My wife was handed down an old savage 222 that was her grandfathers. When I was handed down a bunch of reloading stuff from her father of course there was a die set for 222 and two boxes of 50 gr .224 diameter bullets. So logically I start reloading for the rifle. Problem is, I cannot get the rifle to shoot. My father in law did some work to the stock which could be the reason why it will not shoot as he is not a gunsmith. I have tried multiple different charge weights with the 50 gr hand me downs and best I can get is about a 2 inch 4 shot group. The reason I want the rifle to shoot is the fact that is a great rifle for youngsters to shoot. I am 99% sure that this old rifle has 1:14 twist. I have attempted Varget powder but tried a lot of different variations with IMR 4198. Should I try lighter bullets? Heavier bullets? I have gotten frustrated with the rifle even though it is my wife's and not mine. I just want the rifle to be able to shoot 1 inch groups so my kids and nephews can practice with it. Any help or advice would be much appreciated.
reloading for .222 rem
- Thread starter ReloadKy
- Start date
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,048
- 2,528
What Scott said Mine shoots them at 3/4" at 200 yards on a windless day.
REDGREEN
Handloader
- Mar 30, 2006
- 276
- 1
Fotis, my 222's loved WW748. one ragged hole with the 50 grain. Try it, and you won't be disappointed.
ReloadKy":2g6ulgfr said:
I will 2nd the IMR4198 & WW748 while adding RL7 or Accurate 2015 with 50 & 52 flatbases. With 53 gr bullets IMR3031 may work well. RP 7 1/2 or Fed. 205M primers made a difference in my rifle over other brands.
A few other possibilities come to mind. Since it was someone else's rifle, has the bore been cleaned this century? Screws tight? Scope? Is the (inherited) brass old & tired?
- Thread starter
- #6
I have thourghly cleaned the barrel. I have been using 50 gr flat base and IMR 4198. I knew that the 222 was supposed to be a very accurate cartridge. I have even tried factory gr loads and they will not shoot that well either. The almost non-existent recoil is very appealing for an all day range trip. I am guessing that SJB is right and the rifle is the culprit. My father in law told me after he handed it down that he tried to sand and re-finish the stock quite a while back. That is probably where the fault lies...
wvbuckbuster
Handloader
- Nov 5, 2015
- 2,360
- 1,872
BLC-2 worked well for me in different 222 REM. Maybe the problem is a bedding issue? Dan.
ReloadKy":19x48u8o said:
Check all the fasteners, make sure the action isn’t being torqued. Bedding can affect them but usually it isn’t as critical for decent accuracy. Match yes, but usually if it isn’t stressed when it’s tightened the little 222 will shoot.
remingtonman_25_06
Handloader
- Nov 17, 2005
- 2,794
- 370
I only used IMR4198 with any 40-55g bullet. Shot under 1/2 MOA from the 700 everytime. Preferred load would do 1/4 MOA with the 40g VMAX. Killed a lot of dogs with that rifle/load.
Horsethief
Handloader
- Jul 5, 2012
- 346
- 5
W-748 and 50-52 grain bullets are a great start for a 222 Rem. Your rifle issues sounds like some this is amiss with either the crowning, maybe the receiver or barrel getting undue pressure, and possibly a worn out barrel.
I have a Savage 340 in 222 Rem that is a tack driver, despite having a cruddy trigger. I suppose it makes me concentrate and everything else to hold steady for a potentially great shot.
I have a Savage 340 in 222 Rem that is a tack driver, despite having a cruddy trigger. I suppose it makes me concentrate and everything else to hold steady for a potentially great shot.
