222 seating depth question

[TyT]

Good morning,

Quick question for the more experienced…
Started working up a load with Speer 50 gr TNT in my 222 Remington and at my jam length I have roughly .123” of bullet in the neck.
Plan to start testing -.020” and was wondering if this is enough seating depth. Have heard that at minimum you want to have the bullet diameter seated in the neck.

Thanks
Tyler

 

[GLShooter]

For me that would be plenty on most 22 bullets. Running on a bolt gun is so much less violent than an auto.

 

[jds holler]

Don't ya just hate that. As you shoot some different seating depths, you may find that it shoots good seated well off the lands. If not, I'd roll with it in a bolt gun.

You might also get a case length gauge, or make one to determine exactly how long your chamber really is. Many chamber necks allow for much more neck than listed trim lengths specify. We are often trimming our necks .020" shorter than necessary. jd

 

[jds holler]

As per my above post, here's the gizmo I use to determine how long I can let my cases grow. Primer pocket is drilled out to use a rod to push the bullet out.

 

[wildcatter]

The 222 Remington is the only rifle I have had that shot better loading off the lands. Mine likes about .005" off. I have talked to other well respected shooters and members her that have said the same thing. I have never owned a rifle out of over 100, mostly custom builds, that wanted more than .015 in, or more than .006 oof. My best, 6ppc is around .015 in the case, and .006 in the lands.

 

[K22]

Several years ago, Sierra published an article on seating depth stating that in some rifles with some bullets, accuracy is improved by seating well off the lands. I found this to be true in many cases.

For Remington 700's you had no choice, they had a lot of free bore. Yet all mine shot extremely well with tailored reloads with the bullet seated well off the lands out of necessity.

I shot the 222 Rem for many years in a Remington 700 sporter weight rifle. I do not recall the seating depth, but it was well off the lands. I had no trouble at all developing 1/2 moa to sub 1/2 moa reloads with IMR 4198, Remington 7 1/2 primers, and 50 grain Sierra bullets.

The one bullet diameter minimum seating depth is a standard "rule of thumb" which I found to be useful. But like with most things, it is not absolute. I often seat deeper in some rifles with some bullets. I believe 0.20" off the lands is another useful "rule of thumb" but again not absolute. For me, I never seat closer than .010" to the lands.

The first step is always to measure the maximum COL in your rifle with the bullet you choose which is seems you did.

Side Note: I shot the TNT bullet for a few years and this bullet had a tendency to ricochet so be watchful of that if you are using it for hunting. It may be just the areas I hunted groundhogs which contain a lot of rocky soil.

 

[Webster]

Good morning,

Quick question for the more experienced…
Started working up a load with Speer 50 gr TNT in my 222 Remington and at my jam length I have roughly .123” of bullet in the neck.
Plan to start testing -.020” and was wondering if this is enough seating depth. Have heard that at minimum you want to have the bullet diameter seated in the neck.

Thanks
Tyler

Correct seating into the neck stories are an old wifes tale. I never jam. I would start with 0.010" jump so you don't dump powder in the action if you have to extract a case. Just go by group size. My 6BRX with 55 gr bullets are only some where around 0.040" into the neck and it shoots under 0.400" for GH hunting. The very light bullets are very short. I'm about half way down the neck with 68 gr bullets with my 6BR and 6BRX with 0.010" jump and 0.030" free bore.

 

[TyT]

Several years ago, Sierra published an article on seating depth stating that in some rifles with some bullets, accuracy is improved by seating well off the lands. I found this to be true in many cases.

For Remington 700's you had no choice, they had a lot of free bore. Yet all mine shot extremely well with tailored reloads with the bullet seated well off the lands out of necessity.

I shot the 222 Rem for many years in a Remington 700 sporter weight rifle. I do not recall the seating depth, but it was well off the lands. I had no trouble at all developing 1/2 moa to sub 1/2 moa reloads with IMR 4198, Remington 7 1/2 primers, and 50 grain Sierra bullets.

The one bullet diameter minimum seating depth is a standard "rule of thumb" which I found to be useful. But like with most things, it is not absolute. I often seat deeper in some rifles with some bullets. I believe 0.20" off the lands is another useful "rule of thumb" but again not absolute. For me, I never seat closer than .010" to the lands.

The first step is always to measure the maximum COL in your rifle with the bullet you choose which is seems you did.

Side Note: I shot the TNT bullet for a few years and this bullet had a tendency to ricochet so be watchful of that if you are using it for hunting. It may be just the areas I hunted groundhogs which contain a lot of rocky soil.

Thanks for the reply, and info on ricochet.
Im quite confident I have the overall length to the ogive figured, maybe I will have to start with speers listed COAL and work out.

 

[TyT]

Last winter I loaded up Berger 40 FBs for my .222. I think my chamber has a .025 FB. I need to order another barrel with 0 FB. But anyway even with not too much into the neck, it shot pretty well in freezing weather. Hands froze so put on ski gloves for the last group and kinda screwed it up. View attachment 1458346 There were a couple groups in the .1s at 100 yards. I need to go try it again with the 40s.

View attachment 1458345

Nothing wrong with those groups, even the last one.
Your bullet looks to be seated about the same as mine is.
My rifle loves the Berger’s too, but at less than half the cost I’d be crazy not to try Speers

 

[gambleone]

Good morning,

Quick question for the more experienced…
Started working up a load with Speer 50 gr TNT in my 222 Remington and at my jam length I have roughly .123” of bullet in the neck.
Plan to start testing -.020” and was wondering if this is enough seating depth. Have heard that at minimum you want to have the bullet diameter seated in the neck.

Thanks
Tyler

You have enough bullet in the neck. I've shot 22-250 with less than that & it shot fantastic. Listen to your target.

 

[Webster]

Thanks for the reply, and info on ricochet.
Im quite confident I have the overall length to the ogive figured, maybe I will have to start with speers listed COAL and work out.

The published COAL has nothing to do with distance to touch. It's a dimension so the cartridge fits in a magazine. You should determine the distance to touch the rifling for the bullet you want to use.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

The 222 Remington is the only rifle I have had that shot better loading off the lands. Mine likes about .005" off. I have talked to other well respected shooters and members her that have said the same thing. I have never owned a rifle out of over 100, mostly custom builds, that wanted more than .015 in, or more than .006 oof. My best, 6ppc is around .015 in the case, and .006 in the lands.

That info is gold, if any of you are taking notes.