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Rechambering 222 or 222 magnum to 223

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09 May 2008, 14:34
tankhunter
Rechambering 222 or 222 magnum to 223
Is it possible to rechamber either of these to 223 ? some people say you can but the specs i have looked at say no,i have a old 222 i would prefer made into a 223 ,thanks for any insights
09 May 2008, 15:42
eddieharren
If there is enough barrel, to set back far enough, you can do either one. What kind of rifle?
09 May 2008, 17:09
DUK
It was quite common here to rechamber the .222 to .222 Magnum. The case dimensions seem to allow that. TRIEBEL still offers it on their web page.
09 May 2008, 20:15
El Deguello
quote:
Originally posted by tankhunter:
Is it possible to rechamber either of these to 223 ? some people say you can but the specs i have looked at say no,i have a old 222 i would prefer made into a 223 ,thanks for any insights


I had a nice old very accurate Rem. 722 w/26" barrel in .222 Rem. that I had rechambered to .223 when the Army first adopted the M-16. It was a simple, straightforward rechambering job. The .223 reamer completely cleans up a good .222 chamber! I should have left it a .222! With the 1/14" twist, it would not give any accuracy at all with the GI 55-grain FMJBT bullets. It was OK with 55-grain flatbase bullets, however. My most accurate load was 24.5 grains of IMR 3031 with the Sierra 554-grain spitzer flatbase bullet. From the 26" tube, it gave 3300 FPS. So the only thing I gained was 100 FPS and the ability to use unaltered GI cases.

To rechamber a .222 Rem. Mag., you would have to set the barrel back enough that the .223 reamer would totally clean up the old chamber.


"Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen."
09 May 2008, 22:10
Cheechako
tankhunter

What El Deguello said.

I too had a very accurate 222 and rechambered it to 223. I simply ran the 223 reamer in, nothing more to it. But I later regretted it. It shot OK with the correct bullets but never quite as good as the straight 222. The 222 is such a great cartridge that you really can't improve on it.

JMHO

Ray


Arizona Mountains
10 May 2008, 03:29
Der Verge
It is not a problem to have the chamber reamed, but I have to agree with the rest of the guys here. Every person I know that had a good .222 rechambered to .223 has regretted it. Keep it how it is. If you have to have a .223, you can buy a Savage pretty cheap, and they shoot. Just don't ruin that .222


--Verge
10 May 2008, 03:29
El Deguello
quote:
The 222 is such a great cartridge that you really can't improve on it.


A-MEN!!


"Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen."
10 May 2008, 05:24
tankhunter
Hello thanks for the advice ,its an old BSA hunter with mauser extractor ,i think i will take your advice and leave it as a 222 and buy some other kind of 223
10 May 2008, 09:45
seafire2
quote:
Originally posted by tankhunter:
Hello thanks for the advice ,its an old BSA hunter with mauser extractor ,i think i will take your advice and leave it as a 222 and buy some other kind of 223


Good thinking!!!! thumb


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10 May 2008, 10:16
armadillo
I had a 222 barrel rechambered to 223 to shoot light bullets. It was cheaper than buying a new barrel with a 14" twist.
10 May 2008, 10:18
Code4
If the .222 is shooting straight then leave it. However if you are after a bit more power also consider the 5.6x50 Magnum (RWS) which will also clean out a .223 chamber. The only limiting factor may be magazine length.
13 May 2008, 23:19
Atkinson
I have seen folks just run the 223 reamer in a 222 and they end up with a very slight double shoulder, it worked and they thought they had cut a fat hog, but I wouldn't own one like that..

If your barrell is heavy enought to cut the old chamber out then it will work..otherwise your better off with a 222..Its a better round anyway.


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com