HELP - Remington 722 in 222 Rem not playing fair

[altheating]

Just picked up a really nice Remington model 722 in 222 Rem. It does not like the NOE 225-55 FP or the BRP 226-47. The NOE boolit printed a nice 2 foot group at 50 yards. No keyholing just all over the place. The 47 grainers were a bit better but not much.
Anyone that has one please chime in with your favorite loads in this rifle. I just replaced the scope to eliminate that possibility. I'll shoot it with J words tomorrow morning just to try to get a group.

[MT Chambers]

Did you clean that barrel that may have 50 years of copper fouling in it and would destroy cast bullet accuracy?

[Pistolero35743]

Did you clean that barrel that may have 50 years of copper fouling in it and would destroy cast bullet accuracy?

have you tried it with jacketed bullets? clean it with kroil oil and Remington bore cleaner, several times, then check for copper, if it shows copper, keep cleaning it. if it won't shoot jacketed bullets well, it'll never shoot cast bullets.

[44man]

One of my all time favorite rifles. With some gun work mine shot 1/2" groups at 250 yards with Hornady bullets. Gun and loads long gone and I never tried cast. I used 3031.
I also suspect copper build up. I would use Butch's Bore Shine or Sweets in the barrel.
Check bedding, I free floated mine. I bedded the action and recoil lug. As old as the gun is I bet the wood is pushing somewhere.

[mainiac]

If your bore is in good shape,then id say keep the speed down around 2400f.p.s.,or less,,and that ol rifle should shoot very well.Never heard of a .222 anything,that wouldnt shoot............

[altheating]

The barrel was very clean when I got it. I have already scrubbed the bore with both Butches and Sweets, No green patches at all and the rifling is crisp. Same load that I use in both of my Remington 700 ADL's, in 222. I suspect the scope, I hope! I'll find out shortly.

[curator]

My Rem 722 (made in the 50s) had a rifling twist of 1 in 14" and would not shoot anything longer than the 45 grain slugs with any kind of accuracy. Also the barrel was really skinny- whippy and would change the POI when I attached a sling. Free-floating and action bedding with Acra-Glas helped a lot but it still didn't like long bullets.

[Pilgrim]

Crown in good shape?

[altheating]

FIXED IT ! I found that I was getting an off center lube star. Not sure if you would call it off center, but it had a greater buildup on one side. I could not see a ding or anything, but I re-crowned it. Then shot a group of j-words at 50 yds it printed one hole. Tried 12gr of 4759 and the NOE 226-55 and the Mihec Nato boolit, both shot 5 in a dime size hole at 50 yds. I'm a happy camper again!

[44man]

That makes me a happy camper. Wonderful job.

[HangFireW8]

FIXED IT ! I found that I was getting an off center lube star. Not sure if you would call it off center, but it had a greater buildup on one side. I could not see a ding or anything, but I re-crowned it. Then shot a group of j-words at 50 yds it printed one hole. Tried 12gr of 4759 and the NOE 226-55 and the Mihec Nato boolit, both shot 5 in a dime size hole at 50 yds. I'm a happy camper again!

222! One of my all-time favorite cartridges!

I'd also like to point out that this is another advantage of cast boolit shooting. It's doubtful anyone would notice an off-center powder fouling star with jacketed, but an off-center lube star, that's an obvious thing (once you know to look for it!)

Just like slugging the barrel and the throat, there are things that cast boolit shooters do that debug a gun that most people would never think of, including experienced jacketed reloaders!

HF