I am wondering how far you think that the 222 remington is good for as a varmit gun. Several of the older books say that the gun is good for about 200 yards. That said we have the new plastic tipped bullets and more modern propellants than the had back in the 70s.

Back about ten years ago before we got coyotes in the area I used to hit woodchucks out to 250 on a fairly regular basis. Now between the flooding in my area and the predators I don't see enough woodchucks to make it worth going after them.

I always used to use the cheapest factory ammo possible because I didn't reload at the time. Now that I reload I tried to get some accuracy and velocity out of my gun. My one book hints that 3400 might be doable in my .222 with the 24 inch barrel and a 50 grain nosler ballistic tip bullet. I tried max charges of h335 and couldn't safely get past 3300. I did get four shots into slightly less than half an inch though which isn't too bad considering that my dad never really cleaned the gun and it has some bore pitting in it.

So now the big question for those that bothered to read my rambling. How far can you hit crows and woodchucks on a regular basis with a half inch .222 spitting a 50 grain ballistic tip 3300 fps? How far do you think that it be effective with a 40 grain grain ballistic tip going 3600 fps?

Do any of you have anY really accurate zippy .222 loads?

400 yards if you know your equipment.

Zippy is subjective.

22.2 gr of H322 and 50 gr Sierra varminters.

No throat. I got it jammed in the lands and my calcs based on drops are 3300+.

add: It's a Zastava mini mauser with a shaw 12 twist heavy contour.

I've made a lucky assed shot past 450 on a PDwith a 50 gr. Berger, but I've run it comfortably to 300 with holdover.

A turret gunner could easily do better, lest the wind is too crazy.

It was so windy here Sunday the 22 Hornets blew off the 6 inch plate at 200, so it was going off more than 3 inches!

I routinely connect on ground hogs past 300 with 40 grain pills and H322. Hard to find a triple deuce that will not shoot well with that combo.

Yeah but the carolina groundhogs are bigger

I noticed that most folks that love the 222 claim its not a finicky caliber. My experience as well.

300 yds...

ingwe is correct IMO - at 300 hits are fairly easy once past that the odds of not hitting increase dramatically.

JBM is your friend - as you can see after 300 yds things start going downhill pretty quickly.

drover



Trajectory
Input Data
Manufacturer: Nosler Description: Ballistic Tip� Spitzer
Caliber: 0.224 in Weight: 50.0 gr
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.238 G1
Bullet Length (Library): 0.800 in

Muzzle Velocity: 3290.0 ft/s Distance to Chronograph: 15.0 ft

Sight Height: 1.50 in Sight Offset: 0.00 in
Zero Height: 1.00 in Zero Offset: 0.00 in
Windage: 0.000 MOA Elevation: 0.000 MOA
Line Of Sight Angle: 0.0 deg Cant Angle: 0.0 deg
Barrel Twist: 14.0 in Twist Direction: Right

Wind Speed: 10.0 mph Wind Angle: 90.0 deg
Target Speed: 0.0 mph Target Angle: 0.0 deg
Target Height: 8.0 in

Temperature: 70.0 �F Pressure: 29.92 in Hg
Humidity: 0.0 % Altitude: 5000.0 ft

Vital Zone Radius: 5.0 in

Std. Atmosphere at Altitude: No Pressure is Corrected: Yes
Zero at Max. Point Blank Range: No Target Relative Drops: Yes
Mark Sound Barrier Crossing: No Include Extra Rows: No
Column 1 Units: 1.00 in Column 2 Units: 1.00 MOA
Round Output to Whole Numbers: No
Output Data
Elevation: 4.022 MOA Windage: 0.000 MOA

Atmospheric Density: 0.06231 lb/ft� Speed of Sound: 1128.2 ft/s

Maximum PBR: 366 yd Maximum PBR Zero: 314 yd
Range of Maximum Height: 177 yd Energy at Maximum PBR: 509.8 ft�lbs

