Caliber Battle: 22 Creedmoor vs. 22 ARC

But as you’ve no doubt heard by now, maximizing velocity is no longer the Holy Grail of hunting cartridges: enter the 22 ARC and the 22 Creedmoor. Neither can compete with the .220 Swift or the .22-250 in a race, but that’s not what these modern cartridges are designed to do. The ARC and the Creed are meant to use heavier, more streamlined bullets that buck the wind and offer superior downrange performance.

But which is better? Both have been released within the last few years, and both operate within the heavy-bullet framework. If you’re unsure why you might choose one over the other, you’re not alone–and you’ve come to the right place.

Ballistics

The case is the key difference between the 22 ARC and the 22 Creedmoor. The ARC uses the 6.5 Grendel as its parent case while the Creedmoor is based on the .30 Thompson Center.

What does this mean? The Creedmoor can fit 40% more powder down its gullet.

That means the Creed offers more velocity at the muzzle than the ARC–though not as much as you might think. Using an 80-grain ELD-X bullet and a 24-inch barrel, the Creedmoor flies 3285 feet-per-second (fps) at the muzzle while the ARC hums along at 3010. Using a 70-grain bullet, the Creedmoor jumps up to 3550 fps while the ARC remains 300+ fps behind at 3125 fps.

As you might expect, that added velocity means less drop and wind drift, and more energy downrange.

22 Creedmoor, 80g ELD-M w/ 90-degree 10mph wind

22 ARC, 80g ELD-M w/ 90-degree 10mph wind

Handloaders will point out that the ARC can be loaded hotter. Because it was designed for AR-platform semi-automatic rifles, Hornady introduced the cartridge with a maximum average pressure of 52,000 PSI. That’s lower than what you can get away with in a bolt-action platform, so some handloaders have claimed to achieve better velocities using their own recipes. I can’t condone or recommend that, but it’s worth noting.

Also worth noting: your results may vary. This data is derived using a 24-inch barrel. If the barrel on your rifle is shorter–as it almost certainly is if you’re shooting an AR-15–your velocities might be lower. The powder you use will also impact bullet velocity, so even with a 24-inch barrel, the bullets fired from your gun might be faster or slower.

The 22 ARC is an excellent cartridge. Its velocity proves the efficiency of its design, and it adheres wonderfully to the heavy, high-BC bullet philosophy so many hunters have adopted. But when it comes to ballistics, it’s tough to overcome case capacity. The 22 Creed pushes bullets faster–and gives hunters all the downrange benefits that come with that advantage. For that reason, the Creedmoor wins this round.

Winner: 22 Creedmoor

Shootability

It’s been a minute since we published a Caliber Battle, so as a reminder, “shootability” refers to how easy a cartridge is to shoot. This category considers recoil, but it also considers the cost and availability of the cartridge.

The newness of both cartridges might make availability an issue. Midway USA lists 10 options for the 22 Creedmoor, six of which are in stock. There are only five options of the 22 ARC, though all of them are available as of this writing. (For comparison, the .223 Rem. has 149 options.) You can, of course, find many other online retailers, but I looked through several, and Midway’s selection is representative.

You might have luck finding the 22 ARC or 22 Creedmoor in your local sporting goods store, but I wouldn’t pin my hopes on that the day before a hunt.

Part of the reason for that limited availability is that it doesn’t look like many of the big ammo makers have adopted either cartridge. There are a few smaller manufacturers loading the 22 Creedmoor, but other than Hornady, Nosler is the only large company to offer the new .22. I don’t see either cartridge listed at Federal, Sig Sauer, or Remington, and Hornady appears to be the only one offering the 22 ARC.

The good news is that you won’t pay much more for either the ARC or the Creedmoor than you would for another premium centerfire rifle cartridge. The 22 Creedmoor runs between $2.20 per round all the way up to $5.50. But that $2.20 cartridge uses 80-grain ELD-Match bullets, so it’s still a high quality option.

The 22 ARC is noticeably cheaper. Hornady is the only manufacturer, but they offer options between $1.42 per round for 62-grain ELD-VT loads to $1.90 per round for 70-grain CX Superformance loads. The ARC’s smaller cartridge lost the Ballistics battle, but it does make the 22 ARC cheaper to produce–and shoot.

