.222 opinions?

[wildfowler.250]

Looking for some opinions gents on what powder charge you tend to use .222 wise? I made the slight error in buying 100 Sierra 55 grain gameking for loading. Only to test the factory sako ammo out and find the 50 grain shot better..

Anyway, loaded up 4 rounds per charge in 0.2 grain increments with N133. CCI br4 primers.


Seemed to get a ‘good’ group at around 21.2grains. I appreciate the caliber will do better but this was far better than the factory stuff.

Then nearly had a 1 hole group at 26.6 grains but I pulled a shot. So going to reload these two batches I think and see if I can get a similar result. Everything else was around the 3/4”.


What do you guys tend to settle on? Will I notice any real world difference in that extra grain of powder? Going on groups, I suspect 26.6grains will be the way to go but just curious.

Meant to add, it’s for the occasional roe as much as anything. Hence initially I thought the 55grain might be better.

 

[calgeo]

Is 26.6 grain of N133 a typo? Seems like you’d struggle to get that much N133 powder in a 222 case and it would be massively over pressurised.

 

[User00036]

Hi, 26.6 gr makes me feel uncomfortable, surprised you can get that much in the case. Flat base 50gr bullets work well in a .222, Norma SP 50gr work well on Roe.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Gents that’s a big typo! 22.6! Glad you’re keeping an eye out though, thanks!

 

[wildfowler.250]

Hi, 26.6 gr makes me feel uncomfortable, surprised you can get that much in the case. Flat base 50gr bullets work well in a .222, Norma SP 50gr work well on Roe.

Cheers I’ll have a look at them. Certainly I shot one buck with the factory 50 grain sako and it textbook reared on the spot and never moved.

5 grains of bullet weight can’t make much terminal difference. I suppose all the 3/4” groups should kill deer anyway.


Out of interest. Do you tend to zero further out to allow for bullet drop? I tend to put all my rifles an inch high at 100,(although I appreciate this is not technically a zero).

 

[Cottis]

I use N130 and the same primers as you but with a 53grain flat based bullet. 20.4grains is my sweet spot for the first node producing 3030fps. I always tend to err on the milder side of things as I want accuracy over speed from mine.

N133 is a touch slower, so will need a touch more powder, all other things being equal. I would imagine the late 20's or the early 21's will be your first sweet spot and in to the 22's might be the hotter second spot.

Exactly what is best is down to your rifle, the precision of your powder charges, velocity measuring equipment and how well you shoot.

It is a great cartridge. Almost impossible to load badly for.

 

[calgeo]

Thank goodness for that, had visions of you blowing up your rifle. I use the same gameking bullet and it works well on roe, it’s in 223 though. Also used 55gr gameheads and they were brilliant factory rounds. Look up maximum point blank range for zeroing.

 

[Foxyboy43]

I hope you mean 0.5gns!
Not for nothing is it known as God’s own calibre - Viht N120 and 19gns with a 50gns Vmax is a mild load but deadly on fox and the same charge with 55gns Sierra Gamekings drops roe on the spot. Used these for 20 odd years - both zeroed at 100 yds.

 

[User00036]

An inch high at 100 sounds about right. I always zero at 175, it tells you more about grouping when working up a load.

 

[sundog]

I use 21.4 grains of N 133 with 52 grain Amax bullets in my 222. Very accurate. Inch high at 100m works for me

 

[Sash]

19.0 grains of N120 and either 55gr Gamekings, or 50gr FMJs work beautifully.
I am so pleased others caught the typo as well: it really made me jump!
I have tried a number of different bullets for a .222 with both N120 and N133 powders, and have never felt the need to chase a terribly hot load: typically somewhere towards (but not over) the middle of the range has produced the best groups for me.
I am now starting to experiment with copper, and will try TSX and the Neilsen "slow twist" bullets, and see which produces the most consistent results.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Cheers gents. I’ll reaload the 21.2 grain and the 22.6 and see what the five shot groups look like. By the sounds of it, most of you tend to lean to the lower end of things anyway so the 21.2 might be the goer. Max in the viht app was 22.7 I think!

