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Rechamber options ?

gumbydamnit
If you had a 222 rem and decided to re-chamber it; what are some of the options one could go with? I want to keep it to something I can buy ammo for, don't want to go to an AI or some other wildcat cartridge.
I have a 222 rem and don't use it and not impressed with it, so I thought maybe change to something different. Not going to use it for anything in particular maybe groundhog shooting, just want something new, and looking for options. Thanks for your time.........TOM
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Comments

8 comments

Date Votes
  • tsr1965
    I am assuming that you want to move from the 222 Rem., for availability of cost effective, and more readily available ammo? If that is true, then you have but one choice...the 223 Remington. You want to make sure you know what twist rate you have before you chamber the rifle. If it is a 1 in 12, or 1 in 14, you are going to want a little shorter throat for the lighter bullets, up to 55 grains in weight. if you have to much freebore, that is not good either.

    Best
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  • XXCross
    And exactly why do you feel you have to rechamber a 222 to anything else ?
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  • dcs shooters
    We rechambered my Rem. HB varmit from 222 to 223. Used a finish reamer and took .060 out of the chamber. If you rechamber your 222, you will need to stick with 55gr. and under bullets for accuracy. That's if your barrel is a 1/14 twist, as most are.
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  • gumbydamnit
    quote:Originally posted by XXCross

    And exactly why do you feel you have to rechamber a 222 to anything else ?

    I was looking for something different and maybe a little better performance, not impressed with the 222 rem. I had one about 10 years ago and didn't think much of it thinking it was the gun itself so I sold it. Then I bought a different one with a longer barrel and still don't think much of the caliber. Maybe I will re-barrel it then to a 204 ruger or the 224 Weatherby, I have lots of ammo and brass for both. Thanks for the input.............Tom
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  • RCrosby
    224 Weatherby? What's the action? I'd never be able to do that with any of my Sakos! If your action will handle it, you'll still have major bolt and rail work to be done. .223 seems like the only reasonable option given your parameters, but do you really want to go to that expense for a couple hundred fps?? You could always send the .222 to me and start over with a .243 or Swift?[:D][:D]
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  • nononsense
    gumbydamnit,

    I think I see your point.

    Most of us probably feel that the .222 Rem. is a terrific cartridge for both target shooting as well as varmint shooting because of the notable accuracy. The difference is that we aren't looking at the velocity as a determination of performance.

    Let's consider a couple of things in general:

    The only reasonable re-chamber is for the .223 Rem. This is simply a reaming operation and get new ammunition or dies and brass. However, the performance increase will not be that significant.

    The .204 Ruger would be a good candidate if you were willing to re-barrel as you state above. There would be no other changes except for ammunition, dies and brass. Cases can be made from .222 Remington Magnum brass but that's the expensive way to go given the cost of Magnum brass these days. Actually, I found Magnum brass on sale for a little less than the .204 Ruger...

    The Weatherby is a very under-appreciated cartridge but for one good reason, the existence of the .22-250 Rem. They are nearly identical in performance except that the Weatherby requires a special, 0.430" non-standard bolt face. Yes, you can open up the bolt face of some actions to accommodate the rim diameter, then open the rails and work with the feeding geometry but this all costs money. The limit will be the twist rate of the original barrel, of course. You might have to stick with the lighter (shorter really) bullets in order to maintain accuracy.

    Here's my suggestion:

    Sell the .222 Remington and buy a rifle chambered for the .22-250 Rem. This will give you the performance you ask for, a standard rim diameter, no need to fix the feeding geometry, reasonably priced ammunition, brass and dies, all without pain or anguish. It's a simple sales transaction.

    Give it a spin around the block and run it through the wringer a couple of time. The cartridge is superb, just make sure you get the right twist rate for the level of bullet length you wish to shoot.

    Best.
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  • gumbydamnit
    quote:Originally posted by nononsense
    gumbydamnit,

    I think I see your point.

    Most of us probably feel that the .222 Rem. is a terrific cartridge for both target shooting as well as varmint shooting because of the notable accuracy. The difference is that we aren't looking at the velocity as a determination of performance.

    Let's consider a couple of things in general:

    The only reasonable re-chamber is for the .223 Rem. This is simply a reaming operation and get new ammunition or dies and brass. However, the performance increase will not be that significant.

    The .204 Ruger would be a good candidate if you were willing to re-barrel as you state above. There would be no other changes except for ammunition, dies and brass. Cases can be made from .222 Remington Magnum brass but that's the expensive way to go given the cost of Magnum brass these days. Actually, I found Magnum brass on sale for a little less than the .204 Ruger...

    The Weatherby is a very under-appreciated cartridge but for one good reason, the existence of the .22-250 Rem. They are nearly identical in performance except that the Weatherby requires a special, 0.430" non-standard bolt face. Yes, you can open up the bolt face of some actions to accommodate the rim diameter, then open the rails and work with the feeding geometry but this all costs money. The limit will be the twist rate of the original barrel, of course. You might have to stick with the lighter (shorter really) bullets in order to maintain accuracy.

    Here's my suggestion:

    Sell the .222 Remington and buy a rifle chambered for the .22-250 Rem. This will give you the performance you ask for, a standard rim diameter, no need to fix the feeding geometry, reasonably priced ammunition, brass and dies, all without pain or anguish. It's a simple sales transaction.

    Give it a spin around the block and run it through the wringer a couple of time. The cartridge is superb, just make sure you get the right twist rate for the level of bullet length you wish to shoot.

    Best.



    Already have a 22-250 and I guess I was looking for something a little different and thought there was more option out there without going to an AI or wildcat. I have a good supply of ammo for both 204 ruger and the 224 weatherby and like the paper work on the weatherby cartridge but $1500-$1800.00 for the rifle I don't like.

    Well Thanks again for all the info and input

    TOM
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  • slumlord44
    You have never specified what you did not like about the .222. Without knowing that, it would be difficult to make a recomentation. Accuracy? Range? Knockdown power? Ammo availability and costs? The .222 is inherently more accuracte than the .223. Range is so close as to not be a factor. Knockdown power is similar. Ammo is more easily availabe and cheaper for the .223. This would be a factor if you plan to shoot a large volume of ammo. Not significant for the hunter or casual shooter. For shooting groundhogs the .222 is ideal out to 200 yards. Past 250 it drops prety quick. If you are wanting to shoot at 250 yards plus, a .22-250 would be better suited.
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