Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles My PERFECT 222 Rem load.....

Lots of 748 load data in manuals.

you can't get enough 748 in a 222 case to worry about any pressure being too high., so you should be good to go on that...

Ingwe mentioned back in November that 4198 is " your huckleberry".... and although I burn a lot of that om all sorts of chamberings..
the powder I'd be reaching for ( in saner times) would be good old time RL 7. an often forgot about powder,

I think they tried to replace it with RL 10, but from what I've seen around the net here and there, it still outsells its 'replacement'....

and H 322 is NEVER a bad option for velocity and accuracy in calibers like the 222 and smaller...

and 748, is another powder I don't like to be getting low on....but too many people forget it ever existed...except guys with a lot of long time reloading experience...

I haven't even tried the 8208 that everyone is acting like the greatest thing since sliced bread... there isn't a darn thing it has to offer, that isn't covered by many powders that have been around for decades... and are tried and proven...I like to use powders who are old friends.. I know them and their parameters, and they are always consistent...

yeah, I use to have to test every new powder that hit the market...but I think I gave up on that right around the time Varget was introduced....

nothing wrong with the other guys wanting to try a new powder.... but me, I hang with my old friends.....

kinda like I do with a lot of my campfire buds....

I'll also skip having to deal with H335 fouling too.

Yeah 24 grains seems to be the magic number, 50 gr bullet unless your twist can handle a 55 ( mine can)

I used IMR 4198 back in the '80's & '90's then had been using H322 for 15+ years. I think back in 2018-ish Midway USA had a deal on Accurate/Ramshot powders with free shipping & hazmat if you bought over $100 or 8# of it. I got some Accurate 2015 because their components in their .222 data was exactly what i use (Rem 7 1/2, WW case, Hornady 50gr. SPSX). Started with the max load in my Rem 722 and it came in right on the money to their stated velocity of 3213 fps and is as accurate as 4198/H322.

The early Sakos had 1-16 twists. Know this partly because I have one, an L-461 sporter.

Have tried a bunch of loads in various .222s. As others have mentioned, many of the "traditional" spherical powders, such as H335, are dirty-burning--and not very temperature resistant, which may be important to those who use .222s in, say, Montana, which has the most widely varying temperatures of any state.

Have owned a bunch of .222s, and prefer 40-grain bullets for all-around varminting, because they get the most out of the cartridge at common ranges. The most consistent load has been 21.5 grains of H4198, one of Hodgdon's Extreme powders.

Anyone use 2200 in the 222?

I liked AA 2015, still use it in 223.Clean burning, measures nice because of short granules.
I used to use ball powders also in my 788. 748, blc2, 335 the normal stuff.I have not used AA 2200 but I bet it works well.

I've stocked up on a lot of 2015 also... it works in the 17 Fireball real well and also on the 223 and 22.250 even...

You're right and in 30-30 < 150gr bullet it shines, and 308 with light 125gr or even better 110gr v-max or Nosler BT.. Very versatile powder. Love the stuff.

Interesting point brought up by MD. A few years ago I bought my mom a sako 222 to shoot coyotes out her back door. I didn’t have a lot of time to tinker with it but loaded up some 50blitz and some 322 but it never shot nearly as well as I thought it should have. But figured it was good enough for coyotes at 100 yards or so. I bought a bunch of the 50gr Sierra semi points when they discontinued those. Maybe I’ll try them and see if groups shrink. I’ll check the twist on it when I get home.