79inpa: I have a VERY accurate 222 Remington Rifle that I bought and set up back in 1995.
It is a Remington Model 40XB-BR. This all factory stock Rifle has a 20" extra heavy stainless barrel and with Leupold 24 power scope it weighs 11 pounds 7 ounces.
I can spot my own hits with this Rifle on Colony Varmints.
I have killed both Rock Chucks and Prairie Dogs with this Rifle out just past the 400 yard mark many dozens of times!
I am currently shooting the wonderful Berger 52 grain bullets in this Rifle.
Make no mistake I do prefer to manuever my shooting point so the wind is either directly at my back or directly in my face for those longest shots!
IF you want to extend the effective range of your 222 then I think I would recommend a heavier bullet than the 40 grainers.
I have 2 Remington 700 Classics in 222 Remington that actually prefer 40 grain bullets (one likes the 40 Nosler Ballistic Tips and the other prefers the Sierra 40 grain BlitzKings).
But I would not choose to use these rigs on the extra long range shooting that I can do with the pointy 52 grain Bergers.
Prairie Dogs are smaller than Crows and like I say I have killt them out at 400 yards and just past that many times.
I just checked my loading log and saw that one of my Remington 700 Classics shoots the 40 grain bullet at a chronoed 3,338 F.P.S.
So that prompted me to go check the latest Nosler Manual (#6) and indeed they show a 222 Remington load with the 40 grain Ballistic Tips that runs 3,564 F.P.S.
So maybe the 40 grainers CAN safely be pushed to 3,600 F.P.S. but I don't know how to do it.
With a good drop chart and a laser rangefinder I see NO reason why you could not knock off a Crow out at 400 yards with your 222 fairly often (25% to 40% of the time) under good conditions.
Best of luck with your 222.
By the way with my 40X 222 and the Leupold 24 power scope my last three range sight-in verifications (in three different years) produced groups (5 shots at 100 yards) measuring .360", .286" and .361".
Those that declare the 222 Remington is ONLY a 200 yard Varmint cartridge SIMPLY, are incorrect.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy