Notes from the Lab: .222 Remington (T/C Handgun)

The .222 Remington was introduced in 1950 as a medium velocity varmint cartridge that pushed a 50-grain (.224 inch) bullet to around 3,200 fps from a rifle barrel. It not only gained widespread acceptance among hunters, but was so well designed that bench rest shooters soon proved that it could deliver exceptional accuracy. With the introduction of the Thompson/Center Contender single-shot pistol, it also gained acceptance as a handgun hunting cartridge primarily for varmints and small game.

In the 10-inch Contender barrel, of the many suitable powders, those with the faster burn rates generally gave the lowest extreme spreads and best accuracy. Examples include IMR-4198, Vihtavuori VV-N120 and VV-N130 & Accurate AAC-2015 and Hodgdon H-322.

Powder charges typically range between 17.0 to 22.0 grains, and standard, non-magnum small rifle primers generally produce the most consistent ignition and accuracy.