Nosler Releases The Brand New 22 Nosler | Fastest .22 Cartridge For The AR-15 Platfor

[M-Tecs]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...r-15-platform/

Tags: ar-15, High Velocity, hunting, new cartridge, Nosler


Early this morning I woke to a brand new press release detailing the latest factory produced wildcat-style cartridge offered by our friends over at Nosler. They claim that the new cartridge will boast velocities that rival the 22-250 cartridge while fitting into an AR-15 platform.
The only thing required to swap to the new 22 Nosler cartridge is to swap the upper for one chambered in the new speedy cartridge and switch over to 6.8 magazines (notice I didn’t say Six8.) The new 22 Nosler should perform well against small game, varmints, and even larger game like deer while using a platform that most shooters know and love with a familiar control layout.
I posted the press release at the bottom of this post so that you can read it yourself. CLICK HERE to learn more about the 22 Nosler as well as Nosler’s other offerings.

Bend, Ore—January 17, 2017— Nosler Inc. announced today the release of the 22 Nosler®, a new cartridge designed to transform any standard AR-15 into the fastest, most powerful .22 caliber available for the platform, with the least amount of modification. The new addition to Nosler’s cartridge family, which also features optimized 6.5mm, 7mm, 30 caliber and .338 magnum class rounds, delivers 30% more energy and is nearly 300 fps faster than a 223 Remington/ 5.56 NATO .
Born from the idea of creating the most powerful .22 caliber centerfire cartridge that would readily function in the AR platform, the 22 Nosler’s case design takes advantage of the AR-15’s unparalleled modularity, making the conversion from a standard 223 Remington/ 5.56 NATO to the 22 Nosler® simple, requiring only a swap of the upper to the new chambering and switching out to a 6.8 Rem SPC magazine. This effortless two-step retrofit will allow shooters to experience the 22 Nosler’s lightning fast, hard-hitting performance, while still being able to use their existing 223 bolt carrier group.
Approaching 22-250 velocities in a significantly smaller package, the 22 Nosler® yields nearly 25% more capacity than the 223 Rem/ 5.56 NATO making the round capable of pushing a 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet at 2,950 fps out of an AR-15 fitted with an 18” barrel and a 77gr. Custom Competition® bullet at 2,950 fps.
“The AR-15 is indisputably one of the most popular firearms among shooting enthusiasts across the globe” said John Nosler, Executive Vice President for the company. “While there are other hard-hitting cartridges that exist for the platform, as far as .22 caliber is concerned, nothing compares to the performance of our newly engineered 22 Nosler case. It was important to us that every AR-15 owner could instantly customize their existing rifle to 22 Nosler without any fancy gunsmithing. In keeping with that goal, a simple switch of the magazine and upper will do the trick. With a cartridge innovation this significant, any shooter running other .22 cals in their AR-15, will at the very least, have to reconsider their efficiency.”
The 22 Nosler® is a SAAMI standardized cartridge making for consistent brass and chamber dimensions industry wide. The company will be supporting the new cartridge with Nosler® Brass and ammunition, with plans to chamber their full line of M48 bolt action rifles in 24” barrel configurations in the future. Complete uppers and magazines for 22 Nosler® conversions will be available at major sporting goods retailers nationwide.
22 Nosler® ammunition will initially be loaded in the company’s popular Match Grade^™and Trophy Grade^™Ammunition lines in the following offerings:

• Nosler® Trophy Grade^™ Ammunition— 55gr. Ballistic Tip
• 3,500 fps (24” SAAMI test bbl) | 3,350 fps (18” gas-op semi auto)
• Nosler® Match Grade^™ Ammunition— 77gr. Custom Competition
• 3,100 fps (24” SAAMI test bbl) | 3,350 fps (18” gas-op semi auto)

[RU shooter]

I like it ! Sorta like a mini 284 win case .

[HollowPoint]

This sounds like a promising new chambering. However, I'm having trouble making sense of the numbers listed in the last few sentences. They don't seem to add up.

• "Nosler® Trophy Grade^™ Ammunition— 55gr. Ballistic Tip
• 3,500 fps (24” SAAMI test bbl) | 3,350 fps (18” gas-op semi auto)
• Nosler® Match Grade^™ Ammunition— 77gr. Custom Competition
• 3,100 fps (24” SAAMI test bbl) | 3,350 fps (18” gas-op semi auto)"

I have no trouble believing these velocities out of a 24" test barrel but, that same velocity out of an 18" gas operated semi auto is kind of hard to believe. Perhaps it's just a typo. The same holds true with that last set of velocities. 3100 fps from a 24" test barrel makes sense given the details stated about the cartridge but, it's hard for me to wrap my head around the 3,350 fps from an 18" barrel gas operated or not.

