Is 222 factory ammo going obsolete?

wheelin_ca

wheelin_ca

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Simcoe County Ontario Canada
Ive noticed the availability of 222 factory ammo hasnt recovered since covid, and dealers that seem to have stock are increasing prices... seen as much as $60/box for the same ammo that is $40 in 223.

anyone else shoot 222 factory ammo? might have to stock up at the next gunshow.


not looking for highend stuff, just winchester/remington/fed soft points for the odd coyote hunt
 
Cheapest I see it at our somewhat local gunstore is 40.00 a box but currently sold out of this less expensive stuff. Fair bit of Nosler Varmageddon but 60.00 a box.
This doesn't affect me as I 100% handload for both my rifles and have several hundred brass on hand.
I agree with you though, getting scarce and pricey with factory ammo.
 
wheelin_ca said:
Ive noticed the availability of 222 factory ammo hasnt recovered since covid, and dealers that seem to have stock are increasing prices... seen as much as $60/box for the same ammo that is $40 in 223.

anyone else shoot 222 factory ammo? might have to stock up at the next gunshow.


not looking for highend stuff, just winchester/remington/fed soft points for the odd coyote hunt
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A gun show is the last place I would be looking for a niche ammo supply to purchase for the gun in my safe.
Obsolete not just yet, but hard to find yes and as mentioned/compared to .223 at $40 a box is pricey.
A gun show earlier this spring there was no savings over buying from a local Mom and Pops brick and mortar shop.
Examples to give , well it was April and I am hard pressed to recall what I had for dinner two nights ago,.
Suffice to say when factoring gas and admission fees one is not saving much if any when the supply is low and demand is high.
Time to start reloading even if it is for less than 100 rounds a season imo and mine alone this fine Thanksgiving eve day.
Happy thanksgiving to those who Celebrate the reason.
Rob
 
Never even seen a rifle in .222, in the wild or on a store rack.

Ammo manufacturers have come out and said many times during the shortage that they are focusing on calibers that sell in quantity, versus selling components and niche calibers .
With all the new PRC/creedmoore/BR stuff attracting a premium, I can imagine lots of factory loads including .222 will become the new .221 cub cadet. Agreed ; t’s time to reload.
 
The .222 has been largely supplanted by the .223. There are thousands of .222 rifles out there, so it will never entirely go away, but it will never be as common or cheap as it once was.
 
wheelin_ca said:
Ive noticed the availability of 222 factory ammo hasnt recovered since covid, and dealers that seem to have stock are increasing prices... seen as much as $60/box for the same ammo that is $40 in 223.

anyone else shoot 222 factory ammo? might have to stock up at the next gunshow.


not looking for highend stuff, just winchester/remington/fed soft points for the odd coyote hunt
Click to expand...

I am shocked!!!!!!!
 
I see more used examples in recent years as they are coming on the market from estate sales and elderly gentlemen selling off their firearms. Yes its heyday was in the 60's and 70's but its not going to disappear. With Prvi Partizan brass or ammo and Starline brass available, I find its as easy to feed more obscure chamberings.
 
Lots of .222rem guns around here. They were the most popular groundhog/fox guns in the 70-90s. I know few guys still shooting there old RemM788 .222rem. They all shoot Remington core lokt and not sure if they have much stock left.

It's possible to have a M788 .222 made into a .223 or .22 250?
 
I shoot it, and reload too. Got thousands of rounds, all I'll ever need.
Save your brass and find someone to reload it for you.
 
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DVXDUDE said:
Lots of .222rem guns around here. They were the most popular groundhog/fox guns in the 70-90s. I know few guys still shooting there old RemM788 .222rem. They all shoot Remington core lokt and not sure if they have much stock left.

It's possible to have a M788 .222 made into a .223 or .22 250?
Click to expand...
still a popular foxing round back in the UK
 
wheelin_ca said:
Ive noticed the availability of 222 factory ammo hasnt recovered since covid, and dealers that seem to have stock are increasing prices... seen as much as $60/box for the same ammo that is $40 in 223.

anyone else shoot 222 factory ammo? might have to stock up at the next gunshow.


not looking for highend stuff, just winchester/remington/fed soft points for the odd coyote hunt
Click to expand...
Of course its not as cheap as 223. Was it ever?

223 can be made cheaper due to economy of scale. Add to that the #### going on in Ukraine and Gaza/Lebanon/etc and a lot of the machinery is in use to make military ammo, and it is no surprise that relatively niche cartridges like 222 are not super available.

222 is popular among handloaders no doubt, but its far less popular among those buying ammo off the shelves, because they can get 223 for cheaper which does virtually the exact same thing.
 
DVXDUDE said:
Lots of .222rem guns around here. They were the most popular groundhog/fox guns in the 70-90s. I know few guys still shooting there old RemM788 .222rem. They all shoot Remington core lokt and not sure if they have much stock left.

It's possible to have a M788 .222 made into a .223 or .22 250?
Click to expand...

It's not hard to rechamber a .222 to .223 as long as the magazine will fit .223. But mostly they are 1-14 twist so for light varmit bullets only.
 
Gatehouse said:
It's not hard to re-chamber a .222 to .223 as long as the magazine will fit .223. But mostly they are 1-14 twist so for light varmint bullets only.
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If one chooses to re-chamber, the magazine will in many cases not fit the 223.

But no problem as long as one doesn't mind loading rounds into the rifle single shot style, with the magazine acting like a floor plate, just filling the space in the receiver.

I have a re-chambered rifle like that, now single shot.
 
Factory ammo is definitely hard to come by. I recently found some 222 Sako Gamehead ammo at Cabelas (clearance price at 30% off), you might also find some Hornady Superformance there as well.
 
Picked up 10 boxes of Winchester 50gr sp at the gunshow in Edm. this past weekend. Price was 20 bucks per box. 222 ammo, brass and dies are quite common here in AB.
 
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