The Accurate Reloading Forums
.222 Remington

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/31210685

23 May 2002, 20:49
Pyrotek
.222 Remington
I got two questions regarding .222 Remington.

First one is "Why is it considered more accurate than .223 Remington? Doe neck length make this much difference?"

Second one is "Can I make .222 brass from .223 brass, and how?"

Thanks for replies.

24 May 2002, 01:40
<reload>
The .222 is more accurate cartridge and holds the world record for the smallest group! If you aren't going all out for accuracy than it will be a little better than the .223 but not enough if you aren't going to precision reload with all the right material. Good Luck
24 May 2002, 03:53
Dutch
Making the 222 out of 223 can be done. But for $.20 a piece, why on earth would you? The neck down irregularities would almost certainly (IMHO) ruin any accuracy advantages the 222 has. JMO, Dutch.
24 May 2002, 04:23
Stonecreek
I'm not sure why, but guns chambered in .222 do seem easier to achieve accuracy with than those chambered for .223. I have no good explanation for this.

I've made a lot of .222 brass from .223. If your .222 chamber is a bit oversized in the neck area, this helps give you a close fit, and you can adjust the headspace for a perfect fit also. Some chambers will require necks to be thinned, and most used brass, especially military, will work best after juduciously annealing.

I don't necessarily agree with Dutch that reworked brass spoils accuracy potential, but I do agree that in terms of cost, time, and trouble, it's not really worth the savings. I bought 200 rounds of .222 brass for my gun several years ago for less than $30, and it will outlast my grandchildren.

[This message has been edited by Stonecreek (edited 05-23-2002).]

24 May 2002, 04:27
<eldeguello>
In a real benchrest gun, it might be true that the .222 is more accurate than the .223. However, I once rechambered a .222 M722 Remington from .222 to .223, and it shot just as well after being rechambered as it had as a .222. It would shoot .5" five-shot groups with a load of 24.5 grains of IMR 3031 with 55-grain flat-based bullets using the .223 cases. The MV of this load was 3350 FPS. This rifle had 1/14" twist, and would not shoot GI ball 55-grain boattails at all well, and of course the reason I rechambered it was to be able to use GI ammo! Should have left it a .222. All I gained was about 100 FPS in muzzle speed....