It also gives the 22 ARC extremely mild recoil. Recoil impulse depends a lot on the weight of a rifle and its action. But despite its larger powder charge, the 22 ARC will feel a lot like shooting a .223 Rem. It’s extremely pleasant to shoot at the range, and the minimal recoil helps hunters make accurate shots in the field.

The 22 Creedmoor isn’t unpleasant to shoot, but the recoil is noticeably stiffer. Most hunters compare shooting the 22 Creed to the classic .243 Winchester. The published recoil data lists the 22 Creedmoor kicking with 10-12 foot-pounds of recoil energy while the 22 ARC hits with 4-5 ft.-lbs. Neither is substantial, but the Creedmoor’s extra powder gives it more kick even when using identical bullets.

The ARC might be marginally harder to find than the Creedmoor, but its cheaper cost and lighter recoil earn it the nod in this category.

Winner: 22 ARC

Versatility

Both the 22 ARC and the 22 Creedmoor are phenomenal varmint and predator cartridges. The range of bullet weights and styles are tailored for this class of animal, and both cartridges shoot flat and hit hard at extended ranges without doing too much damage to the animal’s hide.

Few would question the viability of these cartridges for predators, but some might raise their eyebrows at shooting a deer-sized animal with an 80-grain bullet. I don’t think that concern is warranted. If you hit a deer in the vitals with an 80-grain ELD-X bullet (available from the factory in both cartridges), that animal won’t be going very far. Thousands of deer are killed every year with .223 Rem. rifles, and the .243 Win. kills even more. The 22 ARC and 22 Creed sit between those two, which if you’re trying to kill a whitetail, is a pretty good place to be.

You’ll be able to do many of the same things with both cartridges, but there are differences at the margins. As we covered earlier, the Creedmoor’s superior ballistics give it an edge at extended ranges and in windy conditions. If you want to hit a deer at 400 yards, the Creedmoor will drop five fewer inches than the ARC and drift one fewer inch. It’ll also be traveling about 200 fps faster and hitting with about 200 additional foot-pounds of energy. All of those things make success more likely, especially if the shot isn’t perfectly broadside.

On the other hand, if you like hunting with an AR-platform rifle, the 22 ARC is your jam. A wide variety of manufacturers offer an AR model chambered in 22 ARC, and it’s easy to build your own. You can also convert an AR-15 you already own to fire the 22 ARC cartridge. Doing so requires installing a 22 ARC barrel and a 6.5 Grendel bolt, but neither task is difficult with the right tools. You may also need to purchase new magazines since some have experienced feeding issues with standard AR mags.

Whether you’re more attracted to the 22 Creedmoor’s superior ballistics or the 22 ARC’s AR compatibility depends on what you like to hunt. Coyote hunters will likely appreciate the semi-auto functionality of an AR-15 while deer hunters might prefer higher velocity and bullet energy. Personally, I think the Creedmoor’s superior ballistics make it a more versatile cartridge. I’ve hunted with an AR-15 many times, but that platform doesn’t give me as much of an edge as a cartridge that shoots faster and hits harder. That benefit will be more useful than semi-auto functionality, which is why this round goes to the Creedmoor.

Winner: 22 Creedmoor

And the Winner Is…

Without knowing anything else about your preferences and priorities in the field, I would in general recommend the 22 Creedmoor over the 22 ARC. It offers better velocity and energy while still being comfortable to shoot. The ammo isn’t prohibitively expensive, and it’s a little easier to find on the shelves than the 22 ARC. Rifles are also easy to come by, though you might have to order one online.

The 22 ARC is a really cool cartridge, but I don’t see its benefits outweighing the Creedmoor’s for most hunters. That might not be true of you. You might be a coyote and hog hunting machine who values a semi-auto platform above a little extra velocity. If that’s you, go with the ARC. But if you’re a whitetail hunter who occasionally targets coyotes, I think you’ll be happier with the Creedmoor.

Overall Winner: 22 Creedmoor