savage 222

[WLB]

Just got back from the Kenton Nationals, what a mud hole:D
My boy bought a savage 222 model 6400, pacific 3x scope for $200. The blueing looks good, the stock has a couple nicks.
The question I have was the price in line and is this a good woodchuck gun? Anything else I should know about this gun?Everybody wanted top dollar for the 223's and I really didn't want to see him get a larger caliber. There was allot of 308's cheap, but I thought that was a little to much gun for a first chuck gun.

[Rick]

I haven't seen your son's rifle but it sounds like he got a very good deal on it.
" Yes" that is a very good rifle to use on woodchuck or coyotes or any kind of varmint hunting you would like to do.

[lakota]

Sounds like an excellent deal to me. When I was looking for a .222 this past spring, I had a heck of a time locating one. I have had a .223 as well and the .222 gives nothing up to the .223. It is potent medicine for woodchucks.

[WLB]

Thanks for the replies, I don't know to much about guns, but with a 15 year old interested in hunting, I'm learning;)

[vvarmitr]

My very first gun was a used 222 in a Savage w/a 2 1/2X Bushnell scope. A little later a got a Lee handloader set & started to make my own loads. I think I was 13 or 14yrs old. I grew into that ol' Savage & it became a part of me. I knew better than to ever try it, but I often thought I could take a bird on the wing w/it.
I could hit rabbits, groundhogs, dogs, & 'coons running. There were very few times when I was in the woods that I would be w/o it.
I hope your son has as many happy memories & more of time spent w/ his gun. ;) :D

[WLB]

My son got his first chuck the other day with the 222, we took it along dove hunting( I got to carry it just in case we saw a chuck:D ) Never got a chance to sight it in but he hit him in the head so he was happy about that. I may have to look into a reloader at the price of that ammo.
9 doves and a chuck not to bad for the first hunt of the year.

[Rick]

Can I ask how far the chuck was from your som when he shot it ?

Anyway nice shooting.

IF you plan to shoot that rifle alot you just may have to look in to reloading and if you do I would look in the the RCBS Rock Chucker starter kit. They have ever thing you need to start up but the dies.

Keep us posted if you get any more chucks.

[WLB]

I would guess the chuck was only 40 to 50 yards away, there's a whole family living there that we've been watching all summer.
There's a wooded area that you can kind of sneak up on them.
My son couldn't believe he got him in the head though, but he seems to have a pretty good eye, he can hit those doves and I seem to miss allot:)

[Rick]

WLB
I hope you know that 222 will go out to 200 to 300 yards so you don't really have to do any sneak up on them less it the area you are shooting in to get a clear shot.
That 222 is a good rifle and if you are good at shooting you can make 500yds kills with it.

[WLB]

Rick
As soon as we get it sighted in and he shoots a few more rounds through it to get a little more use to it I'm going to let him take longer shots. He kept saying Dad I can hit him from here but I didn't think he was going to hit him at all without at least bore sighting the scope, which I think we're going over to my buddies tonite to do.

[Rick]

Not to tell you how to set it up but I think I would sight it in for a 100yds. You will find alot of you hog hunting is in that area and if you have to go out to 200yds you just hold over him just a bit.
That 222 will get out there.

[lakota]

I read a magazine article about the .222 and the author said that sighting in 1" high at 100 yards would put you dead on at 200 yards and an inch low at 300 yds(I think!) Any way, I sighted in this way, and on a 100 yd shot I aim at the chest of a standing woodchuck and usually wind up head shooting them , and I just hold dead on at 200 yards. So this part of the author's theory seems to work. I havent taken any 300 yarders so I cant speak on whether it really is an inch low at this range.

Scott.

[WLB]

Thanks for the tips you guys, they will help.

[vvarmitr]

I site in as lakota said "an inch high at 100yds". & it is close to right on at 200, but at 300 it is more than 3" low. From my experience it is not a 300yd g'hog gun. Like Rick said it'll kill to 500yds,but I think he has praire dogs on the brain. :D Remember too that you only have a 3x scope on it which is good for someone starting out. It doesn't magnify all your jiggles that much. Right now I would keep the boy in the 100yd range. making sure his success rate is high.
I'm probably to late , but if he hit a g'hog in the head at 40yds, set up a target at 40yds & see where it hits & adjust from there then go to 100yds. there's no need to bore sight.
RCBS is top knotch stuff, but if you're wondering if this thing is going to get serious you may want to try Lee reloading equipment. Less money & is good enough for varmint size calibers. I use their starters kit.
Keep it fun. ;)

[lakota]

I would start out w/ Lee products too. They are much cheaper than others and turn out fine ammo. I have a Lee press and dies for 3 handgun calibers as well as my .222 and have never ran into a problem. I know a lot of people dont like Lee, and I have been called names at other sites for using them. I will be the first to admit that next to an RCBS press a Lee feels downright junky, but we are not reloading .50 BMG!

[Rick]

Hey vvarmitr
Be Nice Now when you are talking about me !

Let me clear this up the 222 rifle is a very good rifle to use on groundhogs and you can hit stuff with it over 500yds.

[WLB]

thanks for the advice on the reloading equipment, I found some shells for $10 per 20 which was better than the $15/box price I was first quoted, got him 4 boxes to sight in the gun and a little practice. We'll see what happens next.

[Rick]

Save your brass just in case you do want to get in to reloading.

Have fun !

[vvarmitr]

Once you get sighted in watch switching brands & bullet weights. It can change where the bullet hits.
Another alternative is to find someone who does reloading (that you know is competent) & go w/a 40grain polycarbonite tipped bulet. It'll turn that 222 into a g'hog ZAPPER!