What do I need to load in .222 Rem?

[koger]

I have 2 buddies, with 3 .222 Rem rifles between them. I is a Rem 700 with a Hart barrel, another is a Mossberg 800 with full bull factory barrel, another is Savage 340. I have been loading for 30+ years, but never fooled with .222 much, .223 and up mostly. Someone give me a good starting point, will be shooting 50gr bullets mostly. The guy who has the 340 Savage, has killed a semi load of deer with it, just sits by the field, and head or neck shoots them, never lost a deer yet, thinks it is magic under 250yds.

 

[DogBuster]

Powders ??

H322.....H4895

 

[sbranden]

Sierra 50 Blitz, 50 BlitzKing, 50 SPT, 52HPBT (which I've killed deer with before), Hornady 50 V-MAX, 52 A-MAX, Nosler 50BT's, Speer 50 TNT, take your pick. You could probably stabilize the Barnes 45 TSX's but not the 53 or whatever it is. That would be your deer bullet, or some Sierra GameKing. I went through a lot of 50/52's in mine, then dropped back to this little recipe:

21.0 IMR-4198
CCI 400 SR primers
Hornady 40 V-MAX
Hornady Frontier brass
2.130" (standard book COL)
3,300+ fps and very accurate

 

[sbranden]

You might want to try the newer 53 V-MAX also - much better BC than all of the other stuff that was invented back when the 222 first became popular. But IMR-4198 is what I keep coming back to. H335, BLC2, Reloder 7, Benchmark, H322, lots of powders will work. In fact, most any powder in combination with most any bullet in the 40 to 55gr range can be made to work in the good 'ol 222rem. See what the others say...

 

[BOBC]

Sierra 50 Blitz, 50 BlitzKing, 50 SPT, 52HPBT (which I've killed deer with before), Hornady 50 V-MAX, 52 A-MAX, Nosler 50BT's, Speer 50 TNT, take your pick. You could probably stabilize the Barnes 45 TSX's but not the 53 or whatever it is. That would be your deer bullet, or some Sierra GameKing. I went through a lot of 50/52's in mine, then dropped back to this little recipe:

21.0 IMR-4198
CCI 400 SR primers
Hornady 40 V-MAX
Hornady Frontier brass
2.130" (standard book COL)
3,300+ fps and very accurate

REMEMBER MIKE WALKER DEVELOPED THE 222 REM WITH IMR 4198 AND A 50 GR BULLET. I'VE HAD SEVERAL 222 REM RIFLES AND EVERYONE OF THEM SHOT GREAT GROUPS WITH 19.5 TO 21 GRS. OF 4198 AND 50 GR BULLETS. I USED BOTH WINCHESTER AND REMINGTON CASES.

 

[stacy]

HERES THE BEST LOAD THAT I SHOT OUT OF 2 OF MY 222 REM'S 22GRS OF H-322 52GR BERGER 205M PRIMERS SAFE LOAD IN MY RIFLES OUTSTANDINGLY ACCURATE

 

[Eddie Harren]

I surprised that a man, who has been reloading for 30+ years, doesn't have a reloading manual with 222 Rem data in it.

 

[JRS]

I surprised that a man, who has been reloading for 30+ years, doesn't have a reloading manual with 222 Rem data in it.

+1, and then some!

 

[GSRswapandslow]

i'm trying out the 4198's right now.

i shoot 40 and 50gr vmax's in Lapua brass and 205m, tula 223, or CCI400 primers

 

[CatShooter]

You might want to try the newer 53 V-MAX also - much better BC than all of the other stuff that was invented back when the 222 first became popular. But IMR-4198 is what I keep coming back to. H335, BLC2, Reloder 7, Benchmark, H322, lots of powders will work. In fact, most any powder in combination with most any bullet in the 40 to 55gr range can be made to work in the good 'ol 222rem. See what the others say...

The 53 V-Max will NOT shoot in a 222 Rem, unless it has a fast twist barrel (which is never the case).

