Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 222 Remington loads

I'm a HUGE fan of the deuce...its my favorite all purpose varmint round...even over the .223 for a couple silly ( but not me me...) reasons.

In a standard Rem 700 short action theres enough space that you dont have to pay strict attention when loading ( like a .223 at mag length...) I do a lot of high volume colony varmint shooting and night calling for predators...in either case you can reload in a hurry without looking.

And yeah...4198 is the fave here...

I have a Sako Vixen 222 with a custom Hart barrel made back around 1957 It's the version with the safety on the bolt shroud. It has a Canjar single-set trigger. I got it about 30 years ago and tried all the then recommended powders. I settled on 20.0 grains of IMR 4198 with 50 grain bullets, or 20.5 grains of RL-7. These loads give me 3,250 fps. Later, I switched to 40 grain bullets with 24.0 grains of AA-2200. That is good for about 3,500 fps. Lately I use 21.5 grains of N-130 with 50 grain bullets for 3,250 fps. I have yet to try the LT powders as I don't need to.

I bought my Sako Riihimaki right in the middle of the last big powder scare. The only powder I could find was RL 10x. It has worked so well with 50gr bullets that I’ve never tried anything else.

I go with 52 gr Speer flatbase HP's with benchmark for coyote hunting. 40gr NBT's in my paper puncher.

Model 70 222 Rem.



Sako Vixen 222 Rem



Savage paper puncher I built 222 Rem.



I don't own a 223 any long either.