small-base Grendel

[just_john]

Has any one thought about using the 22Nosler case to create a 5.56 bolt compliant Grendel? From a 30,000 ft viewpoint, it seems do-able?

[A5BLASTER]

Not sure how close this would be to what your asking but you could try googling 6.5x223.

[LRRPF52]

The case is too long, and you still have bolt thrust to deal with, now concentrated into a smaller bolt face, with all the same engineering and physics realities.

Feeding and extraction are often problematic with rebated cartridges as well, for a number of reasons-the case head and case body having different diameters being the main culprit.

[bj139]

It sounds like this would be a Grendel case with a rebated rim. The rebated rim may feed better from mags.

[JASmith]

This WILL NOT be a Grendel case with a rebated rim.

The 22 Nosler starts with the SPC case with a turned down rim and necked down to .223 bullet diameter.

My main gripe with the 22 Nosler cartridge is that Nosler did not seem to be interested in the needs of long range competitors where long bullets are needed. Instead, they seem to have gone with "just a little bit longer" than the the .223 Rem.

[StoneHendge]

Don't bother. The brass absolutely sucks and the suck@ss brass in the rebated case head can't handle the bolt thrust. I'm able to push a 75 grain vld target at 2900 fps with 1/2 MOA or better accuracy and single digit sd out of my 18" Odin barrel. No pressure signs on the primer

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9396[/ATTACH]

But one out of four case heads gets completely abused.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9397[/ATTACH]

As you can see, the bolt is unlocking and turning and the extractor is literally tearing and bending the rim. This is with 27 gr of XBR in a case with more capacity than Grendel and a 75 gr bullet.....

That load goes transonic at around 1100 in my parts and subsonic around 1250. But I'm probably relegating the build to being a 223 +P equivalent where I'm doing a 70 gr RDF at 2850. the brass can handle that load so I guess I'll just use up the brass I have, wear out the barrel and see if Nosler has improved the brass when the time comes. If not, I'll probably end up doing a wildcat

JA, if Nosler had designed it for longer bullets, it would have been at the expense of case capacity and hence velocity. They chose the velocity route....

[Kilco]

I've held off from building a 22 Nosler based on your feedback so far. Ballistics look fun, but someone has to either make better brass, or Nosler needs to step it up.

Based on the overwhelming number of complaints regarding the soft brass, I'm hoping and assuming they are aware of the issue.

[StoneHendge]

I've held off from building a 22 Nosler based on your feedback so far. Ballistics look fun, but someone has to either make better brass, or Nosler needs to step it up.

Based on the overwhelming number of complaints regarding the soft brass, I'm hoping and assuming they are aware of the issue.

The ballistics rock which is why I haven't given up yet. This is the output from Shooter in my normal summer shooting conditions and a 10mph left to right wind. Top is the 22 Nosler 75 gr VLD going 2900 fps from an 18er; bottom is my JP 22er load - 123 Scenar going 2550.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9398[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]9399[/ATTACH]

As you can see, there is quite a bit of difference in drop at 1000 yards (5 feet of drop!) and the 22 Nosler still has a flatter trajectory at that point, so hence a bigger danger zone out to that point. Wind drift is negligibly less for the Grendel. Not in anyway trying to say its better than Grendel (it's not!) but it is a lot of fun zipping that little bugger out there. A 70 gr rdf going 3000 should be even flatter - only 265' of drop at 1000

At this point, I'm culling the abused brass and trying to see if maybe there is a lot of inconsistency in hardness and see if the brass that has made it unscathed continues to be unscathed. If so, I'll stick to my effed up rollout theory and hope the brass on the market ultimately improves. It will be a while before I try more, and I'm certainly only going to buy 100 when I do.

[Longtubeman]

Have a better mouse trap for you, had this built for me in mid 90s. Use 222 mag brass. Use a 223imp reamer, and go just a little deeper. You end up with a 222 mag 40% with 22-250 speeds. 55gr at 3600.

[AWS]

Necking up the 204 Ruger does about the same thing, with out having to buy custom dies or do any fireforming and the 30 degree shoulder feeds easier. I shoot 22-204, 6mm-204 and 25-204 wild cats. The 25-204 will match 250-3000 factory specs and will push 75gr V-max to 3150 in a 22" barrel, 85gr NBT's to 3000.