I was always of the understanding that a gas operating system tends to inherently siphon off a certain amount of velocity, as does a shorter barrel length. I could just be missing something here. I still think this new cartridge design sounds promising. I also think that it might be even better yet if the pills were .19 caliber instead of 22.

HollowPoint

[Lloyd Smale]

if its typical of nosler when they produce the guns and the ammo they will be very proud of it. They think there stuff is about gold,.

[MT Chambers]

More .22 cartridges doesn't mean that they are legal for deer hunting, certainly not in my area, an area known for trophy whitetails.

[RU shooter]

Be interesting to see if they follow it up with a 6mm or other caliber versions as there's already a slue of wildcats based on the 6.8 brass except this version uses a standard 5.56 bolt

[GRUMPA]

Well.....the way I think things out all I'm seeing is something that'll have a short barrel life. Well....shorter barrel life the 5.56 that is. With just a quick thought ( keep in mind I haven't had my 2 pots-o-coffee yet) those cases can be made from 30-30 brass, with a bit of lathe work. I'm wondering what they "Think" they're going to be charging for the ammo.

[376Steyr]

My advice: If you take the plunge for one of these, buy a lifetime supply of brass while you can, just in case it doesn't catch on. -376Steyr

[Geezer in NH]

Another attempt to sell IMHO. That has worked for the last 75 years or more.

[Scharfschuetze]

Looks like the case is based on the original 30 Remington case which is .420 in diameter and 2.06" long. That diameter is proving to be popular all of a sudden, especially as it works well in the original M16/AR15 platform.

Nosler is really pumping out these proprietary barrel burning and flat shooting cartridges, much to delight of many. My general reaction so far has been a muted "ho hum" although any news about firearms is of interest to me.

[tomme boy]

Not going to sell very well. Those #'s are not that good.

[tomme boy]

Ha ha! whats funny is they are saying 5.56 #'s but giving out less than 223 #'s

[tdoyka]

yawn.................

[Smoke4320]

4000-5000 shot barrel life. And probably less than 1000 accurately .. been there done that
No thanks

[HollowPoint]

Wildcatting has filled in virtually every niche there is on any ballistics table but it seems that the firearms manufactures are now out of necessity, relegated to trying to fill in the niches in between the niches because the firearms platforms themselves have basically all been marketed already.

Any new guns that are introduced as new and improved are simply the same old designs wearing a new stock design or some sort of embellishment to give the illusion of something new. Eventually someone will come up with something revolutionary that will take firearms to the next level. Until that time we'll keep getting the same old thing wearing a new skin.

HollowPoint

[M-Tecs]

Most of the responses surprised me. I looks like an ideal coyote cartridge in the AR platform. Time will tell how it does and the 20 cal and 6mm's that will follow.

[dverna]

Barrels on AR's are not difficult to change so if someone really wanted the added umph barrel life is not a huge deal.

If I lived out in the plains, the increased range might justify adding the caliber but not here in Michigan. There are so many advantages to the 5.56 in terms of cheap brass and standard magazines that I do not see this as a winner. Do something in a 6mm or .25 and there would be more interest.

Don Verna

[dragon813gt]

Least amount of modification? The article says upper, as in complete, and mags. Personally I prefer the ones that use everything from the 5.56 and only require a barrel change. I guess swapping an entire upper is considered minimal modification by the author.

The advice to buy a lifetime supply of brass is a good one. Cartridges come and go all the time anymore. I have little interest in a cartridge like this. Barrel swaps will be easy but they aren't going to be cheap.

[dkf]

There are .224" cartridges already being chambered in the AR-15 on the same level, some are just wildcats.(224AR, 22 Beast) You can get a .223wssm upper from Dtec. The price of the complete uppers in .22nosler did surprise me at under $500 at Midway. Though they are made by AR stoner which does not instill much confidence.

[Texas by God]

I don't want an AR that I have to keep a brass catcher on all the time. It still ain't no 22-250 but it mimics the old .223 out of a 24" barrel (55gr@ 3300). It will make a good hunter with the fast twist & heavy bullets. Best, Thomas.