One for the 20/222 fans.

[Tony Z]

Well i shot the 223 based 20 cal on Sat morning. Not overly impressed with the vertical i saw and felt the capacity for the bore size was heading away from 2207 toward slower powders.

So that arvo i set the barrel back to the 222 based case. Shot that Sunday in similar crap wind and mirage and saw a difinitive change in group pattern to more rounded with less vertical. Groups the 32/Vmax/ZombieMax/Noslers were in the 5/8 to 3/4 inch range and virtually all were split from either wind or mirage. The loads started to flatten out at 22.5 grains of 2207 with nill pressure signs. I reckon the load will be somewhere in the 23 to 23.5 grain range which will be around the 100% load density. Interestingly bullets jammed or jumped showed no change in anything. I have two powders to trial next weekend in VV130 and BM1. Maybe even Re7 if time allows.

[Camel]

Interesting that 22.5gn load of 07, I am using 22.0 at the moment, easy bolt lift, rounded primers, haven't needed to f/L size yet after 10 firings on my 200 cases, so maybe I can look at stoking mine up a tad more. I don't know how close my projectiles are sitting to the lands, didn't measure them but just seated to feed out of the magazine easily and I think they are only .200 into the case neck.

[jacksaligari]

Well I'll see when tony sends the reamer back camel what mine will be like ,fingers crossed it shoots as well if not better that both yours and mr tony z

[Camel]

Well I'll see when tony sends the reamer back camel what mine will be like ,fingers crossed it shoots as well if not better that both yours and mr tony z

Mate, I hope it does just that.

[Tony Z]

Jack send up your barrel and i will endeavor to make certain it shoots different to Mark's and mine

[Camel]

Jack send up your barrel and i will endeavor to make certain it shoots different to Mark's and mine

[Tony Z]

Well i got up to the range yesterday to test a few loads. Weather was like groundhog day as per the last two visits. Swirling gusty wind and crap mirage.
Anyway 23 grains of 2207 looks the goods at the half inch zone but again split group which indicates that given a good clear sight picture, a wind flag and no booming braked 300 WM, threes or twos are probable. Not bad for the el cheapo ZMax.
BM1 @ 22 grains looks the goods with similar group size. Beyond that groups enlarged with no next node through to 24 grains in sight. Too slow i reckon.
Re7 again similar groups and all were same which indicates this could be the powder. Once i saw no change in group through a large window in my 1K rifles i knew i was on the burn rate and Re7 is just that. Like Re15 was in the old BR.
Not yet done the VV130. May not bother as 07 and Re7 need to be shot head to head at 200 and 300 yards with a primer and seating tweek.
The 40 Vmax went sub inch at 200 in a flat line with 21.5 grains 2207 which indicates that it might be the go too for that pill.

No pressure of any sort with BM1 but i found wood at 23.5 grains of 2207 and 32 ZMax.
The other thing i failed to mention is that all groups have been with new brass. No test has been done with a fully formed case where i do expect an improvement next week with once fired cases.
Overall the plain jane 20/222 is like all my 222s and 17/222 where the accuracy is fairly inherent and predictably centered around the known performance of 2207 and Re7.

[Camel]

Sounds like you are having fun with it mate, very simple cartridge conversion, which is one of the main reasons I went this way.

What cases are you using ?? Lapua I presume ?? That 23gn load of 07 must be pretty well up to the base of the neck, or maybe a tad higher?
I don't think if I found any difference between die formed or fire formed cases, not that I looked for it either.

I remember back before Mulwex had this current range of powders available, they only really had Ar2201 and that wasn't that available in smaller towns, there were only the IMR range, WW range and Hercules available in good supply. Reloader 7 was the go to powder in the 222 and similar sized cases. I burned many a tin of RL7 in the old days in a couple of 222s.

Notice Jack didn't take you up on your very kind offer the other day.

Edit, meant to ask, what load with 07 are you using in your 17/222 ? Ive been running BM2 and have currently got some test loads of 2208 loaded up to try, this is with 20gn projectiles.

[MISSED]

very simple cartridge conversion, which is one of the main reasons I went this way.

Are you saying you are simple THLD ?

[Camel]

very simple cartridge conversion, which is one of the main reasons I went this way.

Are you saying you are simple THLD ?

No I am not BLT, just that it is an easy one to do for us lazy fellas who want something a little different to the usual run of the mill stuff out these days.

[jacksaligari]

No camel not going too send up too mr z every thing he's chambered before has shot exceptional so in guessing had I it would off again
Hopefully mrZ has got the reamer in the mail and nabe in the next week or two I'll be playing round with my own 20/222
It will be on a Remington sa Pacnor barrel fingers crossed it'll be a hummer

[justjeff]

So Jack,

Does this mean you want me to bring the reamer to Narromine in a couple of months and give it to Jacko to pass on???? Might be faster than Oz post...

[Tony Z]

Sent the reamer last week Jack.

[jacksaligari]

Haha you had no faith in mrZ jeff
Looks like it's going too shoot tony promising cannot wait too get mine up and going

[Tony Z]

Yes looks good so far Jack. Just wish i could get a break in the crap conditions.
Mark i am using older Win WW cases batched to within half a grain. After the firing the walls push out at the shoulder from exactly 0.350" to exactly 0.360" giving just under a grain more volume. Virgin brass with 23.5 grains 2207 is right on half way up the neck giving a very slight compressed load. 23 grains is no compression at 100% load density. Fired case is 23.8 grains to the same load density.
Next week i will do the two powders with four primer brands and varying seating depths after that. Hopefully at longer range. At an educated guess Fed 205Ms will edge out BR4s, Rem 7 1/2s and WSRPs, been using CCI400s thus far, and seating depth will probably do SFA. No idea why that is because the 17/222 was very specific on a little jump. Jammed spiked and spat a couple high. The 20 thus far shows no reaction at all at jump, a little jam and then push the bullet back jam. Same group size, same POI. Quite odd.

One question. Has anyone used 2205 and light pills? Read a while back some yanks getting good results with H4227 in both the VT and 20/222. With that powder a barrel would never die but it surely must be way too fast to get the higher speeds. Having said that it is just one bump up the scale from Re7 and IMR4198.