The .220 Howell is a wildcat cartridge designed for long-range shooting and hunting. Developed by Ken Howell, it is based on a .30-06 Springfield case, necked down to .22 caliber to achieve high velocities and flat trajectories. This design allows the .220 Howell to propel lightweight bullets at extremely high speeds, making it effective for varmint hunting and precision shooting.
Compared to traditional .22 centerfire cartridges, it offers increased case capacity and higher muzzle velocity, resulting in greater energy retention and improved long-range performance. While not commercially available, handloaders and custom rifle builders favor it for its versatility and ballistic efficiency.
Suitable Powders
Bullet Weight (gr) -> | 0-50 | 50-75 | 75-100 | 100-150 | 150-200 | 200-300 | >300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
👍 ... suitable powder
👍👍 ... suitable AND popular powder among our reloading community (clasification might evolve as more community members share their loads )
Caliber Specifications
Standard / Datasheet
Primer Size
Large Rifle (LR)
Case Capacity
62 Grains of Water
Bullet / Barrel Diameter
0.224'' | 5.69 mm
Max. Case Length
2.395'' | 60.83 mm
Max. Cartridge Length
3.1'' | 78.74 mm
Max. Standardized Pressure:
58015 psi | 4000 bar
XXL ID
CID_118
.220 Howell load data is available with the following bullets:
(most popular first)
