Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. Reloading involves inherent risks. Always consult current manufacturer load data, follow established safety protocols, and work up loads incrementally. Neither the author nor MyReloading.com assumes liability for the use of the information presented here.
Powder selection is the single most consequential decision a 22 Creedmoor handloader makes. The cartridge’s large case volume and overbore character mean it is uniquely sensitive to burn rate; use the wrong powder family and you will see either dangerously compressed charges or inconsistent combustion. Use the right powder and the 22 Creedmoor delivers the flat trajectory and velocity retention that justify the barrel-life trade-off.
Three powders dominate real-world 22 Creedmoor use: H4350, StaBALL 6.5, and H1000. Each has a legitimate case. This article breaks down where each one wins, where it falls short, and which scenarios favor which choice, using Hornady’s published factory reference data for the cartridge as the baseline rather than scattered pre-standardization estimates.
Why the 22 Creedmoor Needs Slow Powder
Before getting into individual powders, it is worth understanding why the burn rate requirement exists.
The 22 Creedmoor case has a large internal volume, derived from the 6.5 Creedmoor, but feeds a .224-bore barrel. The bore is relatively narrow for the amount of gas the case can produce, the classic overbore configuration also seen in cartridges like the 22 ARC and the 224 Valkyrie, though the 22 Creedmoor pushes that ratio further than either. Fast-burning powders generate peak pressure before the bullet has traveled far enough down the bore to efficiently convert that pressure into velocity. The result is a dangerous pressure spike that does not translate into speed, and accuracy suffers as the pressure curve becomes erratic, a general principle covered in our spherical versus extruded powder explainer.
Slow-burning powders generate pressure across a longer portion of the bullet’s travel down the bore, extracting more velocity per unit of powder while keeping the pressure curve predictable. The practical burn rate window for 22 Creedmoor sits in the same range as 6.5 Creedmoor and 30-06 Springfield; powders like H4350, StaBALL 6.5, and H1000 are at home here, with Alliant Reloder 26, Reloder 17, Reloder 19, and Hodgdon Hybrid 100V occupying similar territory as secondary options outside the scope of this specific three-way comparison. Powders like Varget or CFE 223, which work well in moderate .224 cases like the 22 ARC, are too fast for the Creedmoor case; they produce excessive pressure before approaching useful velocity.
H4350: The Benchmark
H4350 has been the reference powder for the 6.5 Creedmoor since that cartridge’s introduction, and it carries that reputation directly into the 22 Creedmoor. It is the most widely tested, most documented, and most commonly referenced powder in 22 Creedmoor load data, and it is one of the powders included in Hornady’s own factory reference data for the cartridge. If you are starting load development and want a well-charted path, H4350 is where most handloaders begin.
Performance characteristics:
H4350 fills the 22 Creedmoor case efficiently with 80gr bullets. Per Hornady’s factory data, developed in a 24-inch, 1-in-8-inch twist barrel, maximum charges with 80gr ELD-X or ELD Match bullets run around 37.7gr, producing a muzzle velocity right around 3,200 fps. That velocity ceiling is what makes the 22 Creedmoor relevant as a long-range cartridge; H4350 gets you there reliably, and its charge range is well documented across multiple published sources.
Accuracy potential with H4350 is high. The powder produces consistent ignition across the Creedmoor’s charge range, and groups in the 0.4-0.6 MOA range are routinely reported with quality brass preparation and consistent technique. ES and SD numbers are typically good, often in the 10-18 fps ES and 4-7 fps SD range with careful load development. These are not match-grade numbers by the strictest benchrest standards, but they are fully adequate for hunting and most long-range shooting applications.
The temperature limitation:
H4350’s weakness is temperature sensitivity. It is an extruded powder, and extruded powders generally exhibit greater velocity variation across temperature extremes than spherical, or ball, powder alternatives. The exact magnitude varies by lot and by specific load, but a velocity spread in the range of 40 to 70 fps between a cold morning and a warm afternoon is a reasonable general expectation for H4350 across a wide seasonal temperature swing, rather than a precise fixed rate per degree.
For varminting and bench shooting where you develop and shoot at similar temperatures, this is manageable. For hunters who zero in one season and shoot in another, particularly in northern climates where temperature swings between zeroing and hunting can be 50°F or more, the velocity shift pushes point of impact enough at 500-plus yards to matter.
Best applications for H4350:
- Maximum velocity loads for varminting and long-range shooting at 75-80 grains
- Load development baseline; the best-documented starting point
- Use when shooting conditions are temperature-consistent
StaBALL 6.5: The Temperature-Stable Alternative
StaBALL 6.5 is Hodgdon’s temperature-insensitive ball powder, marketed specifically for the Creedmoor family of cartridges. It entered the 22 Creedmoor loading conversation as the solution to H4350’s primary limitation, and it delivers on that promise. What is less widely appreciated is that it does not actually cost you velocity to get that stability.
