The second it clicked to me that the 22 ARC might have more potential than being simply one other gas-gun varmint cartridge was once I despatched 5 rounds in a row right into a 16-inch metal plate at 1,000 yards in a 10- to 12-mph crosswind. The shocking half, to me, was that I used to be in a position to maintain the identical windage correction I simply used with my 6.5 CM bolt gun taking pictures 140-grain Sierra MatchKing bullets. I’ve thought of utilizing .22-caliber cartridges just like the .22/250 Rem. or .220 Swift for large recreation animals like sheep and caribou, however the marginal discount in recoil would come at the price of dramatic wind drift — a major limiting issue. With various trendy, heavy-for-caliber .224 bullets, that’s not the case. Contemplating drop and wind drift, the 22 ARC performs far more just like the 6.5 CM than a normal .223 Rem.
Why Hunt Moose With A 22 ARC?
The most important query most individuals requested once they realized I used to be going to take a 22 ARC moose searching was: why? The reply, even when boring and unsatisfying, was to see what would occur. To be clear, I by no means thought of the 22 ARC as a superlative moose cartridge. Nor was I paid by the Illuminati to push a story in regards to the cartridge to promote ammo and rifles. In actual fact, the parents at Hornady have been in all probability horrified once I instructed them why I used to be asking particular questions on terminal efficiency of bullets just like the 80-grain ELD-X.
My major curiosity within the 22 ARC is its potential as a sheep and black bear cartridge, however chasing moose was my subsequent searching alternative, in order that’s the place I used it. It’s so simple as that. Internally, my thought was: I’ve killed moose with 90-grain .243 bullets and 110-grain .25-cal bullets, why would I be apprehensive a few .22-cal 80- or 88-grain bullet at comparable velocities?
I plugged as many individuals I may for data on penetration and wound-channel traits on a few of these newer heavy .224 bullets. Anecdotes of terminal efficiency on antelope, African plains recreation, moose, and elk satisfied me that with cautious consideration to shot choice and distance, the 22 ARC would do greater than sufficient injury to kill a moose shortly and successfully — particularly contemplating that we nearly all the time shoot our moose at lower than 200 yards. My real curiosity was to see simply how these little bullets would carry out, and what which may probably imply to be used on deer-sized recreation.
On Killing Moose
Many individuals imagine that as a result of moose are so massive, they’re troublesome to kill, or require proportionally massive cartridges to get the job executed. Although there may be definitely a spot for booming magnums in moose searching, inside most moose-hunting parameters, big cartridges simply aren’t necessary. In case you shoot a moose via each lungs with any increasing bullet that can do a decent quantity of injury, it should die quick.
One other attribute of moose that makes individuals assume they want large cartridges is their tendency to take in photographs earlier than falling. It’s frequent for hunters to shoot moose two or 3 times (and typically extra) as a result of the moose will often stand nonetheless or transfer a bit of methods slightly than dash away. I’ve killed and seen them killed with all kinds of calibers they usually practically all the time die on this method. Most moose hunters will shoot as soon as, fireplace a follow-up shot, maybe a 3rd relying on circumstances, and the moose will fall over. They may keep on their ft for greater than a minute, or only a few seconds. The outcomes nearly all the time fall underneath these parameters with double-lung shot.
Killing A Moose with the 22 ARC: Uneventful, however Informative
I didn’t count on a lot drama when it got here to killing my moose, and it went down as if it had been some other caliber. My shot alternative got here at a bull who was strolling broadside via a finger of brush that made for a difficult shot. Shortly scanning forward of the moose, I used to be capable of finding a small clear window that his chest would possible cross via. As he stepped throughout that slender opening, I fired a shot into his lungs.
The primary shot hit the center of a rib and terminated within the offside lung, blowing a gap in regards to the measurement of a baseball between the lungs.
Quite than seize up, the bull sprung ahead, angling away, and I fired a second fast shot that hit him within the meatiest a part of the left hind quarter. I hate ruining any meat, and am nonetheless beating myself up about hitting his quarter. Nonetheless, it was fascinating to see that the bullet put roughly a racquetball-sized wound channel via 10 inches of strong meat earlier than utterly shattering the highest of the femur. I couldn’t discover the bullet or any items of jacket, and it appeared to have ended up someplace within the physique cavity.
I fired a 3rd shot because the bull got here to a cease, which impacted a pair inches from the primary. This final shot nearly definitely hit a twig or piece of brush and tumbled, passing via each lungs. It tore an extended gash within the close to lung and left a golf-ball-sized gap within the offside lung, terminating underneath the off-side shoulder’s scapula.
I fired all three photographs in about 5.5 seconds, and the bull dropped 40 seconds after the primary shot after touring about 20 yards — a typical, routine moose kill, in my expertise.
Heavy-for-Caliber
The bullets the 22 ARC is designed round, and their potential for big-game, is one side of the cartridge that actually appeals to me. Its benefits as a gas-gun cartridge are fairly easy — it’s designed to make use of longer, heavier, and extra environment friendly bullets than the .223/5.56mm can discipline in a normal AR-length journal. These bullets are what give the cartridge its wind-bucking properties.
