Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles ,221 Fireball

Jim, what brass are you using?

I ask because I was running a hot Blue Dot load (well past the Seafire Line) and it wasn't until the third loading that I got the first clue the load was stupid hot. And then it really started talking. Out of 100 cases of Rem in that batch, I ruined 45 of them, two blown primers and the rest wouldn't hold a primer any more. But until the blown primers, no sign at all. No cratering, no flattening, no extractor bright, no black rings, just sudden face full of gas. After the second snort, I pulled that batch and started over, much chastened.

The remaining Rem cases are all ticking along just fine after several more loadings.

Now I have other brass. There was NOTHING available by that time (thanks, Nobama) and I needed more brass. So, I learned a method and got the tools to smash and burn down 223 brass into Fireball. Takes serious annealing (twice) and a neck turn, but the result has been good brass with more than one headstamp. I've got some PMC, and some quality unknown a Fire member sold me from an arms plant reject bucket he'd bought. I did my first cases with Federal FC stamp, and they had pretty high defect rates, like 50 percent after first firing. Shot fine, just cracked and died.

Easier on barrels at 3000 than 3500 I'll say. Mine goes off with a little pop, and a puff of fur, no fanfare, just a very dead coyote. Oncwe on a fluke I shot one at 450 yards, but it didn't have enough energy to get the job done with my shooting. Someone more skilled maybe, but inside 300 no problem. I'd like more speed, but I think for what it is, I'll stay with 19 gr RL7 and use one of the 222's or 223's for more umph. The Fireball is fantastic for calling coyotes up close and... pfffft. Low noise.

I love my .221. I've got a CZ cut back to 20 inches with a 22lr can on it mostly just to protect my hearing a bit. Works great for coyotes as most I see are inside 200 yards.

That's smokin'.

If I hadn't lucked into a very accurate Hornet, I'd probably go for a .222, but the .221 is definitely interesting.

If this thread wasn't way down in the basement, someone would have already opined that your rifle's no good because it doesn't have a 1-8" twist.

Just to be contrary...

I find one can load a 223, to a Fireball or Triple deuce level and not have
to deal with all the brass availability issues...

but then again, I think odd things..

like having no real use for the 221 fireball...

but certainly highly regard the 20 Vartag and 17 Fireball...

Blasphemy!

I guess if I was my Grandpa, maybe I'd put up with downloading my one gun to do what I want it to. Thankfully I'm not. You might be shocked to learn some people own more than one varmint rifle. Also, I've never had any problem getting fireball brass. It's cool you have no use for it, but at the same time I have no use downloading a cartridge to do what another is already designed to do. The luxury of having more than one gun I suppose.

Loosely translated "I'm married and my wife won't let me buy a .221 Fireball", LOL.😄

yeah that's it! Ratted out! Damn it!!

Haha!


Its an interesting concept, I just have never done any down loading.

Each rifle has a specific job. No two rifles or cartridges are good at the same types of jobs.

If my wife ever found out the truth I would be sunk.

The truth finally comes out!

You're not an official "Rifle Looney" unless you have ALL the bases covered....22, .221, .222, .223, etc.

have no worries, I don't share such information with anyone who really isn't into shooting, especially
varmint cartridges... which starts out with Women and DemocRATS...

When all I had was a 30-06 I was tempted to buy some of those little plinking bullets that Speer sold. Never did it.

I of course bought the TNT and loaded it hot! No kids to pay for in those days....I was about 12. The extra powder did not hurt too much!

When I was prairie dog shooting north of Billings with a friend who lives in Billings..

we got his 12 year old son a 30/06....

I loaded up about 20 rounds with a 110 grain SP, running about 3500 fps...

We got the boy over dealing with recoil on the rifle.. by shooting ONE prairie dog at about 100 yds
with one of those bullets...that sucker exploded big time...

We let Tyler take the next 19 shots and he was having too much fun to worry about recoil.

Kid is now about 30 and a Montana State Trooper.. he still hunts with that same 06 annually...

Try around 20 grains of H335 under a 20 grain VMAX w/ Rem 7-1/2 primers. After the first hundred rounds went down the barrel and a few cleanings were done, my 700 SPS quit copper fouling and delivered 3/8ths inch 5 shot groups. A local cop wanted to pay more for it than I spent on it so I sold it ... 'twas a mistake. FUN cartridge.

Tom

Thanks for the tip. I have never, ever used anything other than CCI primers.

I see quite a few folks like the Remington primers....I will pick some up.

Grandpa kept a M54 Winchester behind the seat. Always with a box of 180 grain power points.

I killed many a gopher with that combo.

I have probably met that kid and did not know it. Every car wreck comes with a Highway Patrolman.

I like the Rem 7-1/2 SR primer because it has a very thick cup, seems pretty hot, and yet is very consistent.

Some of the small (.222 family) bolt face 700s have too much slop between the firing pin and the hole through the bolt face. It can be even worse if the firing pin spring is weak. Pierced primers vent through the firing pin hole in the bolt face past the pin itself and smack the friggin' sear surfaces together so hard it breaks corners off. Over the years I've wrecked 2 Jewell HVR triggers and 2 factory triggers that way. If you get a little extruded nipple on your primers after firing, stop. I ignored those ... sort of. Took too long figuring out what the problem was. Expensive mistake. I suspect a correct factory spring would be adequate but while I was paying for fixing I had my 'smith install an extra power spring in a GreTan firing pin assembly. I SHOULD, but have not, send the bolt off to have that firing pin hole sleeved / welded and rebored.

Anyway, CCI would be my 2nd choice. Probably WW third. Fed 205s last. I like the 205s a lot but I'm leery of them in the 700s until I've made sure the bolt face / firing pin hole / etc is right.

There's nothing really wrong with CCI primers. I had problems in my earlier reloading years (about 1 misfire per carton) but in hind sight those were user / learning errors, not product problems.

Tom

My .17 fireball makes the little primer craters from flowing metal into the pin hole. Its one of those Classic stainless fluted rifles with the fancy floor plate.

It was suggested on here that I send the bolt off, by Deflave I think in a past thread.

Not pierced one yet, thankfully.


Good info, thanks.

Winter is coming, Jim, take some of that fire money and send the bolt off for a rebush. Flave is right.