Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 222 Remington Varmint Special

I’ve come to focus on 40 grain, tipped bullets. Sierra’s Blitzking, Nosler B/tip and Hornady Vmax have all done well for me, with different rifles preferring one or the other.

I found 4198 and have a bunch 50gr bullets and a few 52 & 53gr match bullets. I should be good to start.

50 gr. Vmax or Varmagedden with either I 4198 or Reloader 10X! TNT's shoot nice too!

Hip

Played with some Hornady 53 match I had laying around
1/2-3/4” groups with a old Tasco that came on the rifle. 3x9 tracked pretty good although I couldn’t get the crosshairs crisp. Used Win 748 loads were in the 2800 fps according to my graph.
It was nice to shoot after the 338wm, but hey the 338 was putting 5 in under a inch.

748 seems a bit slow but sure comes recommended by quite a few.

I’ve had good luck with TAC and 40vmax and BLC2 with 50’s. But it’s a 222…. It should shoot with about any appropriate powder. Last time I shot my varmint special in 222 it put 10 TNT’s into one large hole about the size of a dime.

Been shooting a 222 pretty much forever, never saw the fascination with 4198.
it works but I have always found powders that work better. last 20 years my favorite has been VVN130 with 40-50gr tipped bullets
best accuracy and velocity in several rifles

I have mostly used 4198, but tried others usually came back to it. In my part of the country odd ball stuff is usually not available. I don't remeber the last time I saw VN powders in this area, certainly they are not common.. I want something I can purchase and does a good job. 4198 and several others can be found when any powder is available.

Dont know what part of Wyoming you live in but I saw VihtaVuori powders at Sportsworld in Evanston while I was antelope hunting less than a month ago

H335 works fine. All the BS about temperature sensitivity is inconsequential. I have shot almost a zillion rounds with H335 with no adverse affects..

Got a couple 222 rifles, A buddy got some Berger 35 grain bullets, they shot very well for him, so I tried them in the 222s and 218 Bee rifles I have and they shoot well in them with 4227 and 4198. Hornady now makes 35s also. One advantage of the 35 grain is they blow up on a soda can full of water, put fragment holes in the off side. So in a confined space or around livestock it gives you a bullet that detonates on impact and does not fly off into the next county, if you need such performance.

338reddog: Start with that H322 (with 50, 52 & 53 grain bullets - Bergers if possible)!
Good things WILL happen. Been there - done that.
Long live "The Deuce".
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

That H-322 disappeared lol, I have H335, 4198,4895,748,3031,2230-c and a bunch of slower powders. Bullets in 40-53 but mostly 50 grainers abound. 55 gr saved for 223.
I have a bunch of components to start with. Now need to put a better scope on.
Thanks for the info

My .222 loves 2200 powder and 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.

My favorite cartridge and Mike Walkers true claim to fame, the miniature 30-06. I shoot three rifles in the triple deuce, a Walker built 40X, a pre- Sako Tikka LSA and a sweet early 50’s Rem model 222 ( how clever ). I’ve shot everything I could get years ago with two best powders being RE7 and 4198 best performers. Then about 18 years ago, as I recall I tried AA 2015 and it’s the best medicine by far. Flattened ball, doesn’t need mag primers and just loads like all balls. Every rifle shoots it very very well and vel spreads are almost negligee. Try and you’ll be sold

BTW 2015 is one of those powders that seems to be very flexible kind of like the old discontinued H450.

Rick

It has been a while since I used it, but I remember 2015 being a stick powder with very small and short kernels.

I use 22 1/2 grs of 2015--40gr Nosler--Rem 7 1/2 primer--5 shots will cover a dime all day at a 100yds. in my old Sako L 461.

You’re right I’m wrong. But it’s a very small stick that meters as easily as balls. My most accurate load is 23.5 grs and it’s a full case pretty much 100% density. Anytime you can find a full case that works I’ve always found good success with little vel spread. Haven’t loaded any in a while so I guess I spaced out on this powder’s physical characteristics

Rick

something to consider here besides what was mentioned by mathman
18 years ago the 2015 you used was either made in Israel or the Czech Republic, for the last several years it has been made in Canada. they don't all work the same from my experience

Correct, the early 90’s 2015BR was made in Israel, then around 2000 it moved to Czech Republic and around 2008 when Western bought them out it moved to Canada and they dropped the BR from the name. Always has been an extruded powder that meters like ball, was also used to blend LT32 since they were made on the same machine in Canada.