Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 221 Rem Fireball advice please

.221 Rem Fireball advice please

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Hi,
I shoot rabbits and the occasional fox using 22lr, 17hmr and 17 Rem Fireball.

I am tempted to buy a s/h 221 Rem Fireball, at a reasonable price, but don't know whether it will offer any advantages over my current selection of guns.

What do you guys think ?

Probably not much it offers that your current rifles don't. From a purely practical standpoint, you have he small cartridges pretty well covered so you might be ahead stepping up to a .22-250 or .243 if you want something that expands your capabilities.

Still, it's a fun cartridge. If you want it, do it.

I had one a couple years ago in a 700 LVSF. Another stupid trade I made to get something else when I should have kept it. I had a really good year with it reducing the local ground squirrel population a bunch. Mine did useful things with 40 grain VMAXes and AA1680 or IMR4198.

Tom

Buy Hornady ammo.
Or
Do youy reload?
I bought a XP-100 in 221 and love it, When Rem chambered the Classic for 221 I was near the front of the line to get one.

With the 17 Rem Fire Ball the 221 would be redundant. That said the 221 is a blast with Lil gun and 40 gr. NBT's or V-Max's.

I reload. Cost of Fireball ammo in UK is horrendous.



The only benefit I can see would the better BC of the 40 grain bullet over the 25 grain from the .17 Rem Fireball but, then again, that would be offset by a lower MV.

I've got both an XP-100 and a Remington 700 Classic in 221 Fireball. From the guns you have, I really see absolutely no need for one in your arsenal. That said, if you want one, do it. One downside is brass can be hard to come by, compared with things like 223 and 22-250. If I were you, and in the market for a rifle, I'd get a 223 or 22-250. However, if you can find a Fireball in an XP-100, by all means pick it up.

I load for four different 17's, with a hebee on the way, have two 20 tacticals, 22 hornet and 221 fireball.
You will not gain much over the 17 fireball.
Want versus need. You definately don't need it but I certainly could see how/why you want it.
GWB

So, it's agreed, there is no logical rationale to justify this additional gun.

But, I'm going to get it anyway - it looks like fun.

Thanks for all the replies.

Good call on the .221.

You might find that it displaces that .17 Fireball, though..........

Bad_Wolf: I own and shoot two Varmint Rifles in caliber 221 Remington Fireball, I have also owned a number of 221 Remington Fireball pistols. I own and shoot two Varmint Rifles in caliber 17 Remington Fireball (one is actually a full custom 13 year old 17 MachIV).
It would NOT be redundant to own both calibers.
It would be a good investment and a thing to be proud of - owning a 221 Remington Fireball Rifle!
The 221 Remington Fireball is an exceptionally efficient AND interesting cartridge.
Check the trajectory tables and ballistic charts for a comparison of the two cartridges in all the bullet weights that they will both shoot.
I would not even consider selling ANY of the previously mentioned Rifles that I own.
I am that happy with them.
In fact I am actively dealing on a factory stock Remington 40XB-KS in 221 Remington Fireball - I will be thrilled and happy if I get it!
As far as advantages of the 221 Remington Fireball over the 17 HMR and the 22 LR those are self evident in the form of lethality, flatness of trajectory, straightness of flight in the wind, foot pounds of energy, centerfire vs. rimfire, range and on and on.
But the 17 Remington Fireball vs. 221 Remington Fireball is a closer call and may be more subjective to some people than objective!
I love them both though, and that is reason enough to own both.
I just concluded a five day Varmint Safari that had along, Varmint Rifles in calibers 17 Remington Fireball and 221 Remington Fireball.
The 17 Remington Fireballs were a Remington 700 VSF with Nikon 6.5x20 scope (mine) and a Cooper single shot heavy stainless barreled Rifle with Leupold LR 6.5x20 scope (friends). The Rifles in 221 Remington Fireball were a Kimber Ultra-Varmint with a Leupold 12 power scope (mine) and a CZ Varminter with a Zeiss 4.5x14 variable scope on it (friends).
The "advantage" of either cartridge was hard to discern on this Safari.
We Hunted Coyotes, Badgers, Fox, Ground Squirrels and Rock Chucks along with several varieties of winged Varmints and all Rifle/cartridge combinations performed admirably and pleasingly to the owners.
If a need for 50, 52 or 55 grain bullets was needed then the choice and the case for the 221 Remington Fireball would be won by it.
The dies for the 221 Remington Fireball are very inexpensive as is it's brass lifetime costs!
I say add the s/h 221 Remington Fireball Rifle to your Varmint arsenal!
Best of luck if you decide to do so.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks VarmintGuy. I've decided to go ahead and get the 221 Fireball on the subjective basis that the cartridge just looks "right".

Good going Bad Wolf ! you'll love the 221FB -i have a CZ 527 American that has been marine-tex bedded -barrel floated and wears a 5.5x16.5-44 nikon monarch.
It kills coyotes very well out to 250yds w/a 40gr nosler bt over 20.5gr of AA 1680.
It's a solid .6-.7" shooter at 100yds.
Keeping the fireball alive !!!Mike

The 221 fireball, whats not to like.
GWB


My remington 700 lvsf in 221 fireball and a fox that it definately made and impression upon.


Some groups. This is a dead stock rifle, 100yds off bench
GWB






and my go to load
[img]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/DSCN4535.jpg[/img]

Good decision, Bad Wolf. Never hurts to add another cartridge.

geedubya: Have you had any feeding problems with your lvsf? I picked one up last year and was very happy with the accuracy. Last winter I got into a herd of jack rabbits and was a bit frustrated with the blind magazine. Unless I was very careful in loading the rounds with the base touching the spacer in the mag, they would not feed. It was so cold I had to wear gloves which didn't help.

Jerry

Jerryv
I've not had any problem with the 221 fireball in the lvsf when it comes to cycling rounds. However, I have had the problem you mention in the remington model 7 predator in 17 fireball. You definately have to be somewhat careful there.
GWB

PS: The 17 fireball is not to shabby a performer either!

I have a CZ mini-mauser in 221. It is very accurate and groups 1/2 MOA. However I have had trouble getting one shot bang-flops at more than 200 yards with it using 40 gr Nosler ballistic tips. I use RL7 but plan to try Lil-gun. At any game less than 150 yards it is no sport with the 221......it is so d_mn accurate. I bought it in place of a Hornet based on advice from my buddy, but found that short 100 yard shots were certain kills even in a 'wind-storm'. (I finally bought a Savage Model 40 in Hornet for the close-in opportunities (Ground hogs)). My little mini-mauser has a 12X fixed Leupold and is a real treat to shoot.

McL;

Try the 50 gr. V-Max.