[johnce59]

Just had my .17 Remington rebarreled to a .222 mag. It now wears a new Shilan barrel and I need to get it to the range to see how she will do. Can anyone help me with some good loads for this caliber? Always kind of wondered why this round never became popular. Faster than the .223 and with a longer neck which is always why I like the .222 over the .223. Your help is much appreciated.
By the way can anyone tell me how fast you can push a 40 grain bullet with this round?

 

[Jim in Idaho]

For 40 grain loads, I'd try either IMR4198 (around 24 grains), or RE-7 (around 22 grains) you should be getting about 3,600fps with either. The limiting factor is brass toughness. You can push the speeds, but the primer pockets will go. With the Sierra 55BTHP, one of my favorites, I shoot about 27 grains of 3031. That load gets me 3350 in my 23" Sako barrel. With the Sierra 50 Blitz, I like about 26.0 3031, or 23.5 RE-10X. Your mileage may vary. It IS a great cartridge.

 

[Darrel in Minn]

Powders that have worked for me

Have been Hodgdons 335, Winchester 748, and IMR 4895. I use 50g Remington PLHP and Hornady SXSP bullets in my 222 Mag. Great round. Darrel

 

[John in CA.]

Jim, your favorite coyote load?

In the 223Ackley, is it the 40's, 50's, or 55's?

And why? Thanks

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I'm shooting the Sierra 40HP in my .223AI. I've given up, after 30+ years of trying, to find a bullet that always enters, but doesn't exit. I'm now working with bullets that act as "controlled expansion" bullets. For bigger stuff I'm going to try the Barnes Triple Shocks. In the .223AI, the 40 Sierra acts just like a controlled expansion bullet. It kills very fast, usually DRT, and usually exits, but with a fairly small exit wound. From what the techs at Barnes tell me, their bullets acts almost exactly the same. For bobcats, I think I'll stay with the .17Rem. I'm going to start with the 30's, but they may be abit too tough....might have to go to the 25's to get what I want....we'll see....haven't seen a bobcat yet this season anyway....LOL

 

[Ackman]

My 222Mag always shot the Sierra 55BTHP with 748 powder. That was almost 20yrs ago and I don't remember the velocity, but it was ungodly accurate. Shooting 40's, you should easily get 4,000+fps with AA2015 or VV133 powder.

 

[McClura]

222 Mag loads

This is a round I have just started to research and load. I have a XP100 with a 15", Shilen, 1" bull barrel and 1-10 twist. I started with no data. I went to my "OLD" loading books that all had data for this round in them. I wanted to shoot 50 or 55grn bullets since that is what I had most of.
I settled on IMR4895 for this round. With 25.5grn of IMR4895 I'm getting 2650fps from 15" barrel using the 50grn Barnes Varminator HP. With what I have found loading over the last 25yrs I usually get or loose 50fps per inch of barrel. This would put the bullet at approx 9" more barrel I might get around 3100fps just guessing with this load. The case will hold more but after 25.5 I'm not getting enough of a difference to change.
This round will shoot 3/4" groups at 100 and 1.5" at 200yds. I loaded some 60grn Barnes HP bullets with 25grns of IMR4895 and get 2575fps from my pistol.
I'm like some of you, why wasn't this round more popular. I did some reading before going to this round. I have found brass all over on the internet. I found several new boxes of Herters brass. The necks where thicker than the Remington brass but a slight neck turning fixed them.
I found my rounds like the CCI BR4 primer the best so far.
My next round to load will be some 40 or 45grn bullets for PDogs.
Good luck with your new barrel.
Photos of my first group with 55grn SP Hornady bulk bullets. My groups have gotten smaller each outting.

Mike

 

[Don M.]

IMR 4198 Is The Answer For Me

I am shooting a Sierra 40 Blitz King, 23.5 grns IMR 4198, CCI BR4
Primer, down a Hart tube, 40XBR Action, and I am getting real
close to 3,800 fps. The accuracy is really good, and the impact
is devestating. Think I will take that little rifle down to Docs
Shooting Emporium & Pleasure Palace next time I go. Good luck.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I Like 4198, too, Don.....great powder in that case size. It is the "go to" powder for my .223AI with the 40 and 45 grain bullets.....very fast and accurate.