Best reamer for .222

[Firefighter]

Hello All,, what would be the best reamer, freebore, neck size, for this caliber??,,,I will use Lapua Brass, but want a NO turn neck. I will be shooting the 50 grain range of bullets. Thanks,,,Greg

 

[Phil]

Get yourself some brass,the same stuff you intend to use in the rifle.

Load up a dummy round with the bullet you intend to shoot.

Measure the neck of the dummy round and add .003-.004. IE...if your loaded dummy round measures .250 then spec your reamer .253-.254 this should give you enough release on the bullet.

As for free bore with the .222 case I believe that zero free bore will work with the long neck that this case has.

Also make the chamber length .010 longer than your brass.

 

[boltman223]

Firefight, I would go with a .253 neck and .040 or even .050 freebore.

I have two 222 reamers, one with a .250 neck and 0 freebore. After doing a chamber with this reamer I wished I haf longer freebore to shoot 50 grain and heavier bullets also, so factory ammo isn't jammed into the lands. My next reamer was .253 neck with .030 freebore. I still wish I would have went longer because of factory ammo and to be more versatile(53 gr vmax)

even with the 40 vmaxes I have plenty of bullet in the neck, I wouldnt be afraid to go .020 more, Just incase you are worried about touching the lands with the light bullets and .040 freebore.

If I were going to do it again I would get a .253 neck and .050 freebore reamer for the 40 to 53 grain bullets.

 

[stool]

look at 52/53 gr match/custom bullets first.
decide on a bullet seat it about 20/30 thou deeper than what you want and have a reamer made to match.

 

[Firefighter]

Thank You Sirs for the great help,, building a fun paper puncher for the range!! Thnks,,,Greg

 

[Ackman]

First get your brass, then spec the reamer. My .223 Lapua is .250" loaded, that's 2thou. bigger than IMI. I'd guess their .222 is the same but just get it and measure it and you'll know. Lapau brass is so uniform that you could go .002" over (001" neck to wall clearance) on the chamber neck and be ok. Freebore.......you're shooting light bullets and the .222 case has a long neck, NO freebore, you don't need it or want it. Also Lapua brass has very uniform length so chamber length can be only .010" longer and you needn't worry.

 

[boltman223]

Freebore.......you're shooting light bullets and the .222 case has a long neck, NO freebore, you don't need it or want it.

Why don't you want any freebore, please enlighten us, is there a problem with it? What about factory ammo?. I know wth my zerofreebore 53 vmaxes take up powder capacity if I want to jump them.

 

[Ackman]

Freebore.......you're shooting light bullets and the .222 case has a long neck, NO freebore, you don't need it or want it.

Why don't you want any freebore, please enlighten us, is there a problem with it? What about factory ammo?. I know wth my zerofreebore 53 vmaxes take up powder capacity if I want to jump them.

With 0 freebore and a chamber that's only .010" longer than the brass.....kissing the lands, the base of a 40Vmax is .160" down the neck.....the 50VMax is .250" down.....a 50TNT seats only .145" down......a 50BK is .230" down. The deuce neck is about .315" long. So what about factory ammo? That stuff is seated deep, won't even be close to the lands. And read again.....the OP is a reloader, with bullets in the 50gr weight range. The last thing he'd want or need with that cartridge is freebore.

 

[boltman223]

Freebore.......you're shooting light bullets and the .222 case has a long neck, NO freebore, you don't need it or want it.

Why don't you want any freebore, please enlighten us, is there a problem with it? What about factory ammo?. I know wth my zerofreebore 53 vmaxes take up powder capacity if I want to jump them.

With 0 freebore and a chamber that's only .010" longer than the brass.....kissing the lands, the base of a 40Vmax is .160" down the neck.....the 50VMax is .250" down.....a 50TNT seats only .145" down......a 50BK is .230" down. The deuce neck is about .315" long. So what about factory ammo? That stuff is seated deep, won't even be close to the lands. And read again.....the OP is a reloader, with bullets in the 50gr weight range. The last thing he'd want or need with that cartridge is freebore.

Since a 50 vmax measures about .350 from base of bullet to the last point it measures .224 and only .250 of your bullet is in the neck we must have totally different zero freebore reamers.

 

[Firefighter]

Hello All,,,could someone chime in telling how your reloading practices work the best for this cartridge, COAL with a 50gr. bullet, neck tension, seating depth, etc.
Thanks for your valued time!! Greg