.22 Nosler - Why?

[ProgSpear]

Midway has been sending me emails trying to entice me into buying .22 Nosler bits and pieces, including full uppers.

Looking at their reload pages, it seems to be nothing more than .223 Rem with a different shoulder geometry. Can anyone tell me why they did this? what advantage it might offer, given the potential risk of confusing them and chambering the wrong ammo in one or the other?

 

[dsdmmat]

Looks like a 6.8 case with a rebated rim and necked down to 224.

 

[Podmonkey]

Looks like a 6.8 case with a rebated rim and necked down to 224.

So it's a hyper velocity .22 in the vein of the 22-250 or 220 swift?

 

[dsdmmat]

So it's a hyper velocity .22 in the vein of the 22-250 or 220 swift?

Yeah it is about 300 FPS faster than the 223

 

[dsdmmat]

22 Nosler

 

[ManrisFrack]

So it's a hyper velocity .22 in the vein of the 22-250 or 220 swift?

Kinda. Not quite as fast as either of those but usable in an AR-15 magazine well. Not the first to neck a 6.8 case down to .22 but the first I know of to do so with a rebated rim. They're trying to trade on the Blackout's
'all you need is a barrel swap' mantra although you do need the 6.8 mags.

 

[ProgSpear]

OK, thanks, now I get it. Not sure I'd do it instead of 6.5 creedmoor though.

 

[Podmonkey]

Kinda. Not quite as fast as either of those but usable in an AR-15 magazine well. Not the first to neck a 6.8 case down to .22 but the first I know of to do so with a rebated rim. They're trying to trade on the Blackout's
'all you need is a barrel swap' mantra although you do need the 6.8 mags.

I hate to be that guy since I like innovation in cartridges but I fail to see the point. What can you do with this over a .223? A little extra range?

 

[meketrefe]

The 300 fps is marketing BS and out of context. Perhaps they want to compare it to the mildest possible rounds
like they do wiht other rounds to make the 223 look inferior.

Compared to the 223 at full power (5.56 type of pressures) there is little benefit perhaps between
50 to 100 fps

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Rifle :: Choose by Caliber :: 223 Rem :: 223 Rem 53 gr V-MAX® Superformance®

Hornady Manufacturing Company :: Ammunition :: Rifle :: Choose by Caliber :: 223 Rem :: 223 Rem 75 gr BTHP Superformance® Match™

Premium 223 ammo even when compared to popular 22-250 is just 150gr slower so taking into account the
difference in charge is pretty remarkable for the 223. So most people do not need the 22-250 even if they
think they do.

Nosler had the right idea for a case only in the wrong caliber. The 6mm in 42mm would have been perfect
just like the 6.8 necked down to 6mm.

 

[ProgSpear]

While not directly related to the OP, I found this interesting. Some of the references in the comments were enlightening.
New Long-Range Wildcat for AR-15: the 6.5 x 40mm - The Firearm Blog