.222Rem loading down to .22mag

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.222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 29 Jun 2021, 9:12 pm

After my recent .270win reduced load thread where it seems that AR2206H would be worth buying I got to thinking about reduced loads for my .222Rem using the same powder. I have been using Win748 but that is no longer imported so a change to AR2206H seems to be on the cards since I can kill many birds with one stone. I have a .22mag but ammo is ridiculously expensive for what it is. I could load the .222 for the same or less.

So, hit me with some .22mag equivalent loads using 40gr bullets. I found the Speer 40gr soft point for super cheap and was thinking of trying them. any thoughts?
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by ZaineB » 29 Jun 2021, 9:44 pm

222 has little to no recoil, and is gonna be loud regardless, so would give it a miss, unless its purely for the sake of messing about, no guarantee of accuracy depending on twist rate if you go to those lower velocities too
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2021, 9:50 pm

MtnMan wrote:After my recent .270win reduced load thread where it seems that AR2206H would be worth buying I got to thinking about reduced loads for my .222Rem using the same powder. I have been using Win748 but that is no longer imported so a change to AR2206H seems to be on the cards since I can kill many birds with one stone. I have a .22mag but ammo is ridiculously expensive for what it is. I could load the .222 for the same or less.

So, hit me with some .22mag equivalent loads using 40gr bullets. I found the Speer 40gr soft point for super cheap and was thinking of trying them. any thoughts?


When I was a kid I loaded .222Rem down to WMR and subsonic levels.
Winchester sold the standard WMR semi-jacketed hollow-point 40gn bullet in bulk packs of 500 very cheaply. They were more accurate out of the .222 than they were in my WMR.

I don't remember what the loads were (nearly forty years ago), but I was using IMR4198.
Now I prefer Trailboss for reduced loads, but AR2206H is equally as versatile as IMR4198 was.
ADI data shows that around 19.5gn of AR2206H should push a 40gn bullet to around 2500fps. I would start around there and work backwards until you find the velocity you want. I would focus more on an accurate load rather than a velocity though. Bullets go down to 30gn in .224", and the .222 should be good to the 52/53gn HP's, and perhaps some of the shorter 55gn SP's. If you can find cheap bullets you can certainly shoot the .222 cheaper than WMR, and even some .22LR ammo. The cheapest bullets I've seen (10 to 12 cents apiece) tend to be 55gn or 62gn which are likely too long for your twist rate, but even the 35gn VMax is not too expensive.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2021, 9:53 pm

ZaineB wrote:222 has little to no recoil, and is gonna be loud regardless, so would give it a miss, unless its purely for the sake of messing about, no guarantee of accuracy depending on twist rate if you go to those lower velocities too


222 and .223 shoot just fine down to about 300fps, when the bullets start staying in the barrel. I used to load my .222 down to .22LR levels when I was a kid as it was more accurate than my .22's at longer ranges.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by ZaineB » 29 Jun 2021, 10:07 pm

bladeracer wrote:
ZaineB wrote:222 has little to no recoil, and is gonna be loud regardless, so would give it a miss, unless its purely for the sake of messing about, no guarantee of accuracy depending on twist rate if you go to those lower velocities too


222 and .223 shoot just fine down to about 300fps, when the bullets start staying in the barrel. I used to load my .222 down to .22LR levels when I was a kid as it was more accurate than my .22's at longer ranges.



my .223 has only two accuracy nodes that I have ever come across, currently shoots the same hole almost every shot in the absence of wind at 100m, I have played around dropping muzzle velocity, and it goes from anything like a tennis ball size group to a grapefruit size group, nosler 55gn projies is all I have ever used aside from Hornady FMJ's, both did the same thing.

cheers
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 29 Jun 2021, 10:11 pm

thanks. I see merit in downloading for the sake of getting rid of the .22mag which is too expensive now and for the milder blast for shooting on smaller acreage's.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 29 Jun 2021, 10:13 pm

speaking off noise, will reduced loads be on par with the .22mag?
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2021, 10:13 pm

ZaineB wrote:
bladeracer wrote:
ZaineB wrote:222 has little to no recoil, and is gonna be loud regardless, so would give it a miss, unless its purely for the sake of messing about, no guarantee of accuracy depending on twist rate if you go to those lower velocities too


222 and .223 shoot just fine down to about 300fps, when the bullets start staying in the barrel. I used to load my .222 down to .22LR levels when I was a kid as it was more accurate than my .22's at longer ranges.



my .223 has only two accuracy nodes that I have ever come across, currently shoots the same hole almost every shot in the absence of wind at 100m, I have played around dropping muzzle velocity, and it goes from anything like a tennis ball size group to a grapefruit size group, nosler 55gn projies is all I have ever used aside from Hornady FMJ's, both did the same thing.

cheers


My .223 shoots everything I've tried equally well, from 35gn VMax to 80gn ELDM. I don't think I've tried the 80gn subsonic yet, but 62gn and under shoot just fine at subsonic velocities. The least accurate bullet I've tried is a 52gn HP swaged from .22LR brass, and that holds around 1.5-minute from subsonic to 3000fps.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bladeracer » 29 Jun 2021, 10:15 pm

MtnMan wrote:speaking off noise, will reduced loads be on par with the .22mag?


