I've had and have several .222 Remingtons. The most consistant load I've found has been using RL7. It has worked well in all of them with a number of bullets. Perhaps not the highest MV but for accuracy it's been the best.
I'll second Jay. RL7 is usually a good powder - at least for lighter bullets. - mike
********************* The rifle is a noble weapon... It entices its bearer into primeval forests, into mountains and deserts untenanted by man. - Horace Kephart
Posts: 6653 | Location: Switzerland | Registered: 11 March 2002
RL7 is great, as already mentioned, but I don't prefer it. I have tried several powders in the 222 in a couple of different Remington 700's. The finest accuracy and velocity that I have gotten without exceeding SAAMI pressures is with Benchmark and 50gr Nosler Ballistic Tips. You can work up higher velocity loads with 223 presures with H or IMR 4198, or RL7. I wouldn't do this in a rifle that is not also offered in 223, just to be on the safe side. SAAMI 222 presure is well below 223 presure. Of course you need to know how to work up such loads, and you can never really know what your presure is unless the loads are tested in a lab. Proceed at your own risk.
Matt FISH!!
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It's hard to find a powder that the .222 does not like, but make mine IMR 4198. with a quality 50g bullet and a good barrel you can expect good things.
Posts: 332 | Location: Western CT | Registered: 10 June 2003
In the Hodgdon line my favorites for the .222 are H335 and H4895. In the Alliant line, RL-7 is acceptable, and the new RL-10 should be also. But the two Hodgdon's are far and away my preference. Both, especially the H335, meter very smoothly.
Posts: 13263 | Location: Henly, TX, USA | Registered: 04 April 2001
Don't own one yet (trying to get funds together to build one on a LH Zastava action...), but I loaded seven boxes for a good friend to shoot out of his Remington 788. I used BLC-2 and standard primers. I as able to build him a one hole load with everything between 50 grain and 60 grain bullets. Then someone told me that BLC-2 burned too slow for the .222...
Posts: 4748 | Location: TX | Registered: 01 April 2005
someone told me that BLC-2 burned too slow for the .222...
I've used BLC-12 on my 222 and it is a very good powder for the 222.
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Posts: 28849 | Location: western Nebraska | Registered: 27 May 2003
21.5g IMR 4198 shoots in the 3's/4's on my custom Rem.722 with a 26" Douglas XX barrel w/ a 1/12 twist. This is with 52/53g Matchkings. I get 3/4" groups with the above load with 53g TSX's.
Posts: 101 | Location: Montana | Registered: 31 March 2006
I just recently got a CZ 222 and have only put one load through it so far. It is 55 grain Hornady V-Max, seated as long as possible over 20.5 grains of H4198. It turned out to be a sub MOA load and I have not experimented further as yet.
I've had great accuracy and velocity success in the .222 Remington with IMR & H-4198. As much as I like these two powders in this cartridge I now use others because the long powder grains don't meter well and tend to hang up in the measures & tubes.
I've used VV N-133 but the powder I've had the best results with from VV in the .222 Remington is VV N-130. Also, H-4895, H322 and one of my very favorites, Norma 200.
For vermin at the moment I'm having a love affair with Speer 50 grain TNT HP's. Try 21.5 grs. of VV-N-130 and a 50 gr. TNT. The books, computer & references said it would give me about 3030fps, I chronographed 10 rounds and they averaged 3285fps out of my single shot Keppeler, outstanding accuracy also.
For the occaision where I may shoot something larger than the odd Fox I use the Sierra 55 grain HPBT Game Kings. Haven't managed to get anything heavier to shoot as well as I'd like in my .222's.
I've tried the Barnes 53 gr. TSX's but they are still work-in-progress, just haven't gotten it right with them yet.
