.222 Remington build advice

[Spike928]

I know all to well about finding left handed rifles that would interest a guy with a budget, one of the driving factors behind this build is to have one that I really like. And thanks for the insight on coopers and Cz factory varminters, I think I'll continue on with the benchrest setup,thanks for setting me straight.

 

[Slowshot]

No CZ 527!

Bad new. A call to CZ USA yesterday resulted in finding that the left handed 527 will not be made this year. Now I am looking at a Ruger 77 Hawkeye.

In my most recent research, I have also found a left handed Tikka T-3 Hunter (at europtic.com) and a Savage Model 10/110 Predator Hunter Max 1 in 204 Ruger (at lefthandedguns.com) currently for sale. I will probably buy the Ruger. I have had great experiences with other Ruger rifles in the past and only disappointment with Savage rifles. Don't let my experiences stop you though, it could have been random chance. My choice is also a matter of cost. the Ruger is $200 cheaper than either of the others.

Whatever I buy, I will have a BR stock made for it, for days at the range shooting from the bench.

 

[HFVINC]

After 23,, you're old

Just to re-iterate, I have no I repeat no dreams or delusions of being competitive in benchrest as a goal, just a hankering to build a .222, and my thinking is might as well do it as right as I can. Thanks again for all your advice and opinions! And keep them coming I have at least 4 times the info now as when I started.

I don't have one now ,, but I love a .222..I sold a friend of mine a Remington Varmint in .223. I then talked him into,, rebarreling to .222 Revenge,, ( I think a Dan Dowling creation) He got a Shilen 14 twist SS barrel and a Tom Meridith BR stock.. This will shoot .1's and .2's.. It's a little different in match conditions, than in a back yard 100/200 range w/trees on both sides. H e don't shoot matches w/this rifle ,, but he does kick some local butt,, now and again.. The .222,, and as Gammon says,, the .222/35, .222/45 and the .222 revenge, are all great cartridges.. I remember one year , @ Super Shoot,, Kinnaman was giving away Tac powder and Esterminator.. Alan Hall got a free pound of Exterminator.. He shot this powder in his .222 w/Remington BR 52 gr. bullets. He either won the LV 200 or the HV 200.. Not to shabby w/triple deuce.

 

[Slowshot]

It isn't just the gun. Shooters skills still matter.

All of my shooting with my 222s has been at my home range 'Tacoma Rifle and Revolver', (about a mile from the now infamous Chambers Bay golf course). My neighbors would certainly call the police if I started shooting in my back yard. Both of my 222s are the basic original 222 Remington, not one of the advanced versions of the cartridge.

Though I have yet to break into the ones with my BAT rifle, my shooting instructor Kimberly plans to work with it later this month, when the temps drop a bit. As she was able to get an old Anschutz 1411 BR conversion to shoot 5 shot/50 yard groups in the aughts* with either R-50 or SK Standard Plus, I am sure she will shoot 100 yard groups that make mine look pretty bad by comparison.

PS: I bought the left handed Ruger M77 Hawkeye in 204 Ruger from my last reply. It's not a CZ but it isn't chopped liver either.

* If you are unaware shooting groups in the 'aughts' means below one tenth of an inch and that's darn fine shooting with any rifle and ammo.

 

[CubCouper]

My new Deuce

This rifle should be making it debut on the sanctioned NBRSA circuit this weekend... A tight (.242) necked 222 Rem built on a Haverkamp dual port action in one of my own Alaskan Yellow Cedar stocks. A few years ago, the regular group of asylum escapees that attend the Prairie Dog Target Club matches at Porcupine SD vowed to push the state of the art by using modern components on vintage caliber rifle builds. I'm late to the game, but here it is. Still doing some load development, but group is 3 shots, 22.4gr of Reloder 10X behind a Berger 52gr FB bullet about .010 out of full jam. I had several similar groups with 21.4gr of LT30 as well. I also discovered that this rifle is relatively sensitive to having the scope mounts secured... loose base make for 3/4" groups.

 

[Slowshot]

This rifle should be making it debut on the sanctioned NBRSA circuit this weekend... A tight (.242) necked 222 Rem built on a Haverkamp dual port action in one of my own Alaskan Yellow Cedar stocks. A few years ago, the regular group of asylum escapees that attend the Prairie Dog Target Club matches at Porcupine SD vowed to push the state of the art by using modern components on vintage caliber rifle builds. I'm late to the game, but here it is. Still doing some load development, but group is 3 shots, 22.4gr of Reloder 10X behind a Berger 52gr FB bullet about .010 out of full jam. I had several similar groups with 21.4gr of LT30 as well. I also discovered that this rifle is relatively sensitive to having the scope mounts secured... loose base make for 3/4" groups.

