Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 221 fireball

I’ve had a 700 classic in 221 fireball for a few years. I’m going to get serious about working up a pdog load for it before I head back out for my next trip to the dog towns. The rifle shoots ok... nothing to write about but adequate. Best ( most accurate) load I’ve found so far is 50BT over H322. It seems to like hornady 45 gr Hornet bullets quite well also. Anyone have any experience with the fireball with these bullets vs 40 grain polymer tips in the dog towns?

Thx, Ben

322 is a pretty slow burner for that case. I really like Lil Gun for velocity and accuracy. Did you try it in your Fireball, by chance? I'd run 40's at 3400 for PD's.

A second on the 40's, they are devastating on PD's. V-Max or Nosler Ballistic Tips, just choose which ever shoots best in your rifle and go forth and slay stuff.

drover

All I use anymore is a 40 grain V max. 40 grains is the best weight for the Fireball.

Was using 19 grains of reloader 7.

Now using CFEblk.

I’ve tried lil’ gun, 4227, 4198, Rl7. Honestly don’t know why I tried the 322 but it shot better than anything else I had tried. I’ll probably revisit the 40’s and play with seating depth to see if I can improve their groups.

Thx, Ben

A 40g NBT and 19.0g of RL7 is my go to load in my CZ527and I couldn’t imagine needing anything else.

If it won’t shoot with a case full of RL7 and a 40 on top. It likely ain’t gonna shoot anything.

Been thinking of switching over to CFEBlack, what’s your load?
I’ve been using Lapua & Norma brass. Big difference in point of impact between the two types.

My laminated stock version really works with the 40 gr Blitz King or Nosler Varmagedon (tipped) with IMR 4227. The 40 gr Ballistic Tip didn’t do quite as well.
They’re a bit expensive but the Berger 40 gr “Varmint HP” is really, really accurate. On one occasion I got 10 shots in just barely over half an inch...as best I could measure it was .55”.

1680 in 40 - 55 grain bullets .

20.5gr. 40gr. vmax = 3550fps straight out of the Lee manual .

I use 40 ballistic tips in my custom/Sako 221FB. Dont have powder data handy, but think I use H 4198.

40 gr tipped and reloader 7 or lil gun

19 grains Reloader 7 40 grain ballistic tip. Dead coyotes by the truck load.

20.5 CFE BLK with a 40 Nosler bt Rem 7 1/2 and lapua brass.

My 527 loves 1680 with the 40 NBT.

20.6 was the most accurate.

20.8 was max and it was good for my AR 15.

I found some CFEBLK today locally and brought a few lbs home. I primed the last 45 pieces of new 221 brass I had and tried 19,19.5,20,and 20.5 gr of CFEBLK with 40 gr NBT’s. I used the same “jump” as the 50 NBT’s seemed to shoot best at which was a pretty good distance off the lands. All loads shot very well.... I think I have found my new Fireball pdog load. I didn’t have the chronograph set up but if I get around to it I’ll try to remember to post the results. I didn’t measure any of the groups but through the scope I would guess they were all in the .5-.6” range. Hodgdon web site shows 20.8 gr CFEBLK 3543fps.... should be one helluva pdog load!

Ben.

I think the time I chronographed a 20.8 load out of my Remington, it was 3600 something.

That was a 24 inch barrel though.

This.

Benbo: My Kimber of Oregon "Ultra-Varmint" in 221 Remington Fireball with 24" heavy barrel just LOVES the Berger 40 grain hollow-points and IMR 4227 powder. Superb accuracy here.
My Remington 700 Classic in 221 Remington Fireball gives rather good accuracy with Lil'Gun powder and the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.
Enjoy your Fireball Rifle they are useful, accurate, efficient, long lived and FUN guns.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I had a 700 LVSF in .221. I put a Jewell trigger in set at 6 ounces and mounted a Leupold 4.5-14X AO on in dual dovetail mounts and rings.

I played with a few different powder / bullet combinations. It showed a preference for the 40 grain VMAX and Ballistic Tip with either IMR 4198 or AA 1680. The best combination for accuracy was 4198 with the Nosler bullet, but the least accurate, 1680 with the hornady, was real close behind, quicker to load a lot of shells with, and a fraction more explosive on impact so that's what I used. The best load was a hair over quarter inch, the worst just under half. I decided I could live with it but it seemed the squirrels could not.

Tom