Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 222 loads

Just picked up an older 222 Vamint and am looking for some good loads to start with. I plan on using 50gr V-Max. Thanks.

Since your in woodchuck country the thing about the 222R is that they run out of steam to anchor a chuck at longer ranges.

When the Blitz and SX lines came out it was great as those bullets expanded yet had a good coefficient. Perhaps some newer bullets are even better.

I've been thinking of having it rechambered to 223AI but it shoots good now. Figured I'd shoot it as-is for now. Learn to dope distance and wind. Then rebarrel in the future. Kinda undecided. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Stay with the .222 for now. You'll be happy with the performance as long as you don't try to push it to 22-250 ranges (350-500 yards).
If it were me, I'd try Varget powder or H335, 40 grain ballistic tips or VMax, and Rem. 7 1/2 primers. Should get the job done very nicely.
Let us know how it works out.- Sheister

IMR-4198 is kind of a pain to work with in powder measures - long skinny sticks - but if my work with it in the .223 and .221 Fireball is any indication you will find it very conducive to accurate loads with a variety of bullet weights and brands. Accuracy does not seem to suffer across a fairly wide margin of muzzle velocities.



I used to use H335 and 748 and found good loads with these, this in a .223, never worked with a .222, but now use IMR-4198 exclusively. Also, my one and only .223 left is a Kimber M84. I want to be kind to the barrel so I shoot 55 grain bullets at a reduced mv of about 3000 - 3050 fps, so basically I'm shooting a .222.



As stated, it is not a 350 yard gun, but 250 is easy, even 300 yards is doable if you can dope wind.



P.S. Since we�re talking woodchucks � I used my .221 Fireball in upstate New York on chucks. IIRC I was shooting Speer 50 grainers at about 2900 fps. We had a hayfield that was just about 200 yards across at the widest and I�d take chucks on the hill beyond that, so call it 225-250 yards max. The 50 grainers at 2900 fps would kill those chucks dead right now, so I expect a nice 50 grain V-max or BT at 3000 fps or a tad more from a .222 would prove satisfyingly lethal as well.

Jim in Idaho, If you don't mind me asking, how high was your Fireball sighted at 100 yards (1", 1.5", 2") ? Ben

Good question � that was in 1988 and �89, but if I remember correctly I sighted it dead on at 200 yards. The rifle was a T/C Carbine with a Fox Ridge .221 caliber 21� bull barrel. I lived in an old farm house with a hay field and hill in back, and as stated the hay field was right about 200 yards across at the widest. To be honest, I can�t say the the rifle was sighted at an even 200 yards � it was sighted at an even �one edge of the hayfield to the other�. I never did sight it at 100 yards to verify the mid-range trajectory as it was always close enough. If they were in the hayfield I held center of chest, if on the hillside beyond then no shots would be further than about 250 yards. I held on the junction of head and chest and would hit them mid-chest. I also had a Remington 788 in .223 and used the same Speer 50 grain bullets in it with a load I later chronographed at close to 3400 fps from the 24� barrel. The .223 would definitely make a bigger splat when it hit, but that Fireball would kill them just as dead and spray some considerable red on the grass beyond as well.

When I moved to Idaho I sighted the Fireball dead on at 125 yards for ground quirrel shooting. Those little things are so frenetic that they are usually moving every few seconds and more often than not I shot them as they lay along the ground, not standing up in the classic varmint pose. Had maybe a 2� high target? When they do stand up and stretch out they are maybe 1 �� wide, so windage becomes a factor . Anyway, a 125 yard sight in gave me a mid-range trajectory of no more than �� high, so I just used that T/C like a laser gun and aimed dead on out to about 140 yards or so.

I mentioned a CZ-527 in .221 Fireball at a local gunstore. Man, am I tempted to go get that overpriced thing. The .221 is just a perfect ground squirrel caliber.

Scott,
I've had better luck with 50gr Btips than Vmax in other cartridges so I haven't tried them in my 222. But I laddered a few different powders with the Btips for my 21inch contender...

In my rifle these were best so far. Development went on hold when I got down to getting two groups. Two tattered bugholes 3/4 inch apart with the 21.5 load. Sent the scope in to Leo and got it back last week, they replaced both turrets. Now I can continue.....