For a few years, service rifle shooters have used 80-grain (and heavier) bullets on the 600-yard-line, and I earned my Distinguished Rifleman Badge taking pictures 80-grain Sierra MatchKings. Nevertheless, in contrast to the stubby 77-grain SMKs and tipped TMKs, the environment friendly, low-drag bullets are too lengthy to slot in an AR15 journal and should be single loaded.
I believe that the 22 ARC is just an environment friendly and efficient supply system for these heavy-for-caliber bullets — that are the actual star right here. One may realistically match a bolt motion with a tight-twist .22/250, .220 Swift, or .22 wildcat barrel and obtain comparable outcomes. It merely will depend on your style and what metrics are most necessary to you.
22 ARC vs 22 Creedmoor
The opposite scorching .22-cal in the home is the 22 Creedmoor — one other necked-down wildcat. The 22 Creedmoor is a wonderful performer with heavy-for-caliber bullets within the 80- to 90-grain vary, with a slight edge in case capability and velocity over a .22/250. With the identical bullet and barrel size, the 22 Creed will beat the 22 ARC by round 200 fps in velocity, however is unlikely to make a demonstrable distinction in terminal efficiency at cheap ranges. Each are correct and lethal choices.
Potential benefits of the 22 ARC are higher barrel life, roughly 30 to 40 p.c much less powder, and it could actually slot in among the mini-length actions just like the Howa Mini Action, NULA 20S, and Q Mini Fix. A draw back for bolt-action shooters is that manufacturing facility ammo is all at decrease gas-gun pressures. The 22 Creedmoor brings extra velocity, a greater variety of brass available on the market, and may nonetheless slot in any normal short-action bolt gun. Inside regular searching ranges, drop and drift are practically the identical, and the 22 Creed may offer you an additional 100 to 200 yards of vary. Each cartridges will lose velocity as barrels are shortened, and a 20-inch barrel permits good velocities for cheap searching ranges.
Varmint/Massive-Sport Crossover
After getting excited in regards to the wind-drift and low recoil of the 22 ARC, I began crunching numbers like a wannabe scientist on the point of discovering chilly fusion. If a few of these heavy .22-cal bullets may cause comparatively comparable injury as traditional crossover cartridges just like the .243 Win. and my old favorite .25/06, however burn much less powder, generate much less recoil, and provides us comparable drop and wind drift out of a shorter barrel, why would we not need to use them? Small calibers have their limitations, however with the ability to simply watch your impacts or see your bullet hint is a bonus that the majority hunters have by no means skilled.
Right here’s what a sensible 80-grain bolt-action load from a 22 ARC appears like in comparison with a few .243 and .25/06 masses utilizing comparable bullets with a 200-yard zero:
Drop/Drift/Velocity @200 yards | 300 yards | 400 yards | 500 yards | 600 yards | |
.243 Winchester, 90-grain ELD-X @3,150 fps | 0 in. / 3 in. / 2,702 fps | -6 in. / 6.5 in. / 2,491 fps | -17 in. / 11.5 in. / 2,288 fps | -35.5 in. / 19 in. / 2,092 fps | -61.5 in. / 30 in. / 1,902 fps |
.25/06 Rem, 110-grain ELD-X @3,000 fps | 0 in. / 2.5 in. / 2,614 fps | -6.5 in. / 6 in. / 2,428 fps | -18.5 in. / 11 in. / 2,247 fps | -38 in. / 18 in. / 2,073 fps | -65 in. / 27 in. / 1,905 fps |
22 ARC, 80-grain ELD-X @3,100 fps | 0 in. / 2.5 in. / 2,717 fps | -6 in. / 5.5 in. / 2,536 fps | -17 in. / 10 in. / 2,360 fps | –34.5 in. / 16 in. / 2,190 fps | -59 in. / 24 in. / 2,024 fps |
22 Creedmoor, 80-grain ELD-X @3,300 fps | 0 in. / 2 in. / 2,903 fps | -5 in. / 5 in. / 2,715 fps | -14.5 in / 9 in. / 2,534 fps | –30 in. / 15 in. / 2,385 fps | -51 in / 22 in / 2,188 |
*Wind drift is calculated for a ten mph 90-degree crosswind
*Muzzle velocities estimated for 24-inch barrels
The 22 ARC Shouldn’t Be Your Subsequent Moose Cartridge
I wouldn’t suggest the 22 ARC as a moose cartridge, however not for the explanation most would assume. With good bullet choice and considerate consideration of your taking pictures parameters, it’s completely succesful. Nevertheless, for many moose hunters particularly, there aren’t any compelling benefits to utilizing it over any variety of medium-sized moose killers. Efficiency was similar to a .243, which has killed piles of moose in Alaska, and is likely one of the greatest choices for youthful or recoil-sensitive hunters. However in these conditions, taking pictures moose is often executed at shorter ranges with supervision. The typical hunter is best off choosing one thing like a .308 and bullet.
The place Do Cartridges Just like the 22 ARC Give You Benefits?
I believe the actual shiny spot for the 22 ARC and comparable trendy .224s can be from varmints to deer-sized recreation. It does loads of injury on a moose, however will definitely be a stone-cold killer on smaller recreation. In a short-barreled feathery mountain rifle, I’d have the ability to match the ballistics of a few of my previous favorites whereas fortunately watching every bullet affect heading in the right direction. One factor I’m keen to guess on is whether or not I’m utilizing a .25/06, .243 Win., or 22 ARC, the animals received’t have the ability to inform the distinction.