Performance characteristics:
This is worth stating plainly because it runs against the usual assumption about ball powders trading velocity for consistency: in Hornady’s own factory reference data, StaBALL 6.5 does not run behind H4350 with 80gr bullets, it runs ahead of it. Maximum StaBALL 6.5 charges with an 80gr ELD-X reach roughly 40.1gr, producing a muzzle velocity around 3,350 fps, about 150 fps higher than H4350’s documented ceiling in the same test conditions. The case volume that makes the 22 Creedmoor overbore for extruded powders gives StaBALL 6.5’s ball-powder chemistry more room to work, and the cartridge appears to reward it.
What StaBALL 6.5 gives you in top-end velocity, it also gives back in consistency. Temperature sensitivity testing on StaBALL 6.5 generally shows meaningfully less velocity variation across temperature than H4350, making a load developed at 60°F perform close to identically at 10°F. For a hunter carrying the same rifle from early October through late January, that predictability, combined with not sacrificing velocity to get it, is a genuinely rare combination.
ES and SD numbers with StaBALL 6.5 are typically outstanding. Single-digit SD, in the 5-8 fps range, is achievable with careful load development, and ES figures of 8-12 fps are common in well-prepared brass. The spherical powder’s uniform particle size produces very consistent ignition, which pays off directly in velocity consistency.
As a ball powder, StaBALL 6.5 also meters cleanly through powder measures. Extruded powders like H4350 can stick, bridge, or produce irregular measures, particularly in cold conditions. StaBALL 6.5 flows freely and consistently, which reduces preparation time and improves charge-to-charge uniformity for high-volume loading sessions.
Best applications for StaBALL 6.5:
- Hunting loads where temperature consistency across seasons matters
- Competition loads where low ES/SD is the primary goal
- High-volume loading where clean metering reduces prep time
- Cold-weather use where extruded powders become problematic
- Any application where you want H4350-or-better velocity without H4350’s temperature swing
H1000: The Heavy-Bullet and Maximum-Charge Specialist
H1000 is the third pillar of 22 Creedmoor loading. It burns slower than both H4350 and StaBALL 6.5, and that slower burn rate matters most when case capacity, not bore friction, becomes the limiting factor, whether that is because you are driving the heaviest bullets or because you are chasing the last available margin in the case with a lighter one.
Performance characteristics:
With 80gr bullets, H1000’s slower burn rate actually lets it reach the highest documented velocity ceiling of the three powders in Hornady’s factory data: a maximum charge around 45.4gr produces roughly 3,450 fps, about 100 fps beyond StaBALL 6.5’s ceiling and 250 fps beyond H4350’s. The catch is charge weight. That extra velocity comes from a substantially heavier charge, close to 20 percent more powder than an H4350 max load at the same bullet weight, which means faster consumption of your powder supply and more heat generated per shot for the same bullet. For most 80gr shooting, H4350 or StaBALL 6.5 remains the more practical everyday choice; H1000 at 80gr is there if you specifically want the extra 100 to 250 fps and are willing to pay for it in powder and barrel heat.
H1000 earns its reputation with 88 to 90gr bullets, where the case volume and pressure requirements of the heaviest .224 projectiles are a more natural match for its burn rate. Maximum charges with an 88gr ELD Match or 90gr A-Tip Match produce muzzle velocities in the neighborhood of 3,150 fps from a 24-inch barrel, matching StaBALL 6.5’s ceiling at the same bullet weight, though H1000 needs a somewhat heavier charge to get there.
That heaviest-bullet category matters because the 88gr ELD Match carries a G7 ballistic coefficient of approximately 0.274, meaningfully higher than the 80gr ELD-X’s G7 BC of around 0.244. Launching that heavier, higher-BC bullet at 3,000-plus fps produces a ballistic profile that sustains supersonic velocity further downrange and drifts less in crosswind than the lighter bullet at comparable velocity.
Temperature sensitivity with H1000 is moderate, better than H4350 but not as consistent as StaBALL 6.5. For dedicated precision work with heavy bullets at long range, the combination of BC and available case capacity generally justifies the modest temperature sensitivity trade-off.