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Nice looking rifle and nice looking groups. Do you have measurements of those groups? It can be a lot of fun shooting the "obsolete" cartridges, though I do not see 222 Rem. as obsolete. Being cash poor, I had to sell my Martini Cadet in 218 Bee a few years ago to buy another rifle. Now I am sorry that I sold it. I did the same with my Ruger No. 1 in 220 Swift, another mistake. Each of those rifles and cartridges had special qualities not found in more modern rifles and cartridges. Unfortunately for me, there are no local matches, other than serious BR matches. I would have to compete against 6 PPC and multi thousand dollar rifles and scopes. Not wanting to get into that arms race, I just gave up on competition.

 

[Spike928]

Nice looking rifle sir. Slowshot you are starting sound like a pretty decent fellow, my 2 favorites that I shoot are .220 swift in Rem 40x and a custom walking varminter in .221 fireball. And I agree that they bring something that no "new" cartridges do, prob for me it's a bit of the nostalgia. But I'll put my swift up against any .22 caliber varmint rifle. It flat just makes me grin. And that what I'm hoping the .222 does!

 

[Slowshot]

222 Rem Held the 100 Yard 5-Shot Record For 40 Years. 6PPC Did Not Beat It

One more thing:

1. The world record 5-shot record (.009") was set back in 1973 by Mac McMillan shooting one of his custom built rifles in 222 Remington.

2. That record stood for 40 years.

3. No one has ever been able to break that record with a 22 PPC or a 6 PPC (the cartridges that have overtaken the 222 Rem. in popularity among short range BR shooters).

4. It took a 30 cal. wildcat based on a 6.5 Grendel to finally break the record, with a .0077" group. Here are the details:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014/05/mac-mcmillans-legendary-009-group-lookee-here/

 

[CubCouper]

Shot the new Deuce this weekend in the 100/200/300 SD State HV match (Porcupine SD). Since it was HV, I mounted a new NF 15x55 Competition on it for optics -- seeing 22 bullet holes: no problem!

The conditions were pretty switchy through the 100 and 200 yard aggs, and I never felt like I had a decent tune -- managed bottom half performances with big .3 aggs. It was hot (93) but at 300 I decided to push the powder a bit a couple clicks -- ended up near 22gr of LT30 (shoots very clean!) -- and the gun started to come alive. Had a couple sub 1" groups including a .642 at 300. The load came a little late in the day, but now that I know how far I can push it, I would have pushed the load a lot earlier in the day. I was holding 9 o'clock on the left outer ring, the groups were blowing all the way across the paper.

To add to the giggles, these groups weren't shot with any new fangled custom bullets -- those holes were made by good ol' Remington 53gr match BR bullets with a meplat you could almost set a primer in -- I'd like to have 5000 more of them!

 

[Slowshot]

Shot the new Deuce this weekend in the 100/200/300 SD State HV match (Porcupine SD). Since it was HV, I mounted a new NF 15x55 Competition on it for optics -- seeing 22 bullet holes: no problem!

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You just supported one of the points I have been arguing for the past several years. That is, you see better through high quality glass at lower magnification than through lesser glass at higher magnification. One of the most important purchases a shooter makes is the scope. Too many shooters think they need 36X or greater to shoot accurately at any range beyond 50 yards. As you show, this is not true. 15X through a Night Force scope beats 36X through a cheap Chinese knock-off every time. The salesman at my local Sportsman's Warehouse ruined me for life, the day he pulled a Swarovski from under the glass and let me look through it. It made every scope I owned at the time look like fun house glass. Though Night Force and Swarovski are still a bit above my pay grade, I immediately began a project of selling off what I had and buying Leupold, Nikon and Weaver scopes. Since then, I have calmed down a bit and consider what a scope will used for. My plinker rifles have Redfield, Bushnell and similar fixed focus scopes. My BSA Martini MK II shoots just fine with it's original Parker Hale sights. This leaves me more cash to buy high quality scopes for my target and varmint rifles.

 

[Jerry W]

Shot the new Deuce this weekend in the 100/200/300 SD State HV match (Porcupine SD). Since it was HV, I mounted a new NF 15x55 Competition on it for optics -- seeing 22 bullet holes: no problem!

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You just supported one of the points I have been arguing for the past several years. That is, you see better through high quality glass at lower magnification than through lesser glass at higher magnification. One of the most important purchases a shooter makes is the scope. Too many shooters think they need 36X or greater to shoot accurately at any range beyond 50 yards. As you show, this is not true. 15X through a Night Force scope beats 36X through a cheap Chinese knock-off every time...

That Nightforce is a 15-55X variable. It's pretty likely that it was set on 55X.

