Newbie to precision rifles has a (dumb?) question...

[VeritasMatters]

Hi guys. So a few years ago I was given a custom bench-rest target/varmint rifle from an old timer I used to take out deer hunting with me a lot. Said he didn't have a son to give it to, and for years he wondered who to give it to, and said he wanted to give it to me. It's a .222 Improved with a nice stainless bull barrel and a Rem. 600 action, glass bedded into a lightweight beavertail stock, and with it he gave me the custom die set for reloading and a whole bunch of 52 Gr. hollow point bullets, some fire-formed brass, and about 50 rounds all loaded with a perfect load to drive tacks, and the recipe. It's a VERY pretty gun, and so fun to shoot.
Since then I've gone online, gone to gun shows, and even brought it into the local gun shop here, and no one seems to have ever heard of or seen this particular wildcat cartridge before.

So my question is: Is .222 Improved just really rare? or is it a completely "one of a kind" round?

Apparently, he said he bought it from some fellow who had won several high level bench rest competitions for a pretty hefty price. And so after I took it out to the range a few years ago and played with it (using a bench vise, 5 shots through one slightly oversized hole at 100 meters!!!), I felt so spoiled, and being he was hunting with this really junky old Lee Enfield .270, I gave him my Tikka .30-06 to say thanks (I miss that rifle).
Would love to know if anyone knows anything about this cartridge/calibre.
Thanks for any input!

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

The conventional definition of Improved cartridges was by PO Ackley. The premise was to shorten the neck and square the shoulder angle closer to 60-deg (or so). He wrote books, made experiments and bragged how about his cartridges held more powder, had higher fps and mv, and were 'guaranteed' to get better bullseyes. Most of his cartridges were on the standard commercial types; yours could be a late variation someone made on his principles.

 

[big boar]

I think the basic 222 set a pile of bench rest records at the 100-200 yd mark. Sounds like someone either had a 222, then had a gunsmith run an "IMPROVED" reamer into the chamber or, was getting a new barrel installed and opted for the IMPROVED over the standard chamber. I've seen quite a lot of Ackley IMP rifles used and for sale. Either way you have a very good, very accurate rifle that's a lot of fun to shoot. Also you have the dies and recipe for loading your own stuff. Sounds good to me.