ twist, 25-inch barrel, which was chambered in .22 PPC, but could not get them stabilized in a 20-inch 1:7″ .223 Rem. The answer always is to get a twist that’s correct.
These tips were adapted from Glen’s popular 2016 book, Top-Grade Ammo. That work, now getting harder to find, has numerous helpful articles on technical topics. Berger Bullets also has a FREE online Twist Rate Stability Calculator, developed by Applied Ballistics.
Here is a simple technique that can potentially help you load straighter ammo, with less run-out (as measured on the bullet). This procedure costs nothing and adds only a few seconds to the time needed to load a cartridge. Next time you’re loading ammo with a threaded (screw-in) seating die, try seating the bullet in two stages. Run the cartridge up in the seating die just enough to seat the bullet half way. Then lower the cartridge and rotate it 180° in the shell-holder. Now raise the cartridge up into the die again and finish seating the bullet.
Steve, aka “Short Range”, one of our Forum members, recently inquired about run-out apparently caused by his bullet-seating process. Steve’s 30BR cases were coming out of his neck-sizer with good concentricity, but the run-out nearly doubled after he seated the bullets. At the suggestion of other Forum members, Steve tried the process of rotating his cartridge while seating his bullet. Steve then measured run-out on his loaded rounds. To his surprise there was a noticeable reduction in run-out on the cases which had been rotated during seating. Steve explains: “For the rounds that I loaded yesterday, I seated the bullet half-way, and turned the round 180 degrees, and finished seating the bullet. That reduced the bullet runout by almost half on most rounds compared to the measurements from the first test.”
Steve recorded run-out measurements on his 30 BR brass using both the conventional (one-pass) seating procedure, as well as the two-stage (with 180° rotation) method. Steve’s measurements are collected in the two charts above. As you can see, the run-out was less for the rounds which were rotated during seating. Note, the change is pretty small (less than .001″ on average), but every little bit helps in the accuracy game. If you use a threaded (screw-in) seating die, you might try this two-stage bullet-seating method. Rotating your case in the middle of the seating process won’t cost you a penny, and it just might produce straighter ammo (nothing is guaranteed). If you do NOT see any improvement on the target, you can always go back to seating your bullets in one pass. READ Forum Thread..
Peterson Cartridge Company (“Peterson”) has released a lengthy, authoritative guide to the 22 Creedmoor cartridge, a popular wildcat based on the 6.5 Creedmoor or 6mm Creedmoor necked down to .224 caliber. We think the .22 Creedmoor would be a great long-range varmint cartridge, similar to the .22-250 Rem, but with a more modern, efficient cartridge design. In addition, some PRS/NRL competitors may turn to the .22 Creedmoor because it has less recoil and is flatter-shooting than the 6mm Creedmoor. In addition, .224-caliber match bullets are typically less expensive than heavier 6mm and 6.5mm projectiles. Less recoil, and less cost — what’s not to like?*
Along with load data, this article has specific sections dedicated to: Primers, Rifling Twist Rates, and Reloading Supplies. If you are considering building a .22 Creedmoor, we recommend you download the full Peterson .22 Creedmoor article, which is available in PDF format.
Peterson states, “Since its inception in 2007… the 6.5 Creedmoor has seen some pretty meteoric growth in popularity. That growth continues as of this writing, as the cartridge has now gone mainstream with hunters and shooters alike. As the popularity of the 6.5 Creedmoor has increased, so has the number of wildcat cartridges based off of it. Some of those popular wildcat cartridges are the 6mm Creedmoor, the .25 Creedmoor, and now the .22 Creedmoor. This data sheet will cover the .22 Creedmoor.
To help our customers, and anyone else who shoots .22 Creedmoor, we decided to create this Data Sheet and distribute it. [In this LOAD DATA Document] you will find four (4) common bullets, and four (4) common rifle powders used when handloading the .22 Creedmoor cartridge. We then took the different bullet and powder combinations and loaded them up to the SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for the 6.5 Creedmoor and 6mm Creedmoor cartridges, which is 62,000 PSI. [O]ur goal was to provide a wide spectrum of bullet weights and the powders used with them.
All of the following data was gathered by our ballistician in our indoor ballistics lab located in our factory in Pennsylvania. Although we were able to gather pressure and velocity data in our lab, we have NOT tested these loads for accuracy. Again, these loads are just designed to give shooters information regarding what velocity, a given bullet and powder charge combination, will produce the SAAMI Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) of 62,000 psi.”
Sample 22 Creedmoor LOAD DATA
IMPORTANT — Pressures can vary significantly with different Cartridge Overall Lengths (COAL). In addition, ANY change to ANY load components — primers, bullets, brass, powder — can affect pressure. Always load conservatively. In addition, because of variances in bore dimensions, some barrels may show higher pressures than others. Again, always start with conservative loads, well below MAX pressures.
*Actually there IS a potential downside — reduced barrel life. We expect that a .22 Creedmoor running hot varmint loads would experience shorter useful barrel life compared to a 6.5 Creedmoor. This is based on what we’ve observed with .22-250 and .22-250 Ackley barrels compared to our 6.5 CM barrels.
Neck-sizing dies resize only the neck of the case. The benefit of sizing only the neck is that the brass is “worked” very little, reducing the amount of changes to the brss. [We recommend full-length sizing for all applications after the first couple of firings, and semi-auto brass should be full-length sized every time!] Sinclair recommends that neck-sized-only cartridges should not be used any in other rifle besides the one they were originally fired from [unless they are also FL-sized], or in any action other than a bolt-action.
If you search the AccurateShooter.com 
Increasing Barrel Length Can Deliver More Velocity, But That May Still Not Provide Enough Stability if the Twist Rate Is Too Slow
