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222rem and 52gr SMK range report

JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
edited March 2005 in Perry Shooter Competition Shooting and Reloading Forum
Well toyed around with a box stock rem788 I have in 222rem. Seated the pills ~.010" off the lands and loaded some IMR4895. I started at 24.0gr and then went to 24.3gr and finally 24.6gr.(the powder will be up in the neck on the 2 latter loads,..but no pressure signs were present).

24.0gr ~1moa +/-
24.3gr ~1moa (slightly better with one flyer which I will take the blame for)
24.6gr ~.650" (including the one flyer which stepped out about 1 bullet diameter with the other 4 in one hole, again I take the balme for that) If not for the flyer,..I would say an honest .5moa load[:)]

I may try to get up to near 25grs to see what happens,..but if anyone has a 222rem and some 4895, try that 24.6gr load,..it is working well thus far and more testing will soon be done against IMR4198.

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?
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    old single shotsold single shots Member Posts: 3,594
    edited November -1
    I used to load 20.5 gr. of Imr-4198 in my 700 222. with 50 gr. Hornady SP just touching the lands.One hole groups when i did my part.Don't think i ever tried 4895 in that caliber.
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I used some 4198 a few years back (19.5gr w/52gr hp match) and got the same results as you. I looked in the book the other day and sierra listed the 4895 load with the 52gr smk as the accuracy load,..so off I went. Not too shabby for the 3rd charge I threw right out of the manual[8D]

    why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
    Got Balistics?
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    sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    JustC,

    I used that load for years in my dads old Savage .222 and later in my Win 70 Heavy barrel. I used it for most of my varminting with it. 24.5 grs. of 4895 over a 50 gr. Sierra. It's a compressed load but won't produce too much pressure. I think we finally had a little too much pressure when we went to 25.2 grs. But it was right up to the neck.
    What I had the most accuracy with....and I wish I could shoot as well again someday...was using 24 gr. of then BR2015 (now XMR2015). I had one 5 shot group of .013 and two three shot groups of .018 and .019 on a -8* day in Montana. I've never been able to shoot that well again with any rifle. But I always say that was the best load I ever used.

    We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    If I can come across some of that powder I may give it a try. I had an interest in seeing just how accurate this old rem 788 could be,..and she isn't letting me down. I have 2 powders thus far that when I am doing my part, will be less than .5moa. I think I got a possible truck gun[:D]

    why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
    Got Balistics?
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    sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Justc,

    The old saying with those old 788's is true...they are great until you start having to slap the bolt up to get the case out. You may know this, but the bolts are silver soldered and once they get loose they are a bear to get welded back on right. We got a little ancy with something loaded years ago with my dads old .222 and we had to do some "percussion adjustment" to get the case out. I'm pretty sure the 788 would not have taken that abuse. I thought I'd bring that to mind before going too much further in search of velocity with your rifle. If you've got .5 MOA with 3000-3100 fps I'd say stick with it.

    We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>
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    JustCJustC Member Posts: 16,056 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yeah, the gunsmith and I have already talked about the bolt handle issue with 788's. There is a company now however, that is manufacturing NEW forged bolts in any boltface that was offered for the 788. I am gonna just have fun with this rifle until it breaks, then maybe go with a new bolt depending on how it is shooting when that happens. This isn't one of my LR rigs, but I like shooting it just because the caliber is so much fun.

    why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
    Got Balistics?
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    sandwarriorsandwarrior Member Posts: 5,453 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    JustC,

    Sounds good, that was probably the biggest drawback of that rifle. Otherwise they shot pretty good, especially in the lighter calibers. And, they make great truck rifles.
    We pretty much used 4895 for everything back when I did a lot of reloading for the .222. It fills the case which helps with the accuracy and gets high pressures. We loaded 40's, 45's 50's 52's and 53's. Even some 60 Noslers from way back when that my Swift shooting friend gave us. Not quite enough poop in a .222 to get them out at 3k. ....but we tried. Good luck with it.

    We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>
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