Sectional Density: 0.142 lb/in� Stability at Muzzle: 0.000
Calculated Table
Range Drop Drop Windage Windage Velocity Mach Energy Time Lead Lead
(yd) (in) (MOA) (in) (MOA) (ft/s) (none) (ft�lbs) (s) (in) (MOA)
0 -1.5 *** 0.0 *** 3308.2 2.932 1214.9 0.000 0.0 ***
100 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 2957.8 2.622 971.1 0.096 0.0 0.0
200 -0.5 -0.2 3.9 1.9 2633.6 2.334 769.9 0.203 0.0 0.0
300 -7.0 -2.2 9.2 2.9 2331.4 2.066 603.4 0.325 0.0 0.0
400 -20.0 -4.8 17.4 4.2 2049.5 1.817 466.3 0.462 0.0 0.0
500 -41.3 -7.9 29.0 5.5 1789.1 1.586 355.3 0.618 0.0 0.0

I'd agree with 300 yards. Sat behind a highly accurate 222Rem and shot rabbits at a lasered 220-270 yards with monotonous regularity. Past 300 yards though it starts getting a bit tougher and its easier to pull out the bigger guns.
Cheers...
Con

I never had a problem with my 788 to 300 yds with a 50g pill either.

I agree that the deuce isn't finicky. Mine will put anything into less than an inch. I do have trouble holding much better than .4 inches on a regular basis, however my rest really isn't the greatest.

Right now I only have 1 222Rem, but it is one of my favorites. On a calm weekend 3 summer's ago I shot 40 rockchucks with it from 325yds to 400yds using 40gr Blitzking's and VVN130. I also have target turret's on my scope. almost no recoil and you dont need hearing protection.........what's not to like ?

It is a solid 300 yard varmint round and a bit further if you know your rifle and load

I know a guy with a 40X in 222 and has made some very long
shots on crows with it, but is more selective with groundhogs.

I4198 20.5-21.5 50 baltip. 20.5 -21.5 I4198 40 vMX

If you like losing your hearing and/or tinnitus ,that is GREAT advice....

This a average group is from my old 40 X BR in 222 Remington

huh, what did you say? 300 is a cinch if you know your gear Russ

Good enough to kill the 3 groundhogs I shot today with mine.

I always have used hearing protection when I shoot my .222 and any other firearm.

BUT, if your hearing is all gone by now, you can opt out, I guess...what's the difference?

Exactly, if all some dude hears is that ringing in his ears from tinnitus, I guess a lil'ol .222 getting uncorked 2 ft away is no big deal.

I been shooting the "triple deuce" for several decades and in the early going it was 200 to 250 yards. However, nowdays with a good scope and more modern powders and bullets you can push that out to 350 as a general rule (no wind etc) It will do on P-Dogs out to 400 if you can shoot well and know your tool.

apparently you have tinnitus to even know what it is.....or perhaps the ringing in your ears is just the echo's from being a life time dumbfounded [bleep] ??

And only a complete cretin like yourself would NOT know what tinnitus is.

And, only a asswipe such as yourself would recommend folks shoot high power rifles without hearing protection.

That says all that needs saying about your level of sheer stupidity.

Too bad your daddy did not wear condoms, we could all have been spared your "knowledge".

My one 222 had a 3 pound trigger when I got it on the used market. My other gun has an 8 pounder. Does anyone know how hard it is to have a trigger tuned down to 2.5-3.25 pounds on a remington 788?

Trigger swap: http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=25059/Product/REMINGTON_788_TRIGGER_W_SAFETY

As to how far is the .222 good for? How far can you still accurately hit with it? There's your answer.

A quick amd cheap way to fix a 788 trigger, and many others, is to trade out the trigger return spring inside the trigger mechanism with one that is made from lighter spring material such as the spring kits available from Brownells. Swapping out the whole trigger is by far the BEST way, but having owned a pile of 788's over the years I can say that because they have been out of production for so long and so few people are tuning them up anymore that sometimes the triggers are not in stock for long periods of time. Best of luck either way.