 

[MrMajestic]

VV N133 and the Berger 52 gr. has been magic in every .222 I've owned. Kitty Killer is correct, none of my 14tw's would stabilize the 53 gr. V-Max, it is too long.

 

[17Hunter]

23 grns of Benchmark and a 40 grn vmax shoots fantastic in all of my 222s. Never had any luck with 53 vmax.

 

[koger]

Thanks for the replies gents! Eddie Harren and the other guy who seconded his comment about the load manuals, I have a stack of reloading manuals, 6 to be exact, in my shop, I was in the house, checking out some stuff on a website or two, and just thought I would ask what everyone was shooting, to see what they thought. I am pretty open minded like that, willing to listen to someone who has more experience in a particular subject. I have pretty much settled on IMR 4198, found several cans in one of my power stashes, seems to be no brainer. Again, thanks for the replies.

 

[17Hunter]

They are a hoot to shoot. I have 6 222's and just enjoy the heck outta each one of them. In fact i have a 1st year production Rem 722, 1950, that i got from Mr. Harren and that particular rifle will shoot I4198 and 50 bullets decent, but really shines with 40 vmax and Benchmark.

 

[Schandler]

to koger's defense - i had a 222 remington 700 - it was an adl and a new rifle but i was sure i could make it shoot with the right recipe as i have always heard they were the stuff before ppc came along - ended up putting new trigger in it bedding it and after a dozen recipes with different powders bullets cases and primers and aol's i traded the gun - never did group like i thought it should -- now i still would love to have a 222 that will hit same hole and i know its out there but i swear i just couldnt come close so i respect his question - i gave up on finding a bargain 222 shooter and have moved on looking for a cheap 6ppc just havent found one 8)

 

[k80skeet]

to koger's defense - i had a 222 remington 700 - it was an adl and a new rifle but i was sure i could make it shoot with the right recipe as i have always heard they were the stuff before ppc came along - ended up putting new trigger in it bedding it and after a dozen recipes with different powders bullets cases and primers and aol's i traded the gun - never did group like i thought it should -- now i still would love to have a 222 that will hit same hole and i know its out there but i swear i just couldnt come close so i respect his question - i gave up on finding a bargain 222 shooter and have moved on looking for a cheap 6ppc just havent found one 8)

You were probably unlucky like I was. Remington screw up on some of their model 700 in .222 caliber and they put on .22 rim fire barrels on and chambered them in .222 Remington they were between 1 in 15 and 1 in 16 twists. They wouldn’t shoot worth a hoot. They knew they had done it but never offered to correct. I bought a used 700 5 years ago it looked brand new. Looking at the bore it looked like a new Remington barrel rough as they all were. The gun shop charged all the money for it as it was like new inside and out. It didn’t take me long to figure out why it was shot any. It was just awful. It took some time to figure out what was wrong with and then it came to that some of these did in fact have rim fire barrels chambered .222 and put on some model 700’s. I sent back to Remington and the company had been sold by then and the Wouldn’t do anything except try to sell me a .223 barrel for $400.00 needless to say I got them to return it and I installed a new custom barrel and the problem was fixed but it cost another $600.00 above the cost of the rifle.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

How do you tell if the 700 has a rim-fire barrel on the .222? My father-in-law has a like new ADL just sitting in the gun cabinet.

 

[k80skeet]

How do you tell if the 700 has a rim-fire barrel on the .222? My father-in-law has a like new ADL just sitting in the gun cabinet.

Measure the twist. If it is over 14 you probably have one mine was almost 1 in 16 not quite but awful close.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Measure the twist. If it is over 14 you probably have one mine was almost 1 in 16 not quite but awful close.

Ok thanks k80skeet, I’ll run a tight patch down it sometime and check. This is good to know, hadn’t heard of this before. Hope that .222 stays there, he let a Python walk out of the house for four bills without telling anyone.

 

[k80skeet]

Ok thanks k80skeet, I’ll run a tight patch down it sometime and check. This is good to know, hadn’t heard of this before. Hope that .222 stays there, he let a Python walk out of the house for four bills without telling anyone.

It was a pretty kept secret. But some of the old shooters found out and let it out.