Thread: The ‘controversial.222’

I should add, my go to rifle was my Sako Vixen in 222..........till I got my Howa in 204. For fallow it is a tossup which one I pull out of the gunsafe. Some of you might not agree with my choice.........but with 45gr lead SP's it actually outperforms the 222.
Case in point. On a balloted hunt in Woodhill a few years back I shot a big buck at 218m that was standing quartering away from me. Aim point was just behind its shoulder. Bullet passed through its ribs, took out most of its lungs, shredded the heart, broke ribs on its way out and deflected into its off side shoulder joint causing damage.
Have shot deer up to reds with the 204, head and neck shots and they have always dropped on the spot.

Again, it comes down to shot placement and with the accuracy of the 204 topped with a Leupold 6-18 x 40 shot placement is easy.........

Thanks to everyone for their input!

The data and experiences presented, make a fairly convincing point that the .222/.223 has a valid place in this game. Hopefully any punters new to the sport, take on the advice given if contemplating using one of these calibres.

For what it’s worth, when I started out I was completely comfortable shooting game with a .223, but was ‘talked out’ of it by others. Prior to my mishap with the sika and .222 I talked about earlier, the only animal I had lost was with a .270... Again all my fault, by not doing things my usual way.

Originally Posted by Scouser

First deer i ever shot, private land, paid hunt, used the Guides rifle, .222, Fallow at approx 65 mtrs, bang flop.....NO DRAMA....

Attachment 151259

Just to add, the guide told me to aim behind the front leg on the 'stripe'........

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.

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?

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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.

I went 1:12 with my new barrel on BSA Hunter in 222 just in case one day I decide to ream it to 223 , a little limited with mag space unless I do more to it. Also to take advantage of the cheap bulk OSA and Buffalo River 55 gr ammo available

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.

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!

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.

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