Any of you "still" shoot the old .222 Rem....??????????

[alsaqr]

There is a .222 in the back of my gun safe.  It is a really nice Marlin model 322 bolt action that was built on a Sako action in the 1950s.  The original barrel had micro-groove rifling and it was shot out after about 1,000 rounds.   A gunsmith friend re-barreled it in the early 70s using a Remington barrel. 

[Daman]

I have a Remington Model 700 BDL with a bull barrel. It is free floated. I haven't shot it in any quantity in a couple of years, but it was and is deadly. The last thing I shot with it was a pair of coyotes out around 350 yards. I didn't laser them, but I knew the field they were in and adjusted the turrets. Bang-Flop. If it wasn't bull barreled I would use it for deer, but it is to heavy to tote around in the woods. Oh yeah it also wears a Leupold scope. I believe it is just a 50mm, but it may be a 56mm.

Daman

[WesinND]

I had a Remington Model 700 ADL in .222, and sold it a few years ago.  Recently I bought a Savage Model 340 in .222 with an old Weaver K4 steel tube scope. So far, I like the rifle, its a keeper.  Low muzzle blast, low recoil and accurate.  Whats not to like?

Wes 

[pennsyltuckymoose]

I had a Mod 70 rebarrelled with a heavy Win Target stainless barrel in .222... never really got the chance to shoot it much... It saw primary duty for critter control around the two ponds I had( shots from 180-250 yds) off a swivel bench I had set up in the workshop.  We moved to be near grandkids, live in town now and never used the rig.. someone else saw it and needed it more than I and would actually use it.. I turned it into a 45ACP carry gun... I probably would have kept the 222 if I had time to develop the loads to its potential... I even bought the full Redding competition bushing die set with the two micrometers...guess that will be something I try to swap sometime...  I sure loved the low recoil and accuracy, but would hate to carry it as it was very heavy with the 26 inch bull barrel.

The Moose

[RAdkins]

Ruger #1 in .222 with a leupold 18x fine crosshairs and dot.  Bought back when #1s were $265 new.

[alsaqr]

My Marlin-Sako .222 will go to the gunsmith today along with my .223 reamer to be re-chambered.   

[Doesniper]

Mine is an old Sako single shot with a tight neck, a homemade bench stock, wearing a 36x Weaver. My best 5 shot group @ 100yds measured .072. I love shooting the old triple deuce.

[ballistx]

HAD a 700 ADL 222,  600 Mohawk 222 and a Win 60 Post 64 in 222.  Spent 20 years of lost time in Minnesota and never got the chance to shoot them. So, I foolishly traded off the 600 and 70.  Kept the 700 though as that was the one I used the most and all my other centerfires are old Remington 700s.  Now I am in New Mexico and looking forward to being able to shoot them more.  Picked up a couple 223's and have about 3,000, 223 brass and 7,000+  custom 224, 53 grain HPs. 

Seems the 223 makes more sense but somehow it just isn't as "intesting" as the 222.  I am doing some soul searching if I want to make the effort to create 222's from some of the 2,000 223 military cases.  I have about 300 loaded rounds from 25 years ago.  They were Mil cases and they shoot fine EXCEPT about 90% will end up with a split neck.  I pulled the bullets from some and resized to deprime with the intention of annealing them.  About 75% split the neck just resizing them.

So, I am at that point, do I re-establish shooting the 222, or use the 223.  I have a new Savage Edge in 223 that shoots easily into 1/2" @ 100 yards with some general loads that I have.

OH Decisions, Decisions.   

Still wish I had kept the other 2 222's as they hadn't been fired hardly at all.

My pet load has been 25.5 grains of BLC(2) behind a 50 grain blitz or 52 grain custom HP.

I guess if I keep getting nostalgic about it I will end up replacing the 222's with 2 just like it at about 50% more than I got rid of them for.  Isn't that what we typically do?

