222 remington

[bobcat trapper]

Well this is not necessarily a long range question but hear goes. Does anyone shoot a 222 Remington if so what do you think of it? How long does the brass last? How fur friendly is it and what are your favorite loads? I shoot a 17 remington for most of my predator hunting because I sell the pelts but brass is killing me it will only last two or three loading at most. Most of my shots are under 150 yards.

 

[CatShooter]

I shoot the .222, .223, and .222 Mag.

With average loads, the cases will last forever.

.

 

[royinidaho]

Welcome aboard....

[ QUOTE ]
Well this is not necessarily a long range question but hear goes. Does anyone shoot a 222 Remington if so what do you think of it? How long does the brass last? Forever. I can't recall the last time I purchased brass. How fur friendly is it and what are your favorite loads? Super fur friendly for the most part depending on bullet and velocity I shoot a 17 remington for most of my predator hunting because I sell the pelts but brass is killing me it will only last two or three loading at most. Most of my shots are under 150 yards. That's what the 222 was made for but can reach out towards 300 if you get good with it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I use an old REM 722 222 Rem w/26" barrel as my call/carry gun. Its older than the hills and just shoots well enough to get the job done. The bbl is a bit long for short range quick shots however.

Most loads are good. Favorite is Nosler SBHP 50gr Match w/ 20.5gr of IMR 4198> Muzzle velocity about 3300.

Hides aren't worth squat around here so I've been using a 27Win w/140s. This year I've stepped up to an even bigger 270 shooting 169gr bullets. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Desert Fox]

My 40X is good on brass. I have some that had been reloaded probably close to 20 times. I only partially neck size my brass enough to hold the bullet. I hauled 500 rounds when it was rumored that Remington would discontinue making the brass and I still have them stashed somewhere in my bench unused. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif As for pelt damaged, all the coyote that I had shot with 40 grain V-Max were all badly damaged.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I shoot an older Rem 700 ADL .222 Rem w/24" sporter barrel. The rifle is very very accurate w/ 40g vmax's and 21g IMR-4198. Velocity is 3600fps, accuracy is .25" at 100 yards. It is my lightweight callin rifle. I have 700 pieces of brass, mostly winchester and I have heard that if you neck size, they will basically last forever. If your looking for a number though, 25-30 times is not unheard of, especially if your not pushing the little guy. I neck size only so I shouldn't have a problem for a while. I love my triple deuce. I dont really care for the .223 Rem, thats why I got the .222 Rem, something different! It doesn't give up a whole lot in velocity compared to the .223, but it does however spank it in the accuracy department. I have shot around 10 yotes with mine, farthest ones being 250-300 yards and I have yet to lose one with the .222 and 40g bullet. It depends on where you hit them and how far they are considering pelt damage. Some of them I shot have a little entry hole and no exit, but some had a big entry and no exit, or a little entry and a big exit, it just all depends. Its a great little cartridge and shoot most anything very well. Has very little noise to!

 

[Dan B]

I shoot a XP-100 in .222 Remmy that sports a 14" Hart HEAVY barrel. I'm only getting 2900fps due to the short tube but it is super accurate (shoots in the .1's). I also have a T/C Contender Super 14 in the triple duece. Both shoot the same load but I use different lots of brass. The load...20gr IMR4198 and 50gr V-Max in RP brass. Like the others, neck size for the bolt action and have fun! I bump the shoulder for the T/C loads and it shoots in the .4's on average and less on good days.

The 50gr bullets are my preferred pill on game. Between the two guns, I've dropped tons-o-groundhogs (between 50yds and 300yds), several turkeys (mostly around 200yds) and a few fox (both at 200yds). Exit holes are rare...but do ocassionally happen and have not been to wildly explosive. Now the groundhogs rarely blow up with a bid exit if the shot is near the edge of the body. But with all the varmints shot, solid body hits don't often leave a exit.

 

[bobcat trapper]

Thanks for all the info. I have it down to two caliber choices a 222 or a 204. I have a Remington 700 action that is going to get a new barrel.

 

[JBM]

[ QUOTE ]
Well this is not necessarily a long range question but hear goes. Does anyone shoot a 222 Remington if so what do you think of it? How long does the brass last? How fur friendly is it and what are your favorite loads? I shoot a 17 remington for most of my predator hunting because I sell the pelts but brass is killing me it will only last two or three loading at most. Most of my shots are under 150 yards.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have an old Sako Rhiimaki (sp?) .222. The brass will last a very long time, I have some that is more than 20 years old and I'm still using it. I have to trim it occasionally, but nothing major. I wouldn't worry about brass life.

I find that the best load with my .222 is 19.5-21.5 (going from memory here so don't use these loads without looking it up!) of IMR 4198 and any bullet in the range of 52-55 grains. I used the Sierra Blitz on rock chucks in Idaho years ago and it worked very well. One little hole in and no exit hole. They weren't max loads, but they were the most accurate.

Brad

 

[biff's reloading]

my savage 24v is awful for accuracy so i dont know how well it really shoots, but 25g of varget with the 50g nosler b-tip seems to work pretty good. re-10x did the best for accuracy, but that was due to less barrel heat im sure. it has a metal stud welded between the 2 barrels at the muzzle while the rest is free to bend any way it wants to when heated. 20" and bigger groups are common with 5 shots. the first shot from a cold barrel is usually the same. but that has nothing to do with you...... get the 222. the brass lasts forever, and its extremely accurate.

 

[biff's reloading]

[ QUOTE ]
I shoot the .222, .223, and .222 Mag.

With average loads, the cases will last forever.

.

[/ QUOTE ]

would u say the 222mag is worth the extra hassle?

 

[D.P.]

A full case of H-4198 with a 40 V-max stuck in the lands of a 1965 Sako Vixen. The 2006 Groundhogs hate this vintage rig. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[swebb38]

I see you are also considering a 204. I shoot the 204 in several setups and the bullets are very explosive on game smaller than deer. Winchester has a new hollow point in 204 that I havent checked yet, but the 32 and 40 grn hornady's destroy pelts even out to 200 yrds. Unless you can find some spires or fmj's dont count on having much to look at. I shot a Raccoon at 200 and eviscerated it completely.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Heres my .222 Rem, Rem 700 ADL, 24"bbl. Only thing done to it is original trigger is down to 2#. Nothign special, but it still shoots very very well for a light sporter factory rifle. Prefered load is 40g VMAX, 21g IMR-4198, W-W case, CCI 400 primer, OAL= 2.160" Good for .25" 3 shot groups at 100 yards most everytime, sometimes better. Have shot a few groups in the .1's!! Scope is an older Leupold VX3, 2.5-8x36. Its a very bright scope and fits the range and weight of this rifle well. I would like to add target knobs to it and shoot it 400-500 yards. Would be fun, cheap practice.

 

[hoghound]

Roy, do you want to sale that 722 222. I had one a few years ago I had reamed out to the 222mag. I shot the heads off match sticks at 100yds with that thing. And a railroad car full of deer. I was shooting the old 52gr. Nosler solid base with 28gr. of H-335 and cci primers.

Tim