A little louder but within the same ballpark, due to burning a lot more powder to make the same velocity. I never found .222 full-noise loads to be loud though.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Jun 2021, 10:47 pm

I've done some sound measurements with a calibrated sound monitor a few years ago.
Basically, more powder = more noise. Simples
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bigpete » 30 Jun 2021, 12:58 am

I've just loaded the rough equivalent of 22 mag in my 22-250 using trailboss,its freaking awesome and hits to the same poi at 60m as my full noise loads. No reason at all why you shouldn't experiment with it.
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Group at 60m,no change in sight settings
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Crow at 20m
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Nice sized exit wound
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bigpete » 30 Jun 2021, 1:10 am

ZaineB wrote:222 has little to no recoil, and is gonna be loud regardless, so would give it a miss, unless its purely for the sake of messing about, no guarantee of accuracy depending on twist rate if you go to those lower velocities too

:roll:
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bigrich » 30 Jun 2021, 4:51 am

If you’re going to use reduced loads with less FPS , I would suggest a projectile suited to less speed . Maybe some of the thin jacketed projectiles made specifically for the 22 hornet .
Twist rate could have some influence, but if your 222 is 1-14 as most will be ,this should work great
Just a thought :thumbsup:
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by SCJ429 » 30 Jun 2021, 7:43 am

I have used Trailboss with a 40 grain bullet and it was quiet enough to shoot without earmuffs. It was subsonic but good enough to knock over bunnies at 100 metres.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bigpete » 30 Jun 2021, 8:29 am

Screenshot_20210628-211547_Samsung Internet.jpg
Screenshot_20210628-211547_Samsung Internet.jpg (228.97 KiB) Viewed 5723 times

I'm using these,at a rough guess they're doing around 1900 so slightly more oomph than a 22 mag,about the same noise level,and left a 2" exit in a crow. The plan is to carry them along with my full power loads and use them either for fox whistling as a close in,less damage round,or for rabbits,or anytime I require less noise.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by ZaineB » 30 Jun 2021, 9:56 am

hmmmmmm this is temptation to have another play around myself, or is it temptation just to go buy a 17 fireball LOL
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by Oldbloke » 30 Jun 2021, 10:51 am

I've got 2 loads for my 223.

Normal Hornady 55gr sp abt 2950fps

Squib Hornady 55gr sp abt 2100fps

Same bullet. Stops foxes in close. Lot quieter.
Last edited by Oldbloke on 04 Jul 2021, 9:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bigpete » 30 Jun 2021, 11:05 am

Oldbloke wrote:I've got 2 loads for my 223.

Normal Hornady 55gr sp abt 2950fps

Squib Hornady 55gr sp abt 2200fps

Same bullet. Stops foxes in close. Lot quieter.

I chose mine so I can differentiate easily between the loads
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by Oldbloke » 30 Jun 2021, 4:21 pm

bigpete wrote:
Oldbloke wrote:I've got 2 loads for my 223.

Normal Hornady 55gr sp abt 2950fps

Squib Hornady 55gr sp abt 2200fps

Same bullet. Stops foxes in close. Lot quieter.

I chose mine so I can differentiate easily between the loads



Yes, I do need to be careful. Also a 4" lower POA at about 80 yards so need to remember to change the scope.
You have made me think I could file the tip off the squibs. mmm

But I have 1000 of those bullets, so not buying any more.
Also got 600 62gr, don't think I will ever use them all LOL. Perhaps the grandson. :)
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 30 Jun 2021, 6:54 pm

BigPete, those bullets are cheap too like the ones I was looking at. I'm going to to try Ar2206H first since I have to get some anyway as a replacement for the Win748 in the .222 and for youth loads in the .270. I'll see how it goes and keep trailboss in mind.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by duncan61 » 30 Jun 2021, 7:05 pm

I tried to purchase trailboss here in W.A.and was told it has been banned????
.22 winchester .22hornet .222 .243 7mm rem mag cbc 12g
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bladeracer » 30 Jun 2021, 7:16 pm

duncan61 wrote:I tried to purchase trailboss here in W.A.and was told it has been banned????


Not banned as far As I'm aware, but not being produced for two years.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 30 Jun 2021, 7:59 pm

typical. If you find something good, buy a lifetimes supply
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by bigpete » 30 Jun 2021, 8:37 pm

1 container IS a lifetimes supply.....
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by ZaineB » 30 Jun 2021, 8:51 pm

was going to add that pete, usually the local here would have one or two bottles on the shelf when they had over a dozen of others. lasts a fair while. I had a small bit from a mate of the old man's that passed away, used the last of it in a mates hornet a while back.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by Oldbloke » 30 Jun 2021, 9:05 pm

bigpete wrote:1 container IS a lifetimes supply.....

That's right. Lol
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 27 Jul 2021, 7:30 pm

I started some load development today. I began with a 60% of max load of 14.5gr of AR2206H and a 40gr speer #1810 soft point.
Accuracy improved with increases up to 15.8gr. more to do yet though. The noise is comparable with, maybe perhaps a little louder, than the .22mag which is great.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by Oldbloke » 27 Jul 2021, 9:44 pm

MtnMan wrote:I started some load development today. I began with a 60% of max load of 14.5gr of AR2206H and a 40gr speer #1810 soft point.
Accuracy improved with increases up to 15.8gr. more to do yet though. The noise is comparable with, maybe perhaps a little louder, than the .22mag which is great.


Just keep in mind as bigpete said earlier both loads need to be easily identified.
And great that it worked out.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 28 Jul 2021, 6:33 am

yeah the 40gr bullet and the 50gr bullets look totally different in the loaded cartridge. the 40gr bullets are spire point and the 50's are spitzers.
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Re: .222Rem loading down to .22mag

Post by MtnMan » 10 Aug 2021, 8:32 pm

correction- the bullets used are the speer 40gr spire point #1017, not #1810.

at reduced velocity this bullet isn't expanding at all! I even happened to find one in the dirt bank behind my targets and it was completely intact with no expansion whatsoever.
I tried 5 rounds this afternoon with 20gr of AR2206H. accuracy was better and the point of impact is the same as my 50gr bullet full power loads. little louder but tolerable. I'll see what the terminal performance is like now.
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