Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .221 Rem Fireball

I recently picked up a CZ527 rifle in 221 Rem fireball and am looking for load info. Some of the older loading manuals call for 2400, W296 and BLC-lot2 for the loads in 10 1/2" fireball pistols.
Would it be safe to use that in a 20" Bbl.?
The newer books show Reloader 7,AA1680 and LiLgun and H4195, most of which I have on hand.

i've had good luck with lilgun,1680 and cfeblk shooting 40gr. bullets.

Ed

You can't go wrong with RL7 or AA1680 under any 40-50 polymer tipped bullet. My Fireball has never been real picky, but I have settled on 1680 and 40 gr Nosler Ballistic Tips for my go to varmint load.

Liligun and reloader7 either Nosler or Hornady 40 grain. Works well for me.I

Carl696: I have two wonderful and wonderfully accurate Rifles in caliber 221 Remington Fireball.
One is a Kimber of Oregon Ultra-Varmint with 24" heavy stainless barrel its favorite load is:

Remington 221 Fireball cases
Berger 40 grain hollow-point bullets
Federal 205 M (Match) primers
16.9 grs. of IMR 4227

The other is a Remington 700 Classic with 24" sporter barrel and its favorite load is:

Remington 221 Fireball cases
Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tip bullets
Federal 205 M (Match) primers
16.0 grs. of Lil' Gun

Best of luck with your 221 Remington Fireball Rifle - the 221 Remington Fireball is an amazingly accurate, useful and efficient cartridge.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

19 grains of RL7 +/- .3 grains and a 40 grain bullet. I use a Nosler ballistic tip. Using a BR primer helps in the .221 too, although I don't load them in mine.

Top load of H-4227 and 40 gr B/tips, Sierra Blitzkings or Berger 40 gr HP’s. L’il Gun and the 4198’s didn’t do much in mine. Mine likes the Blitzkings and Bergers a little better. One one occasion it put 10 Bergers HP’s, yes TEN, in .505 as best I can measure.

Yes.

Reloader 7 is my favorite.


"Pistol" loads are safe for rifles. Layne Simpson said so years ago.



Been using some CFE BLK in a .221 Fireball chambered in an AR.

Works good so far.


Roy, I have a bunch of BR primers too.....just never gotten around to loading them.

Jim I've heard they make the Fireball more accurate but I'm happy with standard primers. I shoot a sporter weight rifle not a bench gun anyhow.

15 grains of LilGun and 40gr ballistic tip make for a deadly and accurate load for my Fireball in a Remington 700. Coyotes worst nightmare when my 12 year old gets it in his hands!

I shot 40 grain Nosler B-Tip and 40 grain Hornady VMAX in mine with AA1680 and 4198 (but I forget whether it was H or IMR). The best accuracy of the 4 combinations was with the ballistic tip and 4198. The VMAX and AA1680 were so close behind that that's what I actually loaded most of the time since the VMAX was a little more explosive and the spherical powder was easier to load with. Half inch vs 3/8 inch .. I can live with that.

Neat little cartridge. The only beef I can think of with it is that my rifle was a 700 LVSF and the Remington mag setup would sometimes burp all my cartridges out the top at once.

Tom

Carl - Nosler has data for rifle-length barrels (22")

https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/221-remington-fireball/

AA1680 and 50gr blitzkings worked best for me

I bought the first XP-100 10" 221 FB back about a million years ago when it first came out and have been shooting one ever since.

Depending on the bullet weight I usually use H-2277 for 35-45 gr or RL-7 for heavier for the most part. I also have a 17 FB and 20 FB and would have a 6mm FB but for the fact I ended up with a 6mm BR.

I like the "slightly" slower burning powders and the highest % case fill I can get for almost ALL my various shooters, but newer, excellent powders are proliferating at a high rate so keep those in mind also. H110/WW296 and Lil'Gun can be a bit touchy and need to be reloaded carefully and run 85-88% by volume so I only use those for the lighter bullets but the velos are substantial for sure and do purple haze on sage ratz and chipmunks....especially the 20 gr Vmax 17 FB at 3800 plus fs.

I keep velos slightly below manual max rates for the most part as they produce the best accuracy but you have to experiment to find the "sweet" spot which is sometimes a bit above manual velos...just stay at or below SAAMI MAP and you will have long case life and NO surprises.

I DON'T post my loads for obvious reasons and because my rifles are chambered slightly different than SAAMI specs and could be dangerous in your rifles. My loads for various bullet weights give 25-30 reloads per case, hardly any trimming after the first 3-4 reloads, but my sizing die is also fitted to the various rifle chambers so cases receive very little sizing...just enough to chamber nicely...shoulder set back in 0.0005", basically just a good "bump". I turn necks after the first 3-4 firings if using Rem/Win cases and after 10-15 when using premium cases(if needed).

The velos I get from 30 gr Berger and 35 gr Nosler and V-Max are amazing compared with factory or reloading manual listings. I've been at this game a very LONG time BUT DON'T TAKE LIBERTIES in reloading excepting where long years of experience allow it...I won't say what I do to keep some novice from messing up badly.

Good Luck and reload safely.