Best applications for H1000:
- Maximum charge-weight loads with 88gr ELD-M or heavier bullets, where it matches StaBALL 6.5’s velocity ceiling
- Dedicated 1,000-yard precision loads where the heavier bullet’s BC advantage matters
- 80gr loads specifically chasing the last available velocity beyond what H4350 or StaBALL 6.5 offer, accepting the heavier charge that requires
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Characteristic | H4350 | StaBALL 6.5 | H1000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burn rate | Medium-slow | Medium-slow | Slow |
| Powder type | Extruded | Spherical (ball) | Extruded |
| Best bullet weight | 75-80gr | 75-88gr | 80-90gr |
| MV ceiling (80gr ELD-X, 24″) | ~3,200 fps | ~3,350 fps | ~3,450 fps |
| MV ceiling (88gr ELD-M, 24″) | Not listed in factory data | ~3,150 fps | ~3,150 fps |
| Temperature sensitivity | Moderate | Low | Moderate |
| Typical ES (with care) | 10-18 fps | 8-12 fps | 12-18 fps |
| Typical SD (with care) | 4-7 fps | 3-6 fps | 5-8 fps |
| Metering consistency | Good (extruded) | Excellent (ball) | Good (extruded) |
| Availability | Excellent | Good | Good |
| Best use case | Well-documented starting point, benchwork | Best all-around: velocity, consistency, and metering | Heavy-bullet precision, maximum charge weight |
Practical Recommendations by Scenario
Long-range varminting (75gr V-MAX or A-Tip Match): H4350 or StaBALL 6.5 both work well; StaBALL 6.5 edges out H4350 on top-end velocity in Hornady’s data, so it is worth developing a load with both rather than assuming H4350 is automatically faster. Temperature consistency is less critical when you are shooting at the same range across a single session, so H4350’s well-documented charge range still makes it a fine default starting point.
Deer and pronghorn hunting (80gr ELD-X): StaBALL 6.5. The temperature stability ensures your load performs identically whether you are shooting in early season warmth or late-season cold, and unlike the usual tradeoff, you are not giving up velocity to get it. Our 22 Creedmoor ballistics tables have more on trajectory and energy retention for this application.
Summer bench and load development (80gr ELD-X): H4350. Consistent conditions and the deepest published data set make it the best choice for building your load database and confirming ballistic data, even if StaBALL 6.5 offers a slight edge in outright velocity.
1,000-yard precision shooting (88gr ELD-M): H1000 or StaBALL 6.5. Both reach the same documented velocity ceiling with the heaviest bullets; StaBALL 6.5 gets there with a lighter charge and better temperature stability, while H1000 remains the traditional choice with the deepest heavy-bullet load history.
Competition shooting with variable weather: StaBALL 6.5. Low ES/SD and temperature insensitivity are the priorities in competition where conditions change between practice and match day.
Winter hunting in cold climates: StaBALL 6.5. Ball powders are inherently more reliable in cold temperatures, and the thermal stability eliminates the need to re-verify point of impact before a cold-weather hunt.
A Note on Testing Equipment
The ES and SD figures cited throughout this article assume careful technique, and the single biggest lever handloaders have over those numbers is the scale on the bench, not the powder in the case. A precision digital powder scale or a dispenser like the RCBS ChargeMaster Supreme removes most of the charge-to-charge variance that would otherwise show up as inflated ES/SD regardless of which of these three powders you choose. Primer selection matters too; CCI BR2 or Federal 210 match what Hornady used in its own factory testing, and are a sound default for any of the three powders covered here. Consistent case prep, particularly neck tension and primer pocket uniformity, matters as much as powder choice for the ES/SD numbers you will actually see on your own chronograph.
A Note on Factory Ammunition
Now that the 22 Creedmoor carries SAAMI acceptance, factory ammunition is beginning to reach the market, and early reports put factory-loaded 80gr offerings in the neighborhood of the same 3,150 to 3,200 fps region that careful handloads reach with H4350. That rough parity suggests the cartridge, at least with 80gr bullets and standard powders, is operating close to a practical ceiling rather than leaving obvious velocity on the table for factory ammunition to claim over handloads, though StaBALL 6.5 and especially H1000 push meaningfully past that figure per Hornady’s own factory test data if you are willing to run heavier charges.
The practical implication either way: in the 22 Creedmoor, chasing the last few fps beyond your OCW node often produces diminishing returns, more pressure, faster barrel wear, and marginal velocity gain relative to the extra powder and pressure spent. Finding a stable, accurate charge that shoots consistent ES/SD is a better outcome than maximum velocity for its own sake.
Bottom Line
H4350 is where you start, and it remains an excellent choice with the deepest published data set, particularly for load development and benchwork.
StaBALL 6.5 is where most handloaders should end up for real-world applications; hunting, competition, and any use case where consistent performance across temperatures matters, and per Hornady’s own factory data, you are not trading away velocity to get that consistency the way older conventional wisdom suggested.
H1000 is the specialist’s choice for heavy bullet work and for squeezing the last available velocity out of 80gr loads, where the case capacity and burn rate genuinely support pushing further than the other two powders, at the cost of a meaningfully heavier charge.
All three are legitimate choices. Match the powder to the mission, verify your own rifle’s results against the factory reference data rather than assuming it will match exactly, and the 22 Creedmoor delivers on its considerable promise. For the full charge tables, primer recommendations, and seating depth guidance behind these numbers, see our complete 22 Creedmoor handloading guide. If you are still deciding whether the cartridge itself is the right build, our 22 Creedmoor vs 22 ARC and 22 Creedmoor vs 6mm Creedmoor comparisons cover how it stacks up against its closest rivals.
Related reading: .22 Creedmoor Brass Life: Getting 20+ Firings from Your Cases.
