Any Experience with 222 Remington?

That was one of the 222 reminton,s best assets. The barrels lasted a long time. If I remember the chamber pressure were down quite a bit compaired to todays loads in the ppcs etc. I still Have two in my safe , and they still shoot.
When I get in a rut and don't think my shooting is going well i take one out from time to time. Then i can tell if it's my shooting or my hand loads that are giving me trouble.
 
Done Deal

I have made my decision. Russ Haydon is going to build my rifle in 222 Remington, with a BAT SB action, Jewell trigger and Krieger barrel. I have not made a final decision on a stock but I am taking a serious look at the Shehane Tracker Obeche Wood Laminate. To keep weight down, it may be the "Baby Tracker". We are working to have the rifle be able to make weight at 10.5 lbs.

http://scopeusout.com/custom-rifle-stocks/target-stocks/
 
Will a BAT ppc bolt pull the 222case or do you need a smaller bolt face? Reason i ask is that a good friend ofmine is shooting a 20 222 and he loves it so i am thinking about maybe having a barrel chambered for this as well. Just for something fun to pay with, that is!! Lee
 
Since we are talking 222 here I have to show off how my new one shoots. I purchased a Cooper Classic (sporter style stock), in 222, a couple of weeks ago, we finally had a calm morning yesterday so I put it on paper. It took 5 shots to get the zero where I wanted it and then I shot these two 5-shot groups with it, at 100 yds. I realize that these are not benchrest groups but this is from a less than 7 lb. rifle with a 2 lb trigger.

Yes! The 222 will shoot.


drover

Cooper222groups.jpg
 
Those groups are very competatve. If you could hold an agg with them at 100 you probably would be in the top ten.
 
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I have no illusions about holding an agg like that - this was more of a combination of great conditions, I was on with my bench technique, and a little luck.

But it does illustrate how easy it is to make a 222 shoot, I have never had one that did not shoot well and was easy to develop a load for. I actually just put this load together to get it sighted in and get an idea of how it may possibly shoot - I think that load development is over.

drover
 
During the '60's I had 3 rigs in .222....Rem 722, Rem 40X and a custom Cadet Martini. They were great to shoot and reload. Those were our salad years and the guns were sold....much to my regret today. I recently wanted to buy a 222 but ended up with a Rem Classic(2002) in 223R which serves me well....I love it! Not benchrest as you might want but at 82yrs I'm having a ball at the bench. You may want to consider the 223...a tad longer, but has all the attributes of a 222 even to the point of using the same reloading components. Just my humble opinion. Good luck!
 
I have a box of factory 222 here so i pulled them out to take a look. Something that came to my mind was the shoulder angle. What about having a 222 with 40Degree shoulder? I am sure someone has done this already. Heck maybe thats what a 222 rem mag is. I wouldnt know. My wheels are turning about this 222 and i think if the concrete jobs come in this year like in the years past i might just have to build one. I would probably ise an Athey stock " since i already have one" A Havekamp action, and a shilen or whatever barrel in a 14 twist. I think i could do this for pretty cheap. Can someone here tell me a little about different degrees on the shoulder of the 222? I dont think i would want to blow it forward much, just change the angle. I guess it would be a 222 Ackley Improved??? Lee
 
TheoW said:
During the '60's I had 3 rigs in .222....Rem 722, Rem 40X and a custom Cadet Martini. They were great to shoot and reload. Those were our salad years and the guns were sold....much to my regret today. I recently wanted to buy a 222 but ended up with a Rem Classic(2002) in 223R which serves me well....I love it! Not benchrest as you might want but at 82yrs I'm having a ball at the bench. You may want to consider the 223...a tad longer, but has all the attributes of a 222 even to the point of using the same reloading components. Just my humble opinion. Good luck!
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While the 223 Remington shares many of the same attributes as the 222; the 222 is inherently more accurate and has history that the 223 cannot match. As Russ Haydon said, a 222 is a 56 Chevy Convertible. Similar to my Vickers Martini 22, not everyone has one and it evokes an earlier time. The 222 had it's day about the same time I had my day. Those of you who, like me, are in your mid-60s will understand. The 223 makes me think of Viet Nam and those thoughts do not improve my mood at all.
 
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222 Remington

I might suggest you look for a used 40x with a 27 inch barrel, wood stock used. The wood stock might be easier for you to modify for your needs. These rifles shoot very well and can be found for less than $1000,00 in excellent condition. Left hand version were made but would be harder to come by. This is what I know these rifles will do: Using a dillion press no neck turning, primer reaming, or fancy case prep, they will shot in the 2's and 3's all day long. Spend some time neck sizing/turning and case prep and fiddling with powder and they will shoot better. They will shoot prairie dogs at 300 yards, or go to match and you could be in the winners circle. While I don't do bench rest any more I might attend a match every now and then, and on occasion a old guy with a duce will drive the latest $6k whiz bang rifleman crazy! The duce is old technology, but it is good technology. Hope this note helps.
 
