Any Fireball shooters out there?

[flashhole]

The newest addition to the gun cabinet is a Remington 700 Light Varmint Stainless Fluted (LVSF) in 221 Fireball. I wanted a small case capacity 22 caliber gun and the Fireball is quite nice. The only thing I don't like about the gun is the stock, the synthetic stock is flimsy and has got to go. I had to wedge a cardboard shim under the end of the forearm to keep from random contact between the barrel and the stock.

The cartridge is a shortened 222 Remington and is quite robust. I've been working up loads for it and so far the best performers (powder and bullets) are RL#7. IMR 4198, and Lil'Gun with Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tips and Sierra 40 grain BlitzKing bullets. I can't tell the difference between the two bullets, both are good quality and accurate, I'm glad I have two good performers.

The crows aren't too happy about my success in load development. :grin:

Just wondering if anyone else is a Fireball fan?

 

[honkeetonkin]

flashhole, I have two fireballs and love them both. My xp100 lost the plastic stock and wears a walnut stock with a thumbhole and everything else is factory, the other one is a remington 700, the first year they produced it and it has a weaver 4x16 fine crosshair and shoots fantastic. Reloader #7 is my pick for both rigs along with 40 gr bt's . I got ahold of some 25 gr bullets that shot well out to 200 yds on groundsquirrels but they were a little pricy so I stayed with nosler . I agree with you, it is a great round.

 

[flashhole]

Mine sports a 4-14 X 44mm Zeiss Conquest. Seems like a good fit to the gun. Range practice targets are 1" diameter orange circles or bottle caps. Pulling down on any critter after honing your skills on these tiny targets is pretty easy. Crows look like target backers in the scope.

I've been debating which powder I like better the RL#7 or the IMR 4198 and I think RL#7 has the edge because it burns a little cleaner. The developed loads call for a 1.3cc Lee powder cup in both cases. The 1.0cc powder cup is used with Lil'Gun.

So far it's nothing but praise for the cartridge and the rig. The only problem I've encountered is a burr developed on the neck of the spent cartridges during ejection. A more judicious trim solved that problem. Dies are a little difficult to find. I like a Lee Collet Neck Die but it seems they are like the Dodo bird. I use Hornady New Dimension dies and FL resize. I backed the sizer out just a tad so as not to exercise the shoulder. That's working OK so far but I'd like to find a neck die. The Hornady seater does a good job, not as nice as the Forster Ultra Seat die but I have no complaints about my handloads.

honkeetonkin - Do you crimp?

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've got an original xp-100 that still shoots great. I originally used Hornady SX bullets and IMR4198.

Several years ago, long before it was popular, I had a .221 Fireball custom rifle built. It wears a 21" Hart #3 barrel and easily shoots .5moa @ 200yds. I started out with 19.3gr of RE7 and a 40gr Ballistic tip (moly) bullet. This combination proved to be just the ticket for short/medium range groundhogs.

However, for the last couple of years I switched to 17.0gr of Lil'Gun which gave a WHOPPING 3,600 ft/sec with the same moly bullet. Accuracy was the same and performance is WAY up. I get slight flattening of the primers but no other pressure signs.

I have been experimenting with just how far out the little Fireball can kill groundhogs. On days with good wind conditions I have made several kills at 350yds. They were all one shot kills. 2 days ago, I got 2 shots @ 317yds. That resulted in 2 very dead hogs. I'm guessing that 400yds is doable but I missed 2 of them at 418yds so couldn't say just yet.

The .221 is one very addictive little cartridge. My .221 rifle has accounted for more groundhog kills than any of my custom heavy varmint rigs.

 

[flashhole]

I saw some primer flattening with Lil'Gun too and backed off a couple of tenths. It's a good performer in my gun as well. I have two pounds of it to shoot up as well as a pound of IMR 4198.

Have you ever tried H110? I've been experimenting with primers too. I have CCI BR4, Federal 205, Rem 7.5BR, and CCI 400. The BR4 allows for some tight groups. Any primer advice?

 

[honkeetonkin]

Flashhole, the only one I crimp is 41 mag, and .224 bt's dont have a canalure for crimping so I dont even think about doing it, I did get some 140 gr .284 bt's for my 7 08 with a canclure in it but never even considered it. Charlie -ny I started out with hornadys sx's also and they worked for a lot of years until I discovered bt's and my groups tightened up.