Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Favorite loads for 222Sako Vixen L461

Just picked up this old Vixen and with reloading supplies being precious and factory ammo nill. I was looking for advice. Have some 50 grain TNT plus a mix of other 50 gainers and 40s but don't want to waste what little there is. The barrell is being recrowned so I plan to shot some coyotes soon. Open to any suggestions from someone who has loaded for a 222 Vixen with success and something other than IMR 4198, since I don't have any. Thanks

Congratulations on a beautiful rifle. You probably already know but there’s a Sako collector’s site (https://sakocollectors.com/forum/) that is a great source. I’ve loaded for 222 quite a bit but never a Vixen.

I've had a Vixen .222 for a long time and a very accurate varmint bullet has been the 50 grain Sierra Blitz or the regular high velocity version of the same bullet, especially with Reloder 7. This bullet is a good one in all the slow twist .22s including the .220 Swift. I realize components are hard to find and the 50 TNT is certainly worth trying. My notes show good accuracy with this bullet using Reloder 7; it didn't do so well with H4895 and IMR4198.

Look at some manuals. Lots of good .222 loads and you'll find this cartridge among the easiest to work with when it come to accuracy. I've never had much interest in bullets under 50 grains, but one of the few I've work with was the Sierra 45 grain. It will shoot about as well as the 50 grain.

I use Benchmark powder, 25.0 grains and 40 ballistic tips. It will tip over coyotes quite effectively.

My favorite powder for 40, 50 and 52 grain bullets is H4198.
I mostly shoot 40 Vmax or Ballistic Tips these days.
As has been said many times, the 3 deuce is a very forgiving cartridge.
Any of the loads suggested here will probably give good results.

Appreciate the feed backs. Will take a look at the Sako site. Have some H322, RL10 & Xterminator to try. Anyone have a load recomendation or experience good or bad with one of these?

To me the best powder for the 222 is VVN130........of the powder and bullets you have look no further than H322 with the 50gr TNT (that will be a tough combo to beat)

I have NEVER heard that said !!!!!!!!!!!!!!, most refer to it as the "Triple Deuce"

H335 is the fastest and super accurate in the vixen. If the leade is long, then go to the sierra site, they have the 50g semi point on a close out, they shoot like berger bullets. I use Rem 7 1/2 with H335. Walt Berger shot a lot of tiny groups in his 222's before he went to a 6 PPC.

Lots of great bullet in the Vixen. Some were throated long and this is where the 50g Sierra semi point will shine, and they sure dump coyotes hard!

AA2230 is another great powder that will get some serious speed with tiny groups.

Speer 52gr FB HP with Benchmark

Nice rife and yote! I'm excited to hunt with the 222 & the Vixen. Have just enough variety of 50 gainers that if I hit a load I could load a few extras for an occasional hunt. If we get it dialed in quick I'll be happy. Thanks

Bowlseye: My heavy barrel Sako L-46 shoots the wonderful Berger 52 grain Varmint bullets so well (and so lethally) I have never tried anything else in it!
I use Norma brass, Federal 205 M (Match) primers and H 322 powder to attain excellent accuracy in my Sako 222.
Best of luck finding a "good" load and if you run across any Berger 52's give them a try.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I've owned a number of 222's over the years and it seems harder to find a load that doesn't work.

Very true.

My Sako A1 222 Rem Varmint loves the Sierra 50 grain Blitzking over 22 grains Accurate 2015. Chews out 5-shot one-hole groups at 100 yards. Have taken taken chucks at well over 300 yards with that rig (8x Leupold).

Mine loves 55 Nosler bt. 24.2 gr 748. One holer. Also loves 40 gr XLC’s but can’t find them , tried various 50 gr but never better than 5/8”

I checked out the Sako site and it looks like the rifle was made in 1965. I was also able to print off the trigger schematic so I can adjust it. Looks like you all are using what I can try so I am anxious to get to work on it soon. Thanks again for any suggestions.

I have a Sako L461 Vixen with a Canjar trigger in 222.
Mine loves 26gr of 748, Fed 205M primer in Rem brass with 50gr Nosler SHOTS. My real accuracy load is the same with Nosler 50gr BT’s.
I have also used Benchmark with 53gr SMK’s for wild dogs and this rifle shoots so well it really is remarkable.
I prefer my 22-250/22-250AI for dogs, but the Sako gets her done in a pinch.

Cheers.

Have owned a few .222s, but only one Vixen. It was the most accurate of all, and after trying the usual powders, the most accurate loads I found used Accurate LT-30 and LT-32.

I have a 1950s Vixen with a stainless Hart barrel. It is very accurate. When I got it in the late 1980s, I tried many powders to find the most accurate one with 50 grain bullets. The most accurate powder was H-322. However, I used IMR 4198 or RL-7 as they were only slightly less accurate and produced more muzzle velocity, which I wanted for woodchuck hunting. In the early 2000s I used AA-2200 with 40 grain bullets. These days I use Vhitavuori N-130 and 50 grain plastic point bullets. My rifle also has a Canjar single-set trigger.