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

 ;)ballistx, a guy could rechamber the .222 to 223, but lots of .222 brass is still floating around....I am not sure how much 222 brass I still have...but right now I have more 223 brass...but both of them last forever...I am not sure what your varmiting situation is in New Mex.  but here most of the high volume prairie dogs shooting is tied up with outfitters...what is left is spotty on private land, and the public land is really hammered..so instead of shooting  several thousand rds. at p. dogs each summer, I am lucky if I shoot 500....if I shot gophers with my centerfires it would burn up much more ammo, but I mostly use my .22 rifles for that otherwise, they would never get any use...I am like you, I have the .223, but the .222 is more nostalgic,,,, lots of varmits have gone down to that little round...hope you have lots to shoot at this summer....For the low volume shooting I am doing now, the ,222 brass will last long enough....

[Drilling Man]

  I have a Savage 2400 (Valmet mfg) 12ga./.222 combo gun, i've had it since the late 70's?  Anyway, it's put a pile of small game in my freezer using bullets i swaged out of spent rimfire cases.  I'd swage a "soild" by turning the jacket backwards, load them to about 1,500 fps, and use them on small game.

  With good bullets and full power loads, it's VERY accurate for longer shots for "pest control" too.

  DM

[4given]

I love .222 and wish I could find one I could afford.

I used to have an old Remington .222 but I had to get rid of back when I went broke.  It was the most accuate gun I have ever owned. It was not too picky either, it would shoot 1/2" or better with just about  any load that had a 50-55 grain bullet and somewere in the neigborhood of 20 grains or so of most small rifle powders.

I have been looking for another but I cannot afford the $500 - $600 and up price tag. It seems everybody wants a bundle for these once budget,  entry level, plain jane remingtons like the 722, 788, 600.

It's enough to make a grown man cry!   

[eskimo36]

I have an encore 222 rem in Bergara barrel that shoots one inch groups with factory loads.  I just swapped the scopes and put a 6-18x nikon on it.  I just havent had time to shoot it.

[Hairtrigger]

the two 222's I purchased this spring
 

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  that 760 is great...have looked for one for years...but they are very pricey when I did fine one...my cousin has a 223 in that model...either would  be great...

[OLDHandgunner]

Nice pair of triple deuces. Great find on the 222 in a 760.

[bubbinator]

I found my .222 Rem 788 in a buddies Gun/Bait Shop.  Pd $300.  It was in VG shape. Put a Tasco 5/20 AO scope on it and it would shoot .75-1.00 groups w/ PMC 55gr. and Rem 55gr. factory loads.  I was particularly intrigued by the groups because none of the bullets touched ever, almost in a perfect circle!  That scope graduated to a HB Rem 700 .308 and while I was at it I Dev-Con-ed the action, free floated the barrel, and mounted a new Thompson Center 3x9x40 Hunter scope. A 50gr. Hornady Molycoat V-MAx over a charge of WIN 748(21.5gr per Pet Loads (w/ reservations-I got no pressure signs) gave me a .5 MOA load @ +/-3100 fps.  First test run was on a feral dog bothering my Beagle in heat.  His dumb @$$ stopped to look back across the pasture at a later laser ranged 300 yds (+/-) with "how did that go?" NOT SO GOOD! Dogs make good fertilizer!  I have since killed 4 deer with it, greenfield neck shots from a shooting house, DRT.

[olevern2]

I have owned and shot many .222 rifles over my long shooting career, including a Marlin/Sako 322, Rem 40X and a cz/Bruno.  All eventually got traded off  (well, I traded the CZ to a ranchr friend in Tx to be used by his new bride).  Recently ran into a 788 with a beautiful aftermarket tiger striped maple thumbhole stock, had to have it and, in fact just mounted a 12X Leupold on it tonight.  Real purty rifle, we'll see how it shoots with the factory rem. bbl, if not satisfied, I'm not in to it too deeply and will probably rebarrel with a match grade bbl.

[Daman]

the two 222's I purchased this spring
 

If you are interested in parting with the 760 I will take it off your hands!!! I have a 223 760 and I have always wanted one in 222.

Daman

[moorepower]

I just picked up a third Sako, this one a heavy barreled L461 with a custom walnut stock. I haven't shot it yet, but the former owner,"guilded gunsmith" told me it would put 5 in 1/2".