50 gr Nosler Btip, 2.253 COL(touching) 21.5 H322, 19.2 I4198, 23.4 I4895 Rem 7 1/2 Bench Primers

Good luck,
Shummy

Scott, what action did you get? One thought to consider is having it rechambered to .222 Rem. Mag. Very similar performance to .223 AI but without the fireforming chores. Brass isn't expensive and the rechambering shouldn't require a barrel setback like the AI versions

Redneck



Its an older 700 Varmint. See attached. I'll have to look at the 222 mag. Know anyone that might have a reamer? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I can ALWAYS obtain a reamer......... It'll just give me an excuse to do my own anyway.. LOL.

Scott

I like your rifle and I like the .222. I have a Pre-64 Model 70, was originally a .22 Hornet and someone rechambered it to .222 many years ago. It's a great little rifle. I would like to see the rest of the deer head that was shown in your picture. Any chance of another picture with the whole animal in it? Thanks...

Here's the wall of the biggun's.

From left to right:

Snow goose affectionately known as "Aflack"
Buffleheads
Saskatchewan whitetail 152" gross
Old Squaw drake
Saskatchewan whitetail 172" gross - my uncle's
Northern Shovelers
Saskatchewan whitetail 143" gross
Maryland whitetail 156" net - my uncle's

Scott

Thanks for sending the additonal picture. That's a very nice collection and one to be proud of. A man could look at your wall and recall many wonderful memories. Thanks again...

I�ve had a heavy-barreled Sako in .222 Remington for close to 40 years and have �worked up� a good many different loads for it using a variety of rifle powders together with 50 grain varmint bullets. The most accurate powder I�ve ever used is VihtaVuori N-130. It also happened to give me the greatest muzzle velocity which averaged 3197 fps with my chronograph sitting 15-feet from the muzzle. Just prior to 1995, I mounted a 6x-24x variable scope on this rifle and all bench rest test groups were firing with the scope set on 24x @ 50 yards with parallax adjusted out of the scope.



My previous �best load� was developed �way back in the early 1960�s when I used 24 grains of the OLD (not the replacement BL-C�) �BL-C� with a 50 grain Hornady �SX� varmint bullet. That �load� shot an honest 5-shot group that measured just .25-inches at 100 yards. I didn�t have a chronograph �way back then, but I�d �guess� the muzzle velocity was in the 2900 fps-2950 fps �neighborhood�.



According to my records, my current �best load� was fired at my club�s rifle range on May 27, 1995 using 21.8 grains of VV N-130 sparked by Remington 7� primers in �accurized� Winchester cases topped off by Sierra 50 grain �Blitz� (varmint) bullets. This load�s best 5-shot group measured .092 inches @ 50 yards. The first four (4) rounds measured �0.0� group size... i.e., the first 4 bullets went through the same hole without increasing it�s size above .224�. Subsequent groups consistently measured UNDER 2/10th of an inch. All bullets fired in the same group were weighed on my powder scale and only bullets of EXACTLY the same weight were used in these tests.



I got so �excited� at the prospects of shooting a .224� sized 5 shot group that, in spite of all my efforts to the contrary, I �pulled� the 5th round a little which increased the overall group size to .316 inches measured outside edge to outside edge of the group by dial calipers. This measurement minus .224 inches (bullet diameter) yields a final group size of .092 inches. Standard muzzle velocity deviation was 16 fps with a +7 fps and a �9 fps.



I suggest you work up your load SLOWLY. Maximum safe load, according to VihtaVuori�s Reloading Guide is 22.1 grains of VV N-130. However, I began to have �pressure signs� (slightly �puckered� edges around the firing pin dent in the primer) at 21.9 grains. Those �signs� may have been due to �soft� primers, but I was getting �3200 fps out of my rifle�s 23� barrel at that powder level (21.8 gr.), so I pushed the load first to 21.9 grains, then to 22.0 grains resulting in increased group sizes of .340 inches & .394 inches respectively and muzzle velocities averaging 3210 fps & 3232 fps respectively. I could see that while I was gaining a little muzzle velocity, I was losing accuracy.



Obviously, the �sweet spot� in MY rifle using Vihta Vuori N-130 rifle powder is in the 21.6 grains (group = .183�, MV = 3178 fps), 21.7 grains (group = .980�, MV = 3187 fps) and 21.8 grains area.



I hope this information is useful to you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />





Strength & Honor�



Ron T.