Any 221 Fireball fans?

About 10 years ago I bought a Rem 700 Light Varmint Stainless Fluted (LVSF) in 221 Fireball. I wanted a robust small-powder-capacity case and the Fireball bubbled to the top over things like the Hornet and other cartridges. I ended up re-forming 221 brass from 223 military brass. During load development I zeroed in on the Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tip bullets and they have accounted for a pile of critters.

The factory Tupperware stock on the LVSF wouldn't hold a consistent point of impact so I replaced it with a Boyd's thumb-hole laminate. I lost the Light part of the Light Varmint Stainless Fluted with the laminate stock but the gun shoots lights out.

After several powder/primer/bullet combination I ended up with Reloader #7 powder and the Nosler 40 grain BTs. CCI 400 primers are pretty consistent but when I can find them I go with the match primers that are less aggressive.

A good match to the gun is the older Redfield TV tube (wide FOV) 3.5-10 x 50 mm scope. I have it dialed in for a 150 yard zero. Crows post sentries when I come outside and sound the alarm. They are very wary but I still get a several every year.

This is a terrific little cartridge.

Any Fireball fans?

My Grandfather had one in a 60's? Vintage xp100 that he used to love. Used it for "When the squirrels are charging"...lol. Yes, 40gr ballistic tip and I believe he was using IMR 4198. I'm not sure who got it when he passed but that's one that I wish I could have.

One of those cartridges I've wanted to play with in a rifle; someday hope to get a lefthanded Cooper in 221 Fireball

I've never seen an XP 100 up close and personal, only in pictures. I bet it is fun to shoot.

The Cooper would be a dandy rifle chambered in 221.

Have one in Rem 700 Classic. It's a great little cartridge and with bullet weights up to 50 grains is right on the heels of the 223.

Lil Gun and 1680 have both performed admirably. Wouldn't mind another but hard to find in the Model 700.

I've thought about putting a rifle together on a stainless model 7 action for predator calling. Pretty hard to not go with a .223 though and I've heard a lot of good stuff about the 6x45 too. You'd really have to want it in .221

A customized Sako 85 XS action would be just about perfect! The detachable magazine will hold 7 rounds.

But alas, they have not made that action lefthanded...

Had a CZ 527 in Fireball. I used the 50 Vmax on crows and the 50 XLC on an 80 # hog around 70yds...50 cal hole all the way through! It wasn't great with the 40gr in the wind out on the PD shoots, but it was a lot of fun.

I recommended a 527 to a buddy of mine. Everyone called him Buddy, a good ole boy from Georgia. He loved to shoot it at his PA farm off his back deck with his sons. He had lots of ground hogs as targets. I was the ammo guy. Buddy died this past summer and his 527 went to his oldest son. The gun is quite a shooter.

I started out with an xp100 around 1981 or so, IMR 4198 and hornady 50 gr sx's I believe worked just fine ...... Then I found out about 40 gr bt's and reloaded #7 .Wow. Then Remington brought out the factory 700 , I put on a weaver 4x16 and WOW ! Ground squirrels hate me , they really, really hate me

Reloader #7 with the 40 grain Ballistic Tips is a match made in heaven. Super accurate in my 700.