 

[WSSX]

I've done quite a bit of load development with mine with 40gr through to 55gr bullets, almost all with N130. As others have said, it's very forgiving. In many cases groups were good at almost all powder weights. Contrary to others, however, I push mine harder as the 20in barrel limits velocity.

I guess normal procedures apply: work up carefully and see how it performs. Book data is pretty mild for the cartridge so I wouldn't be worried about stoking it up (so long as you're sensible about it and follow the preceding advice...).

 

[Smellydog]

I've done quite a bit of load development with mine with 40gr through to 55gr bullets, almost all with N130. As others have said, it's very forgiving. In many cases groups were good at almost all powder weights. Contrary to others, however, I push mine harder as the 20in barrel limits velocity.

I guess normal procedures apply: work up carefully and see how it performs. Book data is pretty mild for the cartridge so I wouldn't be worried about stoking it up (so long as you're sensible about it and follow the preceding advice...).

is true. Same brass thickness as 223. Industry standards hold the 222 back due to some weaker actions available. In strong actions it goes past book a ways. Not that it is necessary. My favourite was a super accurate load with a speer 52gn hpbt match bullet doing just 2850fps.
I shot my furthest fox ever with that round.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Search on here
I ran 60gr hornady sp in my .222 sako
In answer to the question the energy difference at 200m is significant as the velocity drop is negligible
Especially where deer are concerned
20.8gr n133 from memory

My fox load was 45gr sbk at 21.something

I have foolishly been out of the 222 fold as someone offered me too much money for my old sako
Came back into possession of a tikka this month.
Like putting on a pair of old slippers.
Love the .222

Am ironically using 40gr federal premium now as the bulk of what i want it for is vermin
Shot it out to 300m and the drop is much less than expected

Some twist rates don’t like even a 52gr boat tail ballistic tip bullet length
The 60s i ran had a very narrow sweet spot, any slower or faster and the groups opened up dramatically
Length was not a variable until i found the stability node.

 

[Foxyboy43]

Just a wee point for you and any other triple deuce owners - if you intend to shoot roe in Scotland with God’s own calibre you need to be careful in your choice of “recipe” because you may well fall short of the required kinetic energy required by law - 1000 ft lbs if I recall.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Just a wee point for you and any other triple deuce owners - if you intend to shoot roe in Scotland with God’s own calibre you need to be careful in your choice of “recipe” because you may well fall short of the required kinetic energy required by law - 1000 ft lbs if I recall.

Really?
Have to be a bloody anaemic load to drop below legal limit?

Sub 3000fps with a 50gr is seriously slow

You've got as much risk running under the limit with your 20” 243 and some 100gr factory.
3 out of 10 factory options i chrono’d in the spring didn’t make 1750ftlbs…

 

[WSSX]

Really?
Have to be a bloody anaemic load to drop below legal limit?

Sub 3000fps with a 50gr is seriously slow

You've got as much risk running under the limit with your 20” 243 and some 100gr factory.
3 out of 10 factory options i chrono’d in the spring didn’t make 1750ftlbs…

Well, 50gr Remington AccuTips didn't even make 2900fps in my 20in barrel! Very accurate and obviously not designed for deer, and of course it's a factory load with all the limitations that come with that, but still makes it a point worth considering.

 

[Edinburgh Rifles]

Well, 50gr Remington AccuTips didn't even make 2900fps in my 20in barrel! Very accurate and obviously not designed for deer, and of course it's a factory load with all the limitations that come with that, but still makes it a point worth considering.

Jesus thats bad

My 60gr homeloads were doing 3150-3200 from a 20”
The 40gr nosler in federal factory are pushing 3340+ in a 20”

 

[WSSX]

60gr going that quick? Blimey, that's good. A slightly over max charge of N130 pushes a 50gr Sierra Blitz bullet to around 3120fps for me. That was measured on a Labradar at Bisley, too, so I guess accurate. I wonder if my barrel is particularly slow?!