Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Looking for some 222 load info

Just picked up a vintage Remington 700 BDL in 222. The gun has a 20" barrel and I am guessing a 1:14 twist. Plan to use the gun for my walking around calling gun and need some fur friendly loads for coyote, red fox, and bobcats. Anyone have any load information they would like to share?

Saw your post and no replies after 7 hours...I don't mind stepping to the plate.

I don't give loads from my rifle as every gun is different, but in my .222 I have had good success with Ramshot Xterminator and Accurate Arms 2230 powders. For bullets, the Sierra 50 gr. Blitz (I think they are still in Sierra's catalog), Hornady SX in 50 grains, Speer 52 gr. HP, and 40 gr. Sierra HP are great hunting bullets.

A lot of other powders and bullets work well; lots of folks like H 335 powder, or BLC-2. .The older manuals have lots of loads, look in Lyman 47 and 48 editions.

For fur friendly, keep velocities down around 2800 FPS or below; that may still be too much for fox...but you can look at reduced load info with Lil Gun pistol powder, or shoot cast bullets around 2300 FPS.

Good luck, you will like the .222

I use Speer 70 gr. Semi Spitzers in mine (which has a 1:12 twist) over a compressed load of H414/Win. 760. Nothing I've hit with that bullet has ever gotten away and that includes a couple of deer.

Sierra 50 grain Blitz and 19-20 grains Reloder 7. Not top velocity (about 2875 - 3050 fps depending on barrel length) but very good accuracy in four .222s.

i have a bdl and a bdl hvy. I4198 20.5 and a 50 baltip. 21.5 and 40 vmay bullet . i 4198 and and any bullet betwen 40 and 53 grains. big groups were 3/4.

I doubt it would be fur friendly but 20.5 grains of i 4198 and a 40 grain vmax in lapua case with a cci br4 shoots .34 for and average of 3 groups of 4 shots.

One of my reloading books says that you can load the 55 grain fmj bullet to about 2200 fps and use it for fur or turkeys.

It's very accurate in four .222's. I agree and make that six (four plus my two) .222's.

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Using the 50gr blitz in a 12 twist over 22.2gr of H322.

Standard triple deuce utility load here.

Look what it does on deer:

Trappererick: I have a bunch of Varmint Rifles in caliber 222 Remington but most of them have long heavy barrels.
I do have a pair of Remington 700 Classics in 222 with 24" barrels though.
One of the Classic prefers AA 2015 powder and 40 grain Sierra Blitz Kings and the other prefers H 322 powder and Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tips.
I use Federal 205 M (match) primers in both.
Best of luck with the short barreled 222!
By the way do you think that is a factory 20" barrel or did someone "shorten" it?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmintguy,

It is a factory model from the late 60's ( I think) that they called the carbine. It is a nice looking rifle and the short barrel shouldn't bother me at all as 99% of my shots are under 150 yards. It should make for a nice carrying around gun for calling.

Trappererick: Well good for you owning that somewhat rare variation of Model 700.
I looked it up and the 20" barreled 700 "carbines" were made only in 1962 and 1963.
And they were made in the following calibers 222 Remington, 222 Remington Magnum, 243 Winchester, 270 Winchester, 280 Remington, 308 Winchester and 30/06.
Yes indeed that will be a handy Rifle.
And again best of luck getting a suitable load for it.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

50g vmax & 23g BLC2 will give you excellent results.

I just tried some 52 grain Sierra BTHP match bullets in my Sako 222. Could not keep it on the paper at 100. Is this bullet too long for my Sako? Its an old Vixen, and it used to shoot everything really good, but I don't think I ever tried anything heavier than a standard 50 grn bullet. I'm going to load some 50 grn Hornady 50 sx bullets and see what happens.

A friend had the same problem with his old early model Sako ( L46 action and box magazine.) Loads that shot well in my rifles sprayed all over the paper with his.We measured the twist in his and it measured 1 in 16. He switched to 45 grain bullets and the rifle settled right into shooting .50 to .75" groups. Try a lighter bullet.

Hope this helps.

The Riihimaki's, earlier ones, came with the Hornet/Bee 1-16 twist.
If you want a heavier bullet that will spin for sure the 50 Sierra SMP or (maybe) the 55 SMP.

Thank you. Just the info I was looking for.

try the h322 and h335 and blc, i like the 4895 powder try it with a small rifle mag primer too

usally works in any of my 222's with 50 to 55 grain bullets

If it doesn't you have a gun with a problem.

I just shot some 40 grain V-Max with some AA2015 and cciBR-4 primers and rem cases. 22 -24 grains and all shot less than an inch. I am very happy. A little sign of pressure on the 23.5 and 24 grain loads but nothing too bad. I think I'll load up some 23 grain and call it done. I shot some Speer tnt 50s and had a nice group with them at same recipe and 23 grains of AA2015. This may sound stupid, but the AA2015 smelled like old school 22LR that I smelled when I begged my Dad to take me shooting when I was a kid 35 years ago or more. Loved it!