.222 Magnum brass from .204 Ruger

[Rodfac]

In an effort to replenish my dwindling supply of .222 Magnum brass, I checked the drawings for the Ruger .204 and found that both are virtually the same length. I have dies for the .222 Magnum [RCBS], and found a 50 count bag of Hornady .204 Ruger brass on Midway's site.

I lubed the .204 brass from the shoulder down with Imperial Sizing Wax and the inside of the necks with a very light coat of the same. Running them slowly up into the RCBS .222 Magnum sizer, the necks expanded perfectly. In fact, the run-out on them is actually lower than my R-P .222 Magnum new brass. I'm getting less than 0.002" run-out on the necks after sizing. Length after sizing requires only a cpl. thousandths trimming to square up the case mouths. To date I've not lost a single case.

Since this brass, [from both sources] is so hard to come by, I've taken to annealing them after 3-4 reloadings. Some of the resized .204 brass is now on its 6th loading with no losses to neck or shoulder cracking!

I'm segregating the .204 brass from my original .222 Magnum R-P brass and using it only for cast bullet shooting and it's every bit as good in that role, as the original. My .222 Mag. will group either type into less than 1-1/2" at 100yds with good bullets.

Best Regards, Rod

[mattw]

I may be able to spare you some 222 Mag.

[EDG]

Hello Rodfac

I got a few once fired .204 cases at the height of its popularity a few years ago.
Being fired the necks were already a little larger. I do not have a .222 Rem Mag but I do have a 6X47 Rem that uses the same .222 Mag case with a 6mm bullet. The .204 cases opened up to 6mm easily.
Since there are far more .204s than there ever were .222 Rem Mags I appreciate having a better source of brass.