Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Best 221 Fireball Bullet?

I have just purchased a new 700 LS Fireball that I will be using in South Texas. I will be shooting anything from jackrabbits, javelinas, Coyotes, and I'm sure an occasional hog.
Any recommendations on what would be the best "all around" bullet assuming its accuracy is acceptable in my rifle. I have been thinking about the Sierra 45gr SPT or the 50gr SP Blitz but will take any recommendations.

Thanks

I like Hornady's V max...40 or 50 gr in the FB...

may be a little thin skinned for hog huntin'

I have several furballs and the load that always stands out is 19 grains Reloader 7 with a 40 grainer. And 18-18.5 grains with a 50 grainer. CCI BR4's work very well with compressed loads in this round.

I have used the 40 and 50 grain ballistic tip on coyote and it knocked the snot out of them.

Only bullet I've shot out of the fireball is the 50 v-max. Shoots bug holes on paper and I have no doubt it would cover the bevy of game you plan to use yours on.

I would think the 40 grain nosler BT would be about perfect.

FWIW I have found the nosler BT's to be more stoutly constructed than others maker's tipped varmint bullets

bingo....

Ive been messing with Hornady 52 Amax lately, made specifically for 1 in 14 twists and am impressed...might be worth a try....

Gail Root, one of Nosler's finest ballisticians EVER shot a .221 Fireball a great deal.

His bullet of choice was one that he designed and "flew in the computer program" ... the Nosler 40-grain Ballistic Tip.

Gail was simply incredible with the cartridge and the bullet. It kept me humping HARD to keep up with him shooting 40s in my .223 Normal.

Oh, a Gail Root quote, "Steve, the damned 40-grain is just a pumpkin with a pointy end on it ... I wish I'd had two more grains of bullet weight to work with, but I didn't. Still, the little SOB just plain SHOOTS."

Indeed, it does.

Blessings,

Steve

What I fired from my 221; 40 BT with Gail's manual recommendation of RL-7 replete with the much maligned but seldom tried Rem. 6.5 primer...

It shot great.

Thanks for all the great advice!

Its much appreciated!

Damn. Just when I think I have a load worked out, you knuckleheads throw me a curve. Didn't think the VMax could be beat. Back to the loading bench.

For blowing stuff up, I like the 40g V-max. For thicker skin I like the Nosler.

That's a good way to go, but the Tipped Varmageddon is also good for "splodin" stuff, usually costs less than the V-Max, and is also very accurate.

Take a look at the 45gr Barnes TSX as an all-rounder. I use it in my .221 LVSF and have taken everything from small game, winged varmints, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, and large bodied deer. It's an amazingly versatile little bullet, the only way it could get better would be a tipped version with a boat tail......


X-VERMINATOR

after going thru a couple of thousand last season, I have to concur with that....turns 'em into fuzzy cole slaw....

Now, THAT's a word-picture. Fuzzy cole slaw -- sure that isn't fuzzy peppermint ice cream?

I'll third this one.

Eastcut96: I have two Varmint Rifles in caliber 221 Remington Fireball and they both perform well (best?) with 40 grain bullets.
I am talking accuracy and lethality here.
My Kimber Ultra-Varmint prefers the 40 grain Berger hollow-points and my Remington 700 Classic prefers the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic-Tips.
Best of luck to you with your new Remington.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I recently picked up a Rem 700 in 221 Fireball. My best load has been the 40 gr Sierra Blitzking with Reloader 7 powder. Not far behind and still very good is the 40 gr Nosler ballistic tip, also with Reloader 7. Good luck for on a fun shooting gun.

It's been a few years since I had a 221 Fireball to play with, but when I did, one of my favorite bullets was the 50 grain Speer TNT Hollow Point. The little bastid was purely evil on crows, groundhogs and coyotes.