Another 222 question

[Kenneth66]

Sierra manual says 24.6 IMR 4895 is max load for 52 gr . 24.5 fills it to the brim , is compressing powder that much ok ?
Thanks , Kenneth

 

[butchlambert]

Get a long drop tube and drop it very slowly.

 

[retired]

try different brass.
if new, maybe will be more vol when fired

 

[jds holler]

I had really good luck with that bullet/powder combo, but didn't have to go all the way to the brim for best accuracy. If you do, you should use the drop tube that Butch suggests so that some don't spill over. compressing the charge is no problem. jd

 

[Bart B.]

Sierra manual says 24.6 IMR 4895 is max load for 52 gr . 24.5 fills it to the brim , is compressing powder that much ok ?
Thanks , Kenneth

Best test is to seat a bullet on a case that full of powder, pull the bullet then see if any particles are broken apart. Too much powder if any are broken. Agree, drop tubes help.

In the heyday of 222 Rem in benchrest, a favorite load with 50 to 52 grain bullets was around 21 grains of IMR4198. That was also Sierra's load testing those caliber's weights for quality until the 22 PPC came out.

 

[Kenneth66]

Ok thanks , going to give the scot 322 , 4198 , and Benchmark a spin . Have been using Hornady superpreformance 50 gr V-max in a BDL sportier . Shoots real consistant inch or under . Feel that was pretty good with a factory rifle with a minimum of things done to it and factory ammo . Really curious to see what it might do with hand loads , provided I'm capable of doing much better . Thanks , Kenneth

 

[ireload2]

That was the load or close to it.
For varmints I used 20.5 grains and the Sierra 55 spitzer flat base.
My .222 is a 700 and has a long throat so I use the heavier flat base to get closer to the rifling with some shank in the neck.

Best test is to seat a bullet on a case that full of powder, pull the bullet then see if any particles are broken apart. Too much powder if any are broken. Agree, drop tubes help.

In the heyday of 222 Rem in benchrest, a favorite load with 50 to 52 grain bullets was around 21 grains of IMR4198. That was also Sierra's load testing those caliber's weights for quality until the 22 PPC came out.

 

[K22]

I know that's a published load and IMR 4895 and the poweder (not load) is a good choice for the 222 but I had better results with IMR 4198, 19.0 grain with 52 match bullets. Shot under 1/2 moa with a standard Rem 700 sporter.

 

[MagnumManiac]

Best test is to seat a bullet on a case that full of powder, pull the bullet then see if any particles are broken apart. Too much powder if any are broken. Agree, drop tubes help.

In the heyday of 222 Rem in benchrest, a favorite load with 50 to 52 grain bullets was around 21 grains of IMR4198. That was also Sierra's load testing those caliber's weights for quality until the 22 PPC came out.

Bart,
The only time I’ve ever seen broken powder was from being cut in a powder measure, and I’ve used a lot of heavily compressed loads and pulled them.
I’ve seen loads so heavily compressed that the powder was so tightly packed it had to be dug out with an awl. There were no broken kernels to be seen.

Just interested where you have seen broken/crushed kernels after pulling bullets on compressed loads.

Cheers.

 

[Bart B.]

I and a buddy handloaded about a third of all the 5.56/.223 ammo used in the first military DCM match allowing M16 rifles back in 1971. Sierra suggested we use 25(?) grains of IMR4895 under their 52 grain match bullet as it tested more accurate than IMR4198. We did get excellent results. Slightly bigger case capacity over the 222.

 

[Bart B.]

I have seen broken/crushed kernels after pulling bullets on compressed loads.

With some longer stick powders (4831) had different broken point edges from crushing than those cut by metering chamber sharp edges. Asked a duPont rep about that and he agreed.

Ball powders may be different.