 

[mike in co]

yep i shoot 2 12-42x's and a 15-15x..have not moved off top end for most shoots.....sometimes less at 100, but that is lead development, not matches.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

A 12x42 set on 30 something is a thing of beauty at 600. The nxs is the only NF for me

 

[Slowshot]

My Mistake!

That Nightforce is a 15-55X variable. It's pretty likely that it was set on 55X.

Oops! I assumed the scope was a fixed 15X with a 55mm objective. If I could afford to buy Nightforce scopes, I would probably be more familiar with the different models. If I cannot afford, I don't look too close, it just depresses me. If I could afford that scope, I would be a happy man. After all, high quality glass in a high mag. scope is as good as it gets.

I often practice with my variables set on lower magnification settings. It forces me to practice seeing better. Then when I dial up again, seeing gets a lot easier. These days, nearly all of my scopes are fixed magnification. I recently bought one of the new silver Weaver XR T-36s for my BAT gun and a black Weaver XR T-36 for my Ruger 1V. I was going to buy an XR 46 until I read of issues with spots on the lenses. I was very disappointed to read that, as the XR 46 looked to be reasonably priced, for side focus scope at such a high level of magnification, from a Manufacturer I trust.

I actually don't suggest side focus scopes for most shooters. There are plenty of excellent scopes with the usual focus at the bell end. I need side focus due to a disability. Otherwise I would not have recently sold two Leupold BR 36s (one bumped to 50X) and a Leupold BR 24. They were optically superior (better contrast) than my Weavers. I just cannot reach the AO adjustment ring on regular scopes, while simultaneously looking through the scope.

 

[Morran]

Just curious

This rifle should be making it debut on the sanctioned NBRSA circuit this weekend... A tight (.242) necked 222 Rem built on a Haverkamp dual port action in one of my own Alaskan Yellow Cedar stocks. A few years ago, the regular group of asylum escapees that attend the Prairie Dog Target Club matches at Porcupine SD vowed to push the state of the art by using modern components on vintage caliber rifle builds. I'm late to the game, but here it is. Still doing some load development, but group is 3 shots, 22.4gr of Reloder 10X behind a Berger 52gr FB bullet about .010 out of full jam. I had several similar groups with 21.4gr of LT30 as well. I also discovered that this rifle is relatively sensitive to having the scope mounts secured... loose base make for 3/4" groups.

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How does your 222 "stand up" in competition? Can the 222 agg like the ppc's?

 

[Wilbur]

How does your 222 "stand up" in competition? Can the 222 agg like the ppc's?

Yes it can. A good shooting 222 will beat a poor shooting PPC every time. I know that what I wrote there didn't say much of anything but on the other hand it said it all. The better question would be something like - What's the odds of building a 222 that will win Benchrest matches? Nobody knows the answer to that one either.....but most will say "slim chance".

 

[JerrySharrett]

How does your 222 "stand up" in competition? Can the 222 agg like the ppc's?

If the Duce could have stood up to the PPC we would still be shooting them.

.

 

[Morran]

Yes it can. A good shooting 222 will beat a poor shooting PPC every time. I know that what I wrote there didn't say much of anything but on the other hand it said it all. The better question would be something like - What's the odds of building a 222 that will win Benchrest matches? Nobody knows the answer to that one either.....but most will say "slim chance".

Thanks for your answer

 

[Lee Martin]

Here's a 222 we built back in 1991:



Even with the old Lyman 20X Target it'll hang with my PPC. Get a good action, a good barrel, good brass, and good bullets and you won't be at much of a disadvantage (assuming it's chambered and stocked properly).

-Lee
www.singleactions.com

 

[Dick Wright]

Due to some major health problems I haven't shot much BR the last three years. When I did it was local rimfire matches. All my bench guns had been sold. A couple of years ago, I happened upon a like-new Unertl scope at a gun show and bought it for a very good price. I immediately decided that it needed a gun and that it should be a 60's style varmint/target rifle. I, then, found a Ruger No. 1 action at a fair price.

Since I seem to be much better, healthwise, than I've been in years, I want to shoot again. I started competitive benchrest forty years ago with a .222 and have a lot of fond memories. Thusly, the Ruger became a .222 with a minimum factory chamber and I started to work. The rifle is now in Colorado being checkered and blued. I will get it back shortly and will be ready for load work-up and practice. The benchrest season starts in late April.

I don't expect to be competitive with the deuce. It's a wonderfully accurate cartridge but needs a little more grunt to actually be competitive in conditions. At my age, that's not the point... This April I will load the shooting stuff in my "Official Benchrest Match Car" (an elderly and lovingly cared-for Porsche) and go to my first centerfire match in years. I'll get there early, there will be coffee and donuts and time to catch up with old friends. We'll shoot and repair to the local bar for burgers after the match. Serious shooters will patiently explain to me that, if I were serious, I should get a real gun. I'll smile a lot...