Thanks so much for your input about the .222 mag. The .222 mag. and I go way back, and I have a very sentimental and close relationship with my .222 mag. It was my very first centerfire that I ever bought. I bought it with, my then, life savings from my lawn mowing money. I paid $140 for it in 1966. I bought it off of an Amish fellow. It had a Herters 2.5-8 scope on it, and had only a 20" barrel. Was loud. Over the years it has taken on a few changes. I've put a timney trigger on it with a Douglas 24" barrel, changed to an ole Weaver K12 scope, and refinished the stock a few times. It now wears a Leupold 12X. I have a few scores of guns in my safe, and if I had to get rid of all my guns and keep ONLY one, it would be my .222 magnum sitting in the safe all alone. I love that gun and round. I think it was the word, "magnum" that got this teenager's attention way back then. I've always shot 23.0 gr. of 4198 with a 55 gr. Hornady SX bullet. My .222 mag. and I have been together for over 50 years. Boy, if that gun could talk! Has worked well, but that was over 50 years ago, and I think there is a better load to be found for that .222 mag. today. Shooting the 40 grainers was just kinda a brain storm for me. I've never shot anything lighter than a 50 gr. in all my .224's, and after frying my brain the past few days, poking in different bullets weights, velocitys, etc., I'm pretty much convinced that 52-55 grainers will be the best bullet for my 'new' .222 mag. Starting a 40 gr. at 3800 fps, and a 55 gr. at 3400 fps, the 55 gr. overtakes the 40 gr. in speed at 300 yards, and has much more energy and is almost as flat. I'm having Gearld from Custom Blue put on a 26" barrel with 1-12 twist and mating it to a H-S Precision stock. I'm going to put on a 8.5-25x Leupold on it. I'm sure it will be a tack driver when I get it back. So after all is said and done, the only thing original will be the M700 action. But I'll still have my favorite .222 mag. Thanks again for your response. It made me look at things closer, and helped me make up my mind on which weight bullet to use in my .222 mag.
Last edited by hunter01; 03/21/17.
