Thread: The ‘controversial.222’

Originally Posted by Hunter_Nick

I’m after a bit of advice/opinion....

I need to re-barrel my BSA Hunter .222 as the tube is getting pretty shagged. Do you think it’s worth going for a faster twist or sticking with the ‘tried and true’ 1-14” twist? I’m wondering about the benefits of slinging longer heavier slugs for even better terminal performance.

personally I WOULD SUGGEST 1:12----1:10 even....the trebly is great wee round..so is 223 and if you want to chuck 80grn projectiles buy a .243 ...within 150 yards the 50-55grn projectiles do good enough job for me.... I can poke 64grn winchester loads from my 223 as it is....cant for life of me see a need for me to go heavier...thats what Ive got bigger rifles for.

Keep in mind the short mag box these rifles have and the fact that longer heavier projectiles with needed to be seated deep. Maybe 1:12 if you want to use 55-60gr flat base?

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Originally Posted by Mathias

Keep in mind the short mag box these rifles have and the fact that longer heavier projectiles with needed to be seated deep. Maybe 1:12 if you want to use 55-60gr flat base?

Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk

Yeah that’s exactly the reason it’s possibly not going to be a 6x45. I really want to build another one, but takes a little work on those tiny actions. A mate has 3 6x45s built on the Hunter action so it can be done...

The mag box is about .100” longer than needed for the .222 so thought it may be ok with longer pills in the .222 case. Has a long neck too

8 twist. Either 55gr GMK or 55gr TSX. No stags will continue to walk.

Thanks guys, I reckon 1-12” will be good to give the .222 just a little extra edge.

I'd always been tickled by the idea of hunting deer with a .223 when I first bumped into a fella who did and not long after I bought one and never looked back.

Of all the calibres I've owned and used on deer the .223 has shot more deer mostly sika and a few fallow than any other calibre.

Most of the shots on Sika including my biggest sika stags were chest shot and they were bang flops apart from three deer which ran and dropped within 50 yards which later I found out was due to a batch of ammo I had accidentally downloaded so instead of the usual 26 gr AR2206H behind a 55 gr projectile I had dumped in 24 gr of powder.

Back to 26 grains of powder and it was bang flops again often with projectiles being recovered on the far side under the skin on sika chest shots.



I love the .223 suppressed as I find it more quiet but later bought a Sako A1 .222 which was also used on Sika but I used 50 gr Hornady SP's.



I've only shot 4-5 sika with a .222 but also found it did the job nicely but I found the .223 just a tad more powerful but I guess that's splitting hairs.

A few years back I was out on a mates place with the kids hunting Fallow when my oldest at the time who was around 10-11 years shot the below fallow buck at 225 mtrs with a nice heart shot with the .223

I showed my mate the deformed head and he said it was a buck he shot some months back in the head with a .222 where it dropped, got up and ran off where he followed the blood and lost the animal, he even used the dog and looked for that animal over three days to no avail.

The little tribly projectile just bounced off that skull but would have caused one hell of a headache!



The .222 is the smallest calibre we can legally take hunting into DOC land where as in other countries the .222 is not permitted for hunting. I know back in Austria where I've hunted the .222 is banned even though it would be ideal for Roe deer!

@Seventenths was that the Hornady 55gr SP you use in the .223?

Originally Posted by Hunter_Nick

@Seventenths was that the Hornady 55gr SP you use in the .223?

The photo shown was a 55 gr Sierra I recovered in a Sika hind I shot with the .223 through right side chest and was recovered under the skin on the other side.

In the .222 I was shooting deer with 50 gr SP's but I never recovered any

Shot a red side-on through the ribs with a 223, it ran about 75 yards before falling over and I almost didn’t find it in the dense bush.

I suspect the PMC projectile was of a hard material and didn’t hit any bone etc to expand, it went in between ribs and exited in the same manner.

Possibly a hollow point might have expanded?

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Shot a red side-on through the ribs with a 223, it ran about 75 yards before falling over and I almost didn’t find it in the dense bush.

I suspect the PMC projectile was of a hard material and didn’t hit any bone etc to expand, it went in between ribs and exited in the same manner.

Possibly a hollow point might have expanded?

Shot a lot of Reds with those 52 Gr Sierra Match Grade projectiles. Not quite what they were designed for, but pretty sure they were hollow point. They were bloody accurate,I remember that much

Originally Posted by Bos

Shot a lot of Reds with those 52 Gr Sierra Match Grade projectiles. Not quite what they were designed for, but pretty sure they were hollow point. They were bloody accurate,I remember that much

I used those a lot when I was meat hunting with a .222. Yes, hollow point. They had a good solid bum to them so that held together and penetrated even if the front broke off.

Had my .222 out in the bush today. Bumped into a red stag at fairly close range, but the right shot wasn’t on offer so off he walked.

Maybe next time....

took its big brother out for hare snipe tonight...the 22-250
first customer hundy yards....bang and big cloud of fluff told me a hit....then another popped up moving away,closer to 200 yards
it stopped halfway up bank at 200 yards...Xhairs on high shoulder...bang and it went out of sight
picked up first...no neck or shoulders.....2nd one was there too...no shoulders as such,lungs hanging out...AND no tail...I had shot it off with same rifle 2 weeks ago,the first shot in anger from it before it sighted in properly........stoked. would be confident to take deer at 200 now no question at all about it.

Been a while, but took down a fallow yearling today with my Best Stuff Available .222.
Slightly quartering on at about 40yds, busted onside from leg, minced top of the heart and bottom of the lungs. Bullet lodged in ribs on the offside. 50gr federal factory. As you can see from the photos, one leg completely wasted.

yeah but thats not much bigger than the hares LOL.....perfect cartridge for the wee fallow...