Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 6mmX222 finally done!

I have a set of CH4D dies for it. I've had good luck with dies from them for wildcat chamberings. This is my third set of dies recently from them. I have sets of CH4D 400 Whelen and 375 Whelen dies in addition to the 6mmx222.

Thanks. The data that i've read showed blc-2 as the top of the velocity heap with an 85 gr ball @ 2700+.

So far BL-C2 hasn't produced velocity anywhere near what the data or Quick Loads suggests. I'll be at the range again tomorrow for some more testing so will have more to report then.

Anyone else think those charges seem light above?

Seems your speed is low and has room to grow.

Those charges were suggested by Quick Loads or taken from the Hodgdon manual and were near max. That has me in a bit of a quandary considering the low velocities I recorded. I will be trying some heavier charges of some of the powders I've tried. Based on what I've seen from AA2495 I won't be able to get enough of it in a case to get anywhere near the predicted Quick Load velocities. Same for H4895. I am trying some heavier loads of BL-C2, H322 IMR 3031 and Benchmark, watching carefully for pressure indications.

As I mentioned before I don't know how Fadala got 27 grains of BL-C2 and an 80 grain bullet in the same case. I don't think I'd be comfortable compressing a load that much and don't know if BL-C2 would allow that much compression. It's a pretty dense powder. It fills an LC 83 or Sako case to the top of the case mouth.

I'll know more tomorrow I guess. That's part of the fun, and some times frustration of working with wildcats.

I made to the range Thursday. I tried a couple more loads with BL-C2, as well as 3031, H322 and Benchmark. I can eliminate H322 and Benchmark from contention, at least with the 80 grain Speer. It didn't like either one no matter what the charge weight. The 3031 loads were very consistent in velocity, showing the lowest average and standard deviation, but not as accurate as the BL-C2 loads. I tried 24 and 25 grains of BL-C2 and got 2608 for an average velocity. It was still a little on the low light side when I tried the 24 grain load and the chronograph didn't read. Had to hold off for a half hour or so to let the light come up a little so it would read the rest of the loads.

That is a lot closer to what I expected for velocity from this round, although I expected to see it earlier with slightly lighter charges. The 24 and 25 grain loads both turned in outstanding sub one inch groups. I was anticipating 2600-2700 fps with this bullet so I am pleased with the 25 grain load. I'll give that load a work out on some coyotes in Eastern Washington when I'm down in December and then try it out on some fox and lynx up here in January.

Mart

Animals will never know the speed

If me, I'd load a few test rounds .2-.3 grain up at a time, watching for pressure. I ran H335 and Varget w/70s in my 6BRs.

I'm fine with 2600 with an 80 grain bullet. I was expecting 2600-2700 in the 80-85 grain bullets so 2608 is fine.

Wish I could find some H335. It has been absent up here for a very long time. That or it's been snapped up before I got there. Same with Varget.

I have 200 rounds of brand new Sako 222 brass that I am going to work with after the first of the year starting with taking micrometer readings on the case heads and keeping all the cases labeled so I can keep close track of head expansion. I'm going to try to talk my lovely wife into a Mitutoyo digital blade micrometer for Christmas. Probably just get socks though.