I'm looking for an accurate reasonably lightweight 222 for all around varmint hunting. Light enough to carry while walking and accurate enough for gophers and prairie dogs shooting from a rest. I have an Anschutz 22 LR and an Anschutz 22 Hornet. Both are extremely accurate with superb triggers. Therefore, I have been thinking about a 222 by Anschutz---there doesn't appear to be a lot of them around---perhaps because of the steep price tag---not sure they are still made.

One person has offered a caution on the Anschutz centre fires. He points out that the newer ones have a stamp on the barrel along the lines of....FOR FACTORY AMMUNITION ONLY...He says this is because the rifles are very sensitive to excessive pressures and if exposed to such pressures can be very difficult to repair---he also cautioned that they cannot be easily re-barrelled as the barrels are not screwed into the receivers as is common with most modern rifles.

Your comments would be appreciated before I make a decision.

Thanks Everyone

.222 remington is a excellent caliber and easy to load and shoot. You can tailor hand loads to shoot better than any factory ammo.Many times you can find loads that work very well with less pressure than factory loads even with hotter loads you wouldn't be doing any damage to the rifle if you watch what you are doing, you can't run it like a swift and in most cases you are looking for the best accuracy and not velocity. Good Luck

Bill Sir: i recently sold my 222 anshutz after owning it since the mid-eighties. it was superb with everything i shot in it and even better with about 30 % of carefully developed loads. shot it near 3000 rounds, never a factory load. it was the model with the rollover comb and shot as well when i sold it as at any time. it too was marked for factory ammo only. i commonly ran it 5% over published loads and seated bullets to max magazine length. i watched cases carefully and checked headspace. i watched the bolt lugs closely for signs of wear, etc, also. i would do it again. be aware that the currently published 222 data has been reduced pressure wise within the last few years. good shooting, ned

I can not tell you about the Anschutz centre fire rifles but I woould love to have my old Remmington 788 in 222 back. It shot a one hole group. If you reload...
52 or 53 grain bullet:
BLC-2...22.5 grains
4198....19.5 grains

Thanks everyone for your replies. I will proceed to buy an Anschutz 222.

Bill

Bill
I managed to grab my father-in-laws Anschutz .222 before he sold it off. I have been told by my gunsmith that you can rebarrel the rifle but its a pain in the arse to do so. The father-in-law never looked after it and it shows. When I get the funds I'll fix it up, including a new barrel.

Bakes

I ws going to post a new msg for this one, but I'll just add onto...

I to am looking at an Anschutz 1530, second hand in .222 of course.

Any probs with this model?

No probs as such. Good gun. Accurate. Well-made.

If you can get your paws however on an old Krico mini-Mauser in .222 (made in the late 1950s and early 1960s), jump on it and hold it tight. A more beautiful .222 hunting rifle action has never been made. See the superb article by Thos. Burgess somewhere on this forum.

Carcano