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

Jane62, Obviously that giant queef you had that rang your ear's and gave you tinnitus must have also damaged countless brain cell's.

Shooting a 222 Rem with no hearing protection is 35-40 decibel's less than that

You have a huge bleeding "queef" between your ears, moron.

Your recommendation to shoot high powered rifles without hearing protection is as dumb as it gets.

WOW Jim, dont know what set you off but you seem to be a flaming azzhole for no reason. chill out a bit and bring a better attitude.

Good choice VarmintGuy, I also have a Remington 40X 222 Rem great rifle

I have had tinnitus since late 1960's and it is NOT something I would wish on anybody. It only gets worse (louder and more changing sounds) as life goes down the yellow brick road. I would advise earplugs under muffs just for the sake of keeping the hearing you have from getting worse.

Thats his nature.

Tom, it takes one to know one.

Look in the mirror.There is the biggest azzhole YOU are likely to ever meet.

Besides, the "flaming azzholes" are the morons promoting the shooting of highpower rifles without hearing protection.

I could really give a flying puck what some of the self styled arbiters of "Civility" think of my opinions on the subject.

GFY.

Damn, I must be a weenie! The 26" barreled #1 I like to use in the briar patches doesn't exactly knock one's proverbial socks off when it comes to recoil or noise, but I still prefer to use hearing protection - and I don't have near as much to protect as I did only 30 or 50 years ago. A shot or two with any centerfire I can put up with in battle, but I can't see the sense in not using hearing protection when one is in "premeditated" mode.

Thats because I have never met you yet.

But if we ever met you'd be crapping your teeth for the next week.

Boatanchor: What model and barrel length is your 40X?
I actually got my Remington 40XB-BR for FREE!
Well, kind of free.
I used to work an off duty job at the Warshals Sporting Goods store in downtown Seattle, Washington.
Someone ordered the 40XB-BR in 222 and then could NOT follow through on the purchase when it arrived.
The owner of the store liked me and allowed me to "work off" the balance owed on that Rifle in lieu of paycheck monies.
It was (and still is!) one of the most accurate Rifles I have ever owned.
With BR quality bullets it has shot groups (5 shots at 100 yards) in the 1's on dead calm days.
Anyway I thank my lucky stars that I was in the right place at the right time to take advantage when it came along.
The 222 Remington IS still an excellent and worthwhile cartridge and I am rather miffed that the folks at Remington no longer offer it up in their Varminters and standard Rifles.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Boatanchor: Also this - I just got a chance to review this thread and did not see any comments from you on ranges or useages of your 222 Remington.
I would like to hear (read) your thoughts regarding range, accuracy and bullet weights.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy, I got my Remington 40-X for free too.....kinda.
I have been in the auto glass industry for over 35 year's, many years ago a friend of a friend wanted me to do all the glass in a 56 Chev Bel Air that he had been restoring for 10 years. I told him thanks but no thanks the quickest way to go broke in the auto glass buisness is to work on restorations.

He said I understand that you LOVE nice guns and I have this purdy little 40-X chambered in 222 Remington that I will trade.
Long story short I did about $2000 trade to get this little gem. In the years since it has been restocked, rebarreled and 3 years ago the trigger broke so all that is original is the action. A blued 40-X with a five digit serial# but still a 222 Rem.

Didn't read the whole thread. Sub MOA load, High BC bullet good drop chart and turrets. I would not be afraid to push that gun on Pa ground gizz to 600 yards. Some cheaters in the field help. ie surveyors tape. Not to sound like a smart ass, but it is more about what you can do. How well can you read the wind, how well you read the animal meaning how long is that pig going to sit there. How good is your hold from the position you are shooting from. PA coyotes that is a solid 300 yard gun if you can hit a 4 inch target from that postion in that condition.

calm day on sticks, good light, dog hangs up 300yards. Wind rocking, frozen hands, twisted up cuase it came in from your right. Well then maybe not so far. You gotta be the judge