I appreciate the idea of buying used. There is a greater difficulty in finding left handed than you might expect. Then the seller expects a premium price. That is one of the main reasons why I am having a rifle built. As mentioned I cannot operate a right handed rifle with any comfort or fun. I am not just being stubborn. It is a physical impossibility.

I have needed to pay a premium for each left handed bolt action rifle, I have ever bought. Only the falling block rifles (my Martinis and my Ruger No. 1) did not cost extra. Even with that added surcharge the options are limited, as many fine rifles were never made left handed. Whether it is musical instruments, motorcycles or rifles, having a disability means custom work is part of every project for me. No self pity. That's just the way it is.

A friend once chided me for all of the money I was "wasting" on my motorcycles. "I am not wasting the money, I replied." "I give it to skilled workmen, who use the money to feed their families and I get cool toys to play with in the bargain." Keep in mind, I plan to die dead broke, with a smile on my face.:D
 
Slowshot,
Your decision to go with the rifle being put together by Russ Haydon is a good one. He is a great guy and there is nothing like shooting a well made BR rifle. I also shoot LH and have a disability but am able to shoot in competitive BR as well as many live varmints. We are about the same age and I have seen them all and shot most. However, one of my most fun varmint rifles is a Rem 722 that has been converted to LH. It is a 22-250. I have seen several of these around and you might run across one if you look. Just an idea I think you would like it. The LBRP configuration is ideal.
 
Skeet, The 40 Deg 222 is not a new thought. Its very good .. It is just a tad faster then the 222. We use to have the 222 1/2 back when / That was the 222 mag set back .050 or .100 it gave us a tad more powder. The 40 Deg did the same things. It was very accurate. Still for a standard factory case the 222 as is is hard to beat.
 
Del Martin said:
Slowshot,
Your decision to go with the rifle being put together by Russ Haydon is a good one. He is a great guy and there is nothing like shooting a well made BR rifle. I also shoot LH and have a disability but am able to shoot in competitive BR as well as many live varmints. We are about the same age and I have seen them all and shot most. However, one of my most fun varmint rifles is a Rem 722 that has been converted to LH. It is a 22-250. I have seen several of these around and you might run across one if you look. Just an idea I think you would like it. The LBRP configuration is ideal.
Click to expand...

Del,

At this point, I am completely committed to the Russ Haydon build. I already gave him a deposit on the BAT action. Next Thursday, I am driving down to Gresham Oregon to visit Wright's Gunstock Blanks: http://www.wrightsguns.com/black_walnut.html

I have spoken with Doyal Wright on the phone and he sent me pictures of several blanks he though might work for me. I forwarded the pictures to Russ, who agreed any of the pictured blanks would make a beautiful stock for my rifle.

I will have the stock made ambidextrous, so a right handed shooter could operate the rifle from a bench LBRC (left bolt/right cheek). As for me, the lack of a functioning right hand (I am "onearm" on Rimfire Central) limits my options to benchrest or bipod shooting with a rifle that I can operate completely with my left hand.

I plan to have this be my only super accurate centerfire rifle and my last custom rifle for a while. I still have my Ruger No. 1 220 Swift, Anschutz MPR, CZ 452, Vickers Martini and my LH Precision 10/22 Magnum. Each of these is either left handed bolt action or fully ambidextrous. I don't like to have my toys sitting in a closet, collecting dust, so this will be enough for now. Perhaps some day I will want a long range (1000 yard) gun but that's a project for another time.
 
Slowshot: great you have figuerd it out!

Im also looking into building a 222, have e-mailed several makers, but not sure what or who Im having it built.


I just wanted a low recoiling, long barreld life, fun and easy gun to shoot out to 300yards. Using top of the line equipment, its gonna be expensive and I hope its my only one :)


Just realisticly how does the 222 agg, compared to say a 6ppc or 6mmBR out to 300 yards. To those who have used both, whats the diffrence? 0.1" compard to 0.3"?
 
In close on a good day { moderate to light winds} if you do your part the 222 will agg very small. The big draw back is
Bullet weight and velocity. At longer ranges the 222 runs out of steam{ the drift increase quite a bit.
That said the 222mag comes into play. It holds velocity better. Many shooters shot the mag at 200.
Bob Hart won the IBS nationals one year with the duce mag. Wally Hart used it quite a bt also. Wally won several
shoots with the 222Mag. The one thing different between the 22.s and the 6mms in the bullet weight and bullet coefficents. These make the 6mm more effective past 200 yds, Anyway thats what I have seen over the years.
Good shooting for 100 and 200 yds you will love the duce. Its inexpensive and fun to shoot
 
I see the 222 as strictly a 100-200 yard gun. At those ranges, the superior shooter will have a fair chance against the shooter with a similar rifle in 6 PPC or 22 PPC.