[Huffmanite]

About every Sunday morning, I go to range and shoot with about same 6-8 guys.  One of them has some very bad problems with his hip and back that causes him to shoot only .222's, of which he owns about 4.  I've seen his groups with his .222 rifles from shooting at 100 yard targets, all usually pretty darn small.  He's always experimenting with various powders/bullets and etc, chasing the perfect load.  Last Sunday, he pretty much achieved such a load for one of his .222s.  5 shot group at 100 yards:  three were pretty much in the same hole; other two very slightly clover leafed the three almost one holers.  He'd shot three groups, with each group being with ammo he'd reloaded with only .5 grain difference in powder charge.  The .5 grain less and the .5 grain more powder charges produced 3/4 to 1 inch five shot groups.

[223fan]

I  have an old Savage 24V-A (made around 1973) that is 222 over 20 gauge that I take out from time to time.It is a lot lighter than the newer production ones and is fun to hunt with,squirrel to deer.

[mac118]

I have a Sako "Rhihimaki" heavy barrel varmint rifle in .222, and I love it.  I shoot 200 yard matches with it all year long.  I've had it for 8-9 years and must have put 3-4 thousand rounds down the barrel, and it still shoots groups around 1 inch.  I use 50 grain flat based bullets and 19.5 grains of 4198.  Long live the 222!

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

I have a Sako 222 that belonged to my grandfather.  It shoots very well.  I have a Rem 700 SA in 222 REm Mag.  It shoots very well.  I don't have a 223, but if I did, it would probably shoot very well.

Alan

[woodchukhntr]

I picked up a Savage 24V combination rifle in .222/20 ga. this spring because it weighed 1 pound less than the .223/20 ga. that I had.  I finally got around to sighting it in with Hornady 50 gr. v-max bullets in front of Varget powder.  I also was trying some reduced loads using the Sierra 45 gr. Hornet bullet and Blue Dot powder which shot to the same point at 100 yd.  I put a Bushnell 3-9 Sportview scope on it.

Saturday I finally got out for a while with the gun.  I shot 2 woodchucks with the Hornady/Varget load at 140 yd and 155 yd, and 2 with the Sierra/Blue Dot load at around 50 and 75 yards.

[Brithunter]

Whilst at the range a week ago another member had the clubs chrono out and set up and after he finished I shot a few .222 Handloads across it and got a bit of a shock .

I can only seem to find 55 grain  bullets locally and so have been using those. As I wanted some cheaper practice I picked up a box of Hornady 55 grn FMJBT bullets and loaded them over a 1.6cc scoop of IMR 4198 powder. This turns out to be 20.0 grains. Now checking my books one says 19.0 grn max, another 19.5 grns max and Ken Waters pet loads said 20.0 grains was a good accurate load  talk about confusing anyway i shot a couple and got no excessive pressure signs in "MY RIFLE" so at the range over the chron the fist shot read :-

1) 3228
2) 3167
3) 3205

         for an average of 3200 fps  so stopping off at the gunshop on the way home I rummaged about and came up with a box of 50 grain Sierra varminter bullets to try.

    Now I also checked the loads I have previously worked up over the chrono:-

55grn Nosler ballistic Tip:-

1) 3016
2) 2964
3) 3023  ................... for an average of 3001fps

next was 55 grn Hornady SP:-

1) 2892
2) 2943
3) 2945
4) 2945 ...................... for an average of 2931. Both these earlier loads used 19.0 grains of IMR 4198 I only tried the powder scoop as it was easy and surprisingly accurate too on checking the charger weight on the scales.

  The strange thing is that the cases all ejected smooth as you would like and re-chamber easily without sizing. The rifle is my 1954 Vintage BSA Regent which I need to sight in again as I just robbed the big 6-19x40AO Simmons Competition air gun scope off a .22 L/R and out it on it so see what it's really capable of  .

[leather5to1]

Just ordered a 222 savage barrel for my next project gun.  Now I have to go find a cheap used 223 or 204 savage to rebarrel.

[Rodland]

Yep. Remington 660 bought new in 1968. It will hit the south end of a North bound horse fly. About decided it is a keeper.

[telebasher]

Savage is offering their model 25 walkabout in the Deuce.  14 twist with an accu-trigger, they have my attention !