Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 17 Fireball

I'm interested in this caliber but know nothing about it. Who handholds for it and what can you tell me about performance, components and such...
Thanks,

I have one and load for it...I use 4198 and it is really a pleasure to shoot.
Have not had a chance to shoot it for prarie dogs as I have migrated to the 20 cal stuff and it's easier to load.. The 17s are just small for my fat fingers.. I should probably get rid of it but you know how it is..

I've loaded the .17 Fireball a lot, and shot it a lot on prairie dogs. A bunch of powders work very well, including the 4198's and Benchmark, but my favorite is TAC, which is not only fast and accurate but flowed more easily through the little neck than extruded powders.

The round doesn't have as much range as the .204, but kicks significantly less, allowing an even better look at what's happening through the scope. And it has enough range to hit PD's as far as most people can hit them. My longest kill with the round was around 620, but it's best at ranges out to 400.

I generally prefer 20-grain plastic-tips for most shooting, but 25's hold up a little better in the wind.

OSU_Sig: I bought my Remington 700 VSF (Varmint Synthetic Fluted 26" heavy barrel) back in 2,007.
I just love this Rifle/cartridge.
I have a Nikon 6.5x20 variable on my Rifle and accuracy is very good.
I have tried only two bullets in my 17 Fireball to date and as I predicted to myself my Rifle prefers the wonderful Berger 25 grain Varmint bullets.
Normal sight-in groups (5 shots at 100 yards) have averaged .481" over the last 8 years.
Brass seems to last forever in my Rifle.
I do moly-coat my 25 grain Bergers.
I have killed ALL manner of Varmints with this rig from Ground Squirrels to Prairie Dogs to Rock Chucks along with Fox, Badger, Coyotes, Jack Rabbits and a Porcupine.
The 25 grain Bergers simply kill everything, QUICKLY!
I have a lifetime supply of Federal 205M (Match) primers for this Rifle.
Brass is ANOTHER question though.
I simply can't find it anymore.
Back when my Rifle was new all I could get was factory ammo and my Rifle really liked the 20 grain Remington Accu-Tip loading from Remington - so that is always a fall back plan if need should arise.
I recommend the cartridge with only that one reservation - brass availability!
Best of luck to you if you decide to try one.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks to all for the great information. Looks like factory ammo is very limited. What do you do for brass?

Remington makes the brass "seasonally," so if you want actual Reming .17 Fireball brass you buy as much as you can, when you can. Or buy factory ammo and shoot it up. It has shot very well in several rifles for me.

With all the factory rifles I've shot, .221 Fireball brass necked down has worked fine as well. The shoulder angle is slightly different, but if you make sure to size so there's a little snugness when chambering a round that's not problem. The necks don't end up too thick for factory chambers, and you can almost always find some kind of .221 brass, though the price can be a little steep for some brands. Though a quick search found Nosler and Norma .221's for around $60/100.

My favorite rifle is a CZ527 American with a PN 17FB barrel installed.

I load 4198 behind Channing Nagel's excellent 20gr TGV's.

As far as brass goes,,, I bought 500 pieces of Remington when I built the rifle about seven/eight years ago. It's not the best brass but I mostly neck size and anneal on a regular basis. I'm guess ing I've lost 20/30 pieces due to neck splits in that time and I shoot it allot so I can live with that.

I mostly use it on cats and gofers but the few coyotes I've shot went down without any problems.

The 17FB is a complete hoot.
I've only run MD's TAC load and 20s.
It has been some of the most fun I've had wearing clothing.

I too found 500 brass a few years ago.
500 is not enough on a multi-day gopher run, so I needed more.
A retired machinist friend, who is so anal (like machinists are) his conversation makes you tired, made me another 500 out of once fired Lake City brass for 2 bits each.

Anal or not I'll bet it's better brass than Remmy's.

and cheaper.....

Most of my brass is very early Remington, which was pretty good.

Reworked LC for a quarter each is a good buy! Nosler or Norma .221 brass necked down is very good, but costs more than twice as much.

Calhoon 19 grn double hp's, paired with 14 grains of IMR 4227 and am getting excellent accuracy. I have no idea what velocities I am getting, but its been responsible for the demise of a few woodchucks and coons. I just got some 22 grn calhoon double hp's, but have yet to shoot them.

FG, thanks for the info and photos. Did you have to do any magazine work to accommodate the case diameter or is it the same as the 223 family?

All .222 cousins, I believe.

VarmintGuy,

You might want to give the 20-grain Hornady V-Max and Nosler Varmageddons a try. They both have higher BC's than the 25 Berger, so shoot flatter, drift less in the wind, and expand more violently. The 25 Berger is a fine predator bullet because it penetrates deeper, but the plastic-tips work better on small rodents.

No but mine started life as a 221FB.

CZ makes two magazine/bottom metal lengths for the 527. Same action and the bottom metal/mag's are interchangeable. You can order em from CZ.
204, 17Rem, and 223 are larger than the 222, 221, 22Hornet models.
Only difference in mine and a 222 is a plastic spacer in the magazine but I've heard (on the internet so take it for what it's worth) that the 17FB also feeds fine from the 222 magazine(without the spacer).
I've even heard of guys feeding the 17FB from the larger 223/204/17rem magazine's but again,,,, it was on the internet sooooooo?????


An aside,,,, I did have the magazine modified by RVB Precision but that was because of the way CZ's mag's hang down and interfere with balance (IMO). Nothing to do with feeding. The original held five. Mine holds three.

Mule Deer: Thanks for the heads up there on the Hornady 20 grainers - my local pawn/sport shop actually has the Hornady bullets in stock - not so the Bergers.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have been shooting the 17 Mach IV for several years. Just about the same as the 17 Fireball and what I first noticed is that I get to see the bullet impact. Instant visual gratification!!!

I have been forming cases from Norma and Lapua 221 brass and they do seem to be better than the Remington brass.

VarmintGuy,

Keep an eye out for the Tipped 20-grain Varmageddons too. Nosler just ran another batch, and they're usually a little lower-priced than V-Maxes but act just about the same use, whether in accuracy, trajectory or splat. If you watch sales (especially on the Internet) you can often find either the V-Maxes or Varmageddons for $15/100, sometimes even less, especially if you buy in bulk.

The 20-grain hollow-point Varmageddon is even a little lower-priced than the tipped version, and also very accurate. However, the BC isn't as good as the tipped version or V-Max, and it doesn't splat them like the plast-tips. But for gopher shooting at closer ranges the HP works fine.

Okay, I found some Lapua 221 FB brass and some 17 FB dies but feel like I'm going to need a forming die of some sort. Any help would be appreciated.