Change of powder for .222

[SaltLick]

I'm looking at changing the powder I use in my .222 Rem as the my RFD has to buy it in specially for me. To save some hassle in sourcing I think I'm going to go with his reccomendation of Accurate 2520, as I'm also switching to 50/55gr sierra bullets at the same time.

I did a search on accurate 2520, and found a lot of americans hotly debating it's uses, but interestingly I note the stuff that we get here (and europe) is actually not made by Accurate, but by Explosia/Lovex and so isn't the same powder, it's just 'similar'.
My RFD does get through a hell of a lot of this stuff himself in .17/.20/222/223 and at longer ranges than I'm comfortable shooting at, so that's quite some reccomendation in my eyes.

My current favourite load for this gun is with 40gr Vmax, 21.2gr Hodgdon H4198, and rem 7.5 primers in sako brass, which gives me 3290fps over the chrono and consistent 1.25" groups at 200 yards. The rifle is a 14 twist (standard), CF2 HB Varmint.
35gr vmax are also fun in this gun and devastatingly accurate at 100, but I have less confidence in these sub 50gr loads than I should, hence the wish to switch.

So what I'm hoping for is that some of you guys have some experience of this powder in a similar cal to mine, and can pass on any observations or recipes that I could begin experimenting with.

Over to you...

Thanks

 

[paddy]

i use h335 in my 223 its very good

 

[SaltLick]

Thanks for your reply paddy, though I am hoping for posts with experience of Accurate 2520 powder, as that is very easy for me to get hold of now..
Cheers...

 

[Barkingsnake]

There is a thread somewhere on 2520 or the Explosia equivalent. I've used it in my 308, 30-06 and 22-250. The Lovex stuff isn't IMO the same as the 2520 I used ten years ago. I found it erratic and dirty despite trying every primer type I had. Have you considered either Vectan or Ramshot? They both seem to be much better and also made in Europe.
You can get the basic Vectan data as a download from Peter Lawman. Ramshot from Henry Krank.

 

[bewsher500]

only way to find out is buy some and try it!

​if it is readily available and cheap then what do you have to lose

 

[SaltLick]

Yeah fair enough!

I had heard the US stuff was quite temp sensitive, so it made me wonder.. But it is fairly cheap and easy to get, so as you say not much to lose

 

[dodgyrog]

I would have thought Accurate 2520 (now going by a new name LOVEX D073.6 but is from the same manufacturer) would be too slow for .222.
I'd use 1680 (D063) or 2230 (D073.4)
Mike Pearson at Westlander imports it.

 

[Triffid]

Having unsucessfully tried both Accurate 2520 and 2460 in 223 and 308, I've gone back to Hodgden powders. The issue for me was that they didn't meter very well through a powder measure, giving considerable charge-charge variation. I never got them to group as well as I did with Hodgden powders. Try Varget - it works very well for me in 223.
It's a shame as Accurate powders are about £10 a tub cheaper than Hodgden.

Triffid

 

[Brithunter]

It's a shame as Accurate powders are about £10 a tub cheaper than Hodgden.

Tis probably not Hogdgons but the greedy importer here in the UK .

I recall an article showing H335 as a surplus powder in the US selling for $7.99 per tub yet here in the UK no surplus markings and at that time it was £17 per tub ............................... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm .

 

[Triffid]

Tis probably not Hogdgons but the greedy importer here in the UK .

I recall an article showing H335 as a surplus powder in the US selling for $7.99 per tub yet here in the UK no surplus markings and at that time it was £17 per tub ............................... Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm .

I suspect that was a few years ago . . . £17 a tub would be lovely as I'm paying about £40 now for H414. To be fair to the importers, I think that the transport costs for explosives are quite high.
Triffid

 

[6pt-sika]

For the 222 I'm partial to H335 , H322 , RL-7 , IMR4198 , VV N-120 and BL-C2 .

 

[Cut+Squirt]

My new .222 claimed its first buck tonight . . .a nice 6 pointer as well . . . an underestimated little cartridge the .222

 

[pablo.222]

Try benchmark. Ive tryed a few and this is by far the best load ave come up with. 22.5grn with a 55grn head. Knocks the roe down just as good as my 243 will.

 

[bewsher500]

For the 222 I'm partial to H335 , H322 , RL-7 , IMR4198 , VV N-120 and BL-C2 .

N120 is rather snappy for .222 is it not?
what bullet weights do you use with that?

 

[SaltLick]

Thanks triffid, Dodgyrog & others..

Triffid, did you only throw the charges from the measure? I use a lee thrower which is fantastic, but always measure each charge in the pan pretty meticulously.

DR - apparently not miles off, as I've seen some good groups with the stuff in the cal from one of the RFD's rifles with 55gr sierras. I note it doesn't feature for light .224 bullets though!

 

[SaltLick]

My new .222 claimed its first buck tonight . . .a nice 6 pointer as well . . . an underestimated little cartridge the .222

Just read that too - great wee write up there, thanks... where are the pics!?

Agree on the triple being a very under rated round, which suits me just fine!

 

[6pt-sika]

N120 is rather snappy for .222 is it not?
what bullet weights do you use with that?

You need to DEFINE "snappy"

I used it with the Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tip in a 700 BDL Varmint . Shot a 3 shot group at 100 yards that after you deducted the bullet diameter it was less then a tenth of an inch . Also did rather well with the Berger 52 grainand, the Nosler 52 grain Competition .

So whatver you mean by "snappy" I think not . Seemed to do nicely in my HB rifle and a friends Remington 722 with a medium weight barrel .

 

[ndt man]

I allways use reloader 7 at 20.3 in the 222 with 50gr v max bullets its very accurate. if you want to use bullets above the 50 gr mark the accurate/ lovex 2230 powder works very well and as for the accurate 2520 its as good as reloader 7. the 222 is a sweet littel round now sidelined by the 223 but the 222 with the right weight bullet /powder mix wins hand down any day.and as 6pt-sika points out vit 120 is by all accounts a very good powder for the 222.

 

[bewsher500]

You need to DEFINE "snappy"

I used it with the Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tip in a 700 BDL Varmint . Shot a 3 shot group at 100 yards that after you deducted the bullet diameter it was less then a tenth of an inch . Also did rather well with the Berger 52 grainand, the Nosler 52 grain Competition .

So whatver you mean by "snappy" I think not . Seemed to do nicely in my HB rifle and a friends Remington 722 with a medium weight barrel .

I meant fast, but I see at the 35-40 range VV lists it, musn't be as fast as I imagined when I look at the max volumes
I dont use anything under 50gr in the .222 as I don't see any advantage and a number of disadvantages so N120 was never on my list of options
​nice group though!

 

[Muir]

I have recently switched to H322 for .222 and .223 and like it very much. My deuce groups are in the .35 moa range for five shots using my ancient Winchester M-70~Muir