I've got a Remington LVSF in 221 Fireball that I'm having a love/hate relationship with. I totally hate the blind ADL style magazine. The little Firebally rounds are very fiddly to load, and quite unreliable in the way they feed. Basically, I think the Remington action is just too big for the cartridge....it works a treat in a small Sako, but not the 700.

The cartridge itself can be very finicky, though it performs beyond what you'd expect when you find a load that it likes.

So, I've decided to install BDL metalwork into the stock, and also to have a 222 Rem Mag reamer run into the barrel. Looks to me like the 1:14 twist of the Fireball will work with 40-50 gr bullets from the 222RM. I don't need another 223 (I have an LTR and a Sako 491), so this should be 'different' whilst still filling a worthwhile niche.

Any comments from those who have owned the 222 RM...

This is the one caliber that I "miss" the most. I cut my groundhog teeth on this in a Sako square bolt. 52's and the old Nosler 50 gr Match were good to the high 3,400 ft/secs. And accuracy was never a problem with no real powder sensitivity. H335 and Win 748 were my favorites then and the Rem 7 1/2 BR primers.

Got 10 boxes of virgin primed Remington brass left over as well. I guess I keep hoping to find a replacement rifle.

I have had a 40XRem in 222mag and a couple of Sakos in it and now have a Browning/Sako 461 in 222 rechambered to 222mag....it is 1-14twist and loves IMR 4198 and Berger 52fbhp and Rem 7 1/2 or Federal sr.....it does well with H322 also...with BR prepped handloads it does high .2 for 5 at 100yds with 6.5x20Leupold,only rem brass is available now and you need to stock up on it...the 204 Ruger brass MIGHT be able to be reformed to use in the 222mag chamber,I HAVEN'T tried the reform of 204brass..enjoy..good luck and good shooting!!

Brass probably isn't an issue at the moment. I also have a 6*47 and I stocked up on 222 RM brass when I was making it up. Plus, I have about 200 new Sako headstamped 222 RMs.

We've got a 204 Ruger, and the 6*47, so this will complete the 'set'.

I think the .221 is the cat's a$$. 50 grain Hornady's and Lil Gun over CCI small rifle primers will really work on crows and chucks out to about 300 yards.

Lil Gun seems to be a great choice of powders for the Hornet and Fireball. Next choice would be 748 or AA1680.

About the only cartridge I like as much as the 222 Mag is the duece.

You could also consider a 5.6x50mag.....

Same capacity as a 22ppc but with the 222 family case head just longer.

50gr 3,500fps (24" barrel)
55gr 3,400fps
60gr 3,300fps

Brass can be obtained once fired from the continent for very little. It's a great cartridge.

Jb747: I hope this gets to you in time!
I have a Remington 700 Classic in caliber 221 Remington Fireball.
I have learned to load the magazine by carefully placing each 221 round as far back in the receiver as the magazine follower will allow.
Thusly the feeding of rounds into the chamber is then infallible!
I hope you will learn to live with the blind magazine and the proper feeding of rounds and thus keep your nifty little LVSF in 221 Fireball.
Then, be on the lookout for a Remington 700 short action to build a custom Rifle in caliber 222 Remington Magnum!
The 222 Remington Magnum is, by the way, one of my all time favorite Varminting rounds!
The 222 Mag is accurate, fast and easy to load for!
Best of luck whichever way you go!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I know how to load the mag so that it works, but as a lot of my shooting (with this rifle) is at night, its not quite as simple as just pushing the rounds back onto the magazine spacer.

I love the 221, and will very likely make up another at some stage, but this time it will be on a Sako 461.

222 RM stoked hot with 52 A-max- nice.

might know where there is a good 461 coming up for sale- will let you know if it does

later
P

jb,
Brass availability/price can be a problem w/ the 5.6X50 Magnum. I've got a contender barrel that uses an improved/rimmed version in 6 mm in the Contendder. New brass runs ~$1/piece from Natchez.

1894mk2, I've never had any luck obtaining any used brass from Europe, although I've tried. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Gary T.

Sierra 50 grain Blitz King and H335 gets me 3470 fps and great accuracy from my Sako L46 with 24" Krieger.
Wonderful round to shoot all day.

I've been a .222 Rem Mag nut for ages, started with that same square bolt Sako, then a Remington, then a Steyr-Mannlicher, and now a Remington M700BDL. Brass has never been a problem for me because I started squirreling brass in the 1970s, still have 300 rounds of unfired Herter brass, plus assorted Remington cases. I would suggest watching gun shows for brass and ammo, since the .222 Mag is a sleeper, and there's only a limited demand. Push some dealers on Sunday afternoon and get a good buy.

LLS

Anybody know where to get Sako brass?
I've seen it on their web site.
It would be a perfect fit for my Sako.

.222 Rem Mag brass is listed at Midway. but it's in a lot of 1000.

Wideners has Remington brass for $21.40 heres the page http://wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|282|287|382

Reading this makes me regret I sold my Sako .222RM -man was that a sweet shooting gun.

The 204 ruger is a 222 mag necked down to 20 caliber.

222 rem mag.brass is listed at Midway under 222 listing in lots of 100

My memory is not any good, but...

Think the Remington 700 in 221 Fireball had a 12-inch twist instead of a 14-inch twist. Either would be fine for the 222 Rem Mag.

Have three 222 Rem Mag rifles -- one Sako, one Savage, and one Remington. They all shoot fine.

Have never had trouble getting brass.

Think it is a shame that SAAMI has such different max pressure specs for the 221, 222, 223, and 222 Mag which cause loading manuals and factory ballistics to be such a joke for these cartridges. When loaded to similar pressures in barrels of the same length, their performance differences are just about what one would expect given their different case capacities. But SAAMI has the 221 and 223 performing great and the 222 and 222 Mag showing up a yawners. There has not been any old brittle actions used to make any of these four fine cartridges. Can't defend not having them loading to the same pressure levels.

I absolutely WORE a 222Mag barrel out on an original 700BDL chambered that way!! But I resurected the fine action!! I had a 40X Bench rest barrel(20") that had less than 100 rounds down the tube originally a 222Rem. A simple rechambering job and fitted onto the 40 X stock and it is the one rifle I own that when you take it to the bench, you'll ask, "Why the hell do I own any other varminters!!??" .1's are very doable, some "0's" have been done and .2's are doable with it by anyone!! I shot a 6x47 in BR stuff in the 70's and love the case! Maybe that's why I was so intrigued by the .204 also! It's a fun round! IMR 3031 and 52 grain Speer Gold Matches accounted for a lot of dead groundhogs, crows, foxes and whatever it got pointed at! Lately I've found that the ACCURATE 2230 and ACCURATE 2520 will absolutely turn the little case up a notch!! One of my ALL TIME favorite chamberings!! GHD

28.0grs of H4895 under a 55gr Nosler Combined Tech (coated) gets me about 3425+ and excellent accuracy in my Sako L461.

Re the Sako brass, I contacted Beretta and was told they do not import it. Anyone have connections in Europe?