 

[Kenneth66]

Just got done prepping some brass . Did a half assed test with the three powders , but for some reason went with the IMR 4895 instead , I think it was because that's what they recommended on the 222 site .
Anyway shot a couple factory rounds to foul the barrel and then shot a couple HMR's to let the barrel cool . Then shot a five round group with 24.5 gr of 4895 under 52 gr match burner . Got four in a three quarter inch string and one half inch , 3 o'clock off tthe center of that group .
Then shot a five shot group Scot 322 22.5 gr , 52 gr match burner thy clustered four in a little over .3" and one flier three quarter out of that group . The bench mark shot five in a shade under half inch .
It's almost midnight , got the brass prepped and primed , going to load some more in the morning and this time will give the 4198 a spin . But all with more groups . I realize a group on each load don't tell me much , but gives me an idea of which way to go .
It is a great caliber to shoot , doesn't recoil much at all and easy on powder .
Thanks Kenneth

 

[retired]

you probably need to foul the bbl with each powder every time you change powders.

Just got done prepping some brass . Did a half assed test with the three powders , but for some reason went with the IMR 4895 instead , I think it was because that's what they recommended on the 222 site .
Anyway shot a couple factory rounds to foul the barrel and then shot a couple HMR's to let the barrel cool . Then shot a five round group with 24.5 gr of 4895 under 52 gr match burner . Got four in a three quarter inch string and one half inch , 3 o'clock off tthe center of that group .
Then shot a five shot group Scot 322 22.5 gr , 52 gr match burner thy clustered four in a little over .3" and one flier three quarter out of that group . The bench mark shot five in a shade under half inch .
It's almost midnight , got the brass prepped and primed , going to load some more in the morning and this time will give the 4198 a spin . But all with more groups . I realize a group on each load don't tell me much , but gives me an idea of which way to go .
It is a great caliber to shoot , doesn't recoil much at all and easy on powder .
Thanks Kenneth

 

[Bart B.]

Anyway shot a couple factory rounds to foul the barrel and then shot a couple HMR's to let the barrel cool .

A properly assembled rifle will shoot 20 to 30 shots or more in half as many minutes and bullet impact will not move away from point of aim as the barrel heats up.

That's with a properly stress relieved barrel fit to a squared up receiver face to barrel tenon thread axis.

 

[jds holler]

I like to show off this group when I get a chance, to show how forgiving the 222 cartridge can be. This rifle was a seventies vintage, all stock except for sitting in a newer Remington tupperware stock. At this point it had untold thousands of rounds down the tube with three inches of fire-cracking just past the throat.

I happened to have some of the little 35 gr V-Max's on hand that I had been using in my Bee, and decided to jam them on top of the same powder charge that I was loading with 40 grainers in the 222. Just to see what might happen. Ya just never know. jd

 

[Kenneth66]

A properly assembled rifle will shoot 20 to 30 shots or more in half as many minutes and bullet impact will not move away from point of aim as the barrel heats up.

That's with a properly stress relieved barrel fit to a squared up receiver face to barrel tenon thread axis.

It is a stock rifle , only thing done to it is trigger job , lugs lapped , action bedded and barrel floated .
I did notice that the barrel didn't really seem that warm after each five shot group . But still gave it time to cool .
can't shoot long strings anymore , eyes get to messing with me . Usually do a thirty count between shots rolling eyes around looking into the horizon seems to clear my sight picture up , sometimes I can get two to three five shot groups off , but the days of shooting 20-30 rds without a break seem to be gone .
Kenneth

 

[snert]

One thing to keep in mind is the current IMR 4198 etc are hotter than the past. The max loads (similar MV) are now lower in the books than in the past. Use a modern up to date manual.

Ask me how I know...

 

[jds holler]

One thing to keep in mind is the current IMR 4198 etc are hotter than the past. The max loads (similar MV) are now lower in the books than in the past. Use a modern up to date manual.

Ask me how I know...

If you're like me, some of the new powder is about the only thing around the house that's hotter than it used to be. jd

 

[snert]

If you're like me, some of the new powder is about the only thing around the house that's hotter than it used to be. jd

As I age I note salsa, jalapeno, red hot, BBQ, sauces, and whiskey are all getting hotter...

 

[BronzeArcher]

Best test is to seat a bullet on a case that full of powder, pull the bullet then see if any particles are broken apart. Too much powder if any are broken. Agree, drop tubes help.

In the heyday of 222 Rem in benchrest, a favorite load with 50 to 52 grain bullets was around 21 grains of IMR4198. That was also Sierra's load testing those caliber's weights for quality until the 22 PPC came out.

Agreed, 24.5 grains is a bit much 4895 in the 222. You should get her singing sweet songs with much less.