20-222 advice please!

[OKyote73]

Ok guys, bought a 20-222 here but haven't got possession yet! Impatiently waiting! My plan is a FL bushing die (Redding) with a .226&.227 bushing with small cal stem. Is this just a one pass operation? Then use a 20 cal seater (hornady). The chamber is a .232 neck. Should I go ahead and get a bullberry double ended die for initial pass? Any and ALL advice is much appreciated!
Will I need a body die to bump shoulder back down the road? Thx

[M595NUT]

http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25744

Several methods here.

[dungheap]

I doubt that you'd need a body die unless you're really hot rodding those puppies, and even then, running them into a .222 sizer with the guts out would serve as a body die. At least that's what I'd try.

Once formed, all I do is size part of the neck enough to hold a bullet and let
'er rip. One of the easiest cases to form and easy to find accuracy. PM if you want some 32gr loads.

[trotterlg]

I have a 17-204 Ruger, one pass with a neck die then one with the 204 sizing die with a 17cal expander button and things are good. Larry

[Bill K]

Originally Posted by OKyote73

Ok guys, bought a 20-222 here but haven't got possession yet! Impatiently waiting! My plan is a FL bushing die (Redding) with a .226&.227 bushing with small cal stem. Is this just a one pass operation? Then use a 20 cal seater (hornady). The chamber is a .232 neck. Should I go ahead and get a bullberry double ended die for initial pass? Any and ALL advice is much appreciated!
Will I need a body die to bump shoulder back down the road? Thx

Personally, I like to take any of the 223, 222 cases down to 20 caliber in two steps, with a bushing die. Seems like you never have a piece of brass crushed or ruined in that manner. Take a extra step, but I feel it is worth the couple size bushings. Bill K

[montdoug]

Never had a .20-222, yet! But I'd throw in that I would for sure wait for the rifle to get to ya and form the brass for a crush fit in it's chamber. All reamers are not created equal and I'd bet I'm not the only one here that's gotten excited about a new rifle on the way and oversized a bunch a brass creating excessive headspace and ruining a bunch a good cases .
Good luck and keep us posted how it goes for ya, great wildcat !

[camel]

good to see another taking on the 20/222, mine is around 4 years old now, have taken many foxes, feral cats, a few rabbits and sundry larger critters, wild pigs and feral goats, it does the all if you put the bullet in the right place. For necking down I learned the hard way to do it in two steps, crushed the first three Lapua 222 cases My chamber neck is 234, so I load with a 230 neck bush, no decapping rod/pin, I do that separately, still shoots under half an inch, sometimes smaller with 32gn Zmax projectiles. Havent had to full length size and have 10 firings on my 200 cases using below max loads of 22.0gn of H4198 or Ar2207 depending on where you come from. Great little case/calibre combination. You wont be sorry.

[Old Hawkeye]

Sizing with a 222 Rem FL die with no decapping/expander stem will take the neck OD to .243" & will also serve as a bump die, if ever needed. Then use a .233" bushing. Final sizing should be with a bushing that results in a loaded neck OD .002" to .004" smaller than your chamber neck. My preference would be a .226" bushing giving me a loaded OD of .228", but this can vary depending on the neck wall thickness of your brass & how tight you like your neck fit to be. I decap with the bushing die. You can seat with a regular 222 seater die. If you already have a 222 Rem fl/seater die set all you need is a bushing die & a couple bushings. If you have a 222 Rem bushing die all you need is the bushings. You will have much better luck sizing down as I described & be able to set your crush fit with the final bushing much easier. .232" is a tighter neck than what I've seen on the 20-222, so you may have to turn necks depending on your brass. Good Luck!

[trotterlg]

What I have been doing with the 14TCM brass is sizing it down with no expander ball, then inside neck reaming them so that the wall thickness is all the same. You can do the inside neck ream at any point in the sizing process, then just continue sizing down to what you need.

[OKyote73]

Thx guys for the replies. About decided to go with my original plan Bullberry double ended die for initial neck down then fl bushing die to finish. I've got a turret press so should be pretty simple. I don't have a 222 die so will be ordering one soon. Gun should be here next week. Thx again and any more advice will be greatly appreciated.