Remington .222

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oldgoathair

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If you was going to load up a good all around varmint round for this cartridge (.222) what would you use. What kind of bullets, primers, powder. Going to be shot in a model 722 that I'm about to acquire and just don't know much about it. Mostly coyote and priaire dogs out to about 225 yds. It comes with a bunch of Norma unprimed new brass. Any help is greatly appreciated or if you have other pointers will be glad to hear. Rifle is pretty much like new. 26 Inch barrel Thank-You, Marc
 
40 gr. Hornady Vmax with federal 205s and Benchmark work well in my model 70 .222. It has a short throat. If yours is longer, 50 grainers of the the same variety ahead of a goodly amount of 748 (just about all that you can get in the case). The 40s make a whole new caliber out of the duce, and the terminal ballistics and ability to see hits are spactacular. The plastic tips give the 40s a BC that was typical of 50 gr. HPs and the weight gives a lot more velocity.
 
I second the Reloader 7 but I use Nosler 40 gr ballistic tips.

I just returned from a week long PD shot where I used my Cooper sporter 222 with reloader 7 and the Nosler 40 gr BT's out to 400 yards with terrific results. As mentioned by a previous poster - it makes a whole new cartridge out of the 222.
 
50 gr. Hornady SX with H4198,or IMR 4198 and seated .060 or so from the lands was my favorite groundhog load in various Rem. 700 rifles.
Also BLC-2 and Reloder 7 works well.
Rem. 7 1/2 primers have served me well in this cartridge.
For an inexpensive bullet the SX has produced some amazingly small groups for me through the years.
 
I just picked up a nice Sako .222 and I went through my reloading stuff:

I have N133, N130, 8208, 4198 and a little 4895. I also have 40 gr. ballistic tips and 52 boattail match bullets (Bruno). What would you guys suggest to load up and try at the range tomorrow?
 
Joe Krupa said:
I have N133, N130, 8208, 4198 and a little 4895. I also have 40 gr. ballistic tips and 52 boattail match bullets (Bruno). What would you guys suggest to load up and try at the range tomorrow?
Click to expand...

Joe,

It has been a number of years, but my 222 liked 23.7 grains of Hogdgon and IMR 4895 with 52 grain BT and 53 grain flat base bullets (R 7 1/2 or F 205 primers).

Jim
 
.222

first choice is i-4198 and 50 baltip. lapua or norma brass. my 700 and sako both like 20.5. next i would try n-130 or n-133
 
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oldgoathair said:
If you was going to load up a good all around varmint round for this cartridge (.222) what would you use. What kind of bullets, primers, powder. Going to be shot in a model 722 that I'm about to acquire and just don't know much about it. Mostly coyote and priaire dogs out to about 225 yds. It comes with a bunch of Norma unprimed new brass. Any help is greatly appreciated or if you have other pointers will be glad to hear. Rifle is pretty much like new. 26 Inch barrel Thank-You, Marc
Click to expand...

the article in PS magazine this month on the .222. 4895 was his choice. Lots of stuff works.
 
Joe, in the .223Ackley H335 shoots very well with 40 and 50 grain ballistic tips. Might be worth a try in the duece if you can find a pound somewhere.
 
Jim Wooten said:
Joe,

It has been a number of years, but my 222 liked 23.7 grains of Hogdgon and IMR 4895 with 52 grain BT and 53 grain flat base bullets (R 7 1/2 or F 205 primers).

Jim
Click to expand...

This was the same for my Sako Vixen .222 23.76 of 4895 w/52gr BT. Also had good success with BC-2. If I remember correctly, velocity was 2950fps. Great out to 250 yards then it fell off.
 
BL-C2, 55SX, Rem.............

7 1/2 primers. In that rifle, you could start around 22.5, 23GRs and work up. I've also had decent results w/the 53 Hornady's grouping and expansion. Do not use the Sierra 52-53 match bullets, they don't open that well, too hard, even though they group well for a box rifle. The reason I didn't suggest faster bullets, was because I figured in Montana, you might run into some breeze, and I'd rather err on the pessimistic side than not. That 55SX carries well and performs well on the softer targets. I like it very much. Now, if I could only figure out which I liked BEST, the .222, or .222 magnum. Y'know, they're BOTH little cuties.........;):)
 
Thanks

Thanks for all the replies, you have gave me a great starting point. I sure appreciate the help. Marc
 
Saturday's results.

To follow-up, I loaded two types of bullets and N133 (since I have a lot of it) and tried the old deuce on Saturday.

The 40 gr. Ballistic Tips and 23.3 gr. of N133 shot great; basically had it all over the 52 gr. match bullets and 23.0 gr. of N133.

I shot two five-shot groups at 100 yards with the 40 gr. BT's that measured .285 and .320. The 52 gr. five-shot groups were in the fours. I now agree that the 40 gr. bullets make a whole new rifle out of the .222. When I get back from the World Team matches in South Africa I may try a traditional tuning regimen and see if I can get the groups even smaller. (I will need to work on the trigger a bit; it weighed in at 2 pounds 11 ounces. Makes one appreciate those Jewell 2 oz. triggers.) Would also like to find some Lapua or Sako .222 brass. May also try N130, 8208 and 4198. This shooting just to make a factory rifle shoot smaller may just catch on with me.

The gun is a stock Sako Rhimaki varminter with a recrown on the factory varmint-weight barrel and a Lyman LWBR 25X scope. I have been looking for this rifle since 1963 when, as a 12-year old, I shot one as my first centerfire rifle. I found one on the rack at Cabela's last January and I grabbed it. I attribute that first firing of that specific rifle as the start to my being hooked on accurate rifles. I probably won't shoot this rifle at a match, but it will hold a place of honor in my gun rack as my "first timer".
 
What neck bushing?

Hi guys, I too have a Remington 722 in .222 Rem.
I am just wondering what size neck bushing are you using in your reloads.
Thanks, Frank
 
Joe K, I know just what you went...............

through, my first exposure to the .222 was a Marlin heavy barreled SAKO in .222 when I was fifteen. Mmmaaaaannnnnnny years later, I found one exactly like it, and I too, HAD to snap it up, as a monument to the man who let me shoot it, and who has been gone for about twenty years. This Marlin has the old Micro-Groove rifling, and if testing shows it needs a better barrel, I'll put a CM tube of excellent quality, w/similar bluing, to be a performing monument to the old SAKO and owner of so long ago. I can never pass by one of the old L46; L469; or L461s without stopping to hold & caress 'em, and plan on how we might come to agree on how I may be able to take a particularly worthy one home for awhile. There is just something about them I am not able to resist, like a Siren's song......;)
 
Thanks Lawrance, I'll try the .248 bushing. I was usint too tight a bushing.
Frank
 
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