Beyond 200 yards, I have my (3800-4200 fps) Ruger No. 1 220 Swift. I constantly have to show my 220 Swift targets to other shooters to overcome their scepticism as to how accurate it can be. With my hand loads, it is a .5 MOA rifle (really). Though it is not a target rifle, it fills my need for 300+ yard shooting. One and a half to two inch accuracy at 300 yards is just fine for a varmint rifle with a two piece stock that cost less than the scope mounted on it. Yuh think??

As GerryM and others have said, the 222 has mild recoil, it is easy and inexpensive to hand load 222 ammunition for it and it is just as dramatically accurate as it was when it first came on the line.

Sure there is always something new and better coming to knock off the current best. Someday, a cartridge will come along that will be more accurate than the 6 PPC. Will you all throw your PPC rifles away?? If it comes to that, send them to me. I wouldn't mind taking them off your hands.:cool:
 
Final Specs on the 222

It's a done deal. Russ Haydon and I have made all of the important decisions. It will have a BAT action Krieger Barrel, Jewell trigger and a Kelbly HC FB stock in metal flake blue, as in the picture on the Kelbly site:
http://www.kelbly.com/kelblystocks.html

The BAT action comes with integral bases and scope rings that are trued at the factory and need no lapping. I will transferring my Leupold 36X target scope to the rifle.

I chose Kelbly because they have a proven track record of winning competitions at state, regional and national levels, while costing less than similar McMillan and Shehane stocks. They also come in more attractive standard colors than McMilan stocks. I chose the HC FB because it has a flat profile benchrest forearm, while still being appropriate for shooting off hand. Though I cannot shoot off hand, I am an old guy and expect to pass the rifle on to one of my sons or grandsons in the next 10-15 years.

Of all of my firearms projects, this is the most thoroughly thought out. Now comes the hard part...the wait.
 
222 Remington Cooper

Felt like I had to respond to this shooter on the 222. I began my journey in bench rest with Coopers, so I registered on this site to answer. My first was a 223 and I shot sub 0.5 MOA out to 200 yards. Then I rebarreled another model 21 in 222Rem and it shot even better. Over several years of shooting and comparing these two rifles (identical model 21 Coopers( I found that the 222 always outshot the 223 by a slight, but reproducible margin). I am left handed, but for bench shooting, I prefer RH rifles. My best loads with the 222 are with N-133 and Sierra 52 or 53 gr. bullets. In the 223, I found that W-748 shot best but by the slimmest of margins. In my Kimber, Varget was better. The only reason I ever sold any of my 222 rifles is that I had too many - at one time 5! Got to the point that I bought my own reamer for 222 (250 neck). Glad to share more. Just ask.




Slowshot said:
As some of you may know, I am a disabled shooter, able only to shoot left handed off a bipod or a rest. While I mostly shoot rimfire, I do enjoy hand loading and load development in centerfire rifles. Having taken a serious look at what is needed to compete with you guys, I decided to skip the competition and just enjoy unusual centerfire rifles in unusual cartridges.

Until recently, my only centerfire rifles have been a Winchester 100 in 243 Winchester and a Ruger No. 1 Varmint in 220 Swift. The 243 is long gone. Now I have decided to give up some speed and energy for a milder cartridge that is a bit more accurate at 100-200 yards, so I have put my Ruger up for sale. My friendly gunsmith (Tim) has suggested I look into the 222 Remington.

In my research, I have read a lot that is good and nothing negative about the cartridge. One reviewer claimed that it is the most accurate .224 caliber cartridge other than the 22 PPC. Another claimed while the 220 Swift is still king of long range .224s, the 222 Remington it is the most accurate medium range varmint round ever.

I have also found that Cooper makes a left handed single shot bolt action rifle in 222 Remington.

http://www.cooperfirearms.com/rifles.php?rifle_name=vr&cal=222-Rem

So my questions are: Do any of you have personal experience with this cartridge? If so, what comments can you make about it? Do you still own a rifle in 222 Remington? If not, why did you let it go?
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222 vs, 6nn BR guns

Despite having several 222s and loving every one, I have also had and shot 6mmPPC and 6mmBR. Sold the ppc because our matches went to 300 yards. It was a mistake and I still can't shoot my 6BR (Kelbly) as well as I shot the 6 PPC. I don't know if it's recoil with the heavier bullets or just me, but I sometimes think but the 6PPC that I let go (a Hall action). Of course brass prep. with the 6PPC was more of a chore, but once you've done it, they last a long time - mine up to 30 reloads. Also, barrel life with the 222 is outstanding.

Northman said:
Slowshot: great you have figuerd it out!

Im also looking into building a 222, have e-mailed several makers, but not sure what or who Im having it built.


I just wanted a low recoiling, long barreld life, fun and easy gun to shoot out to 300yards. Using top of the line equipment, its gonna be expensive and I hope its my only one :)


Just realisticly how does the 222 agg, compared to say a 6ppc or 6mmBR out to 300 yards. To those who have used both, whats the diffrence? 0.1" compard to 0.3"?
Click to expand...
 
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