Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles 221 Fireball brass

Anybody have a source for 221 Fireball brass? Can't seem to find any in stock locally or at the major online retailers.

Nelson

Just sold 200 new pcs yesterday....I use it for my 20 Vartarg...don't expect to see any new production before late spring...

Kind of hard to find this time of year. When you do see it in stock you are well advised to buy it. I need some myself and have been watching the suppliers, you never know when they will have it in stock. I've been thinking about buying the reforming dies and using 223 cases. Those are in abundance but it will take some work reforming them. Good to see there are Fireball fans on this forum.

Huntingtons in Oroville CA always seems to advertise the stuff. They have a website. Give them a try. Price is reasonable last I looked.

Everyone is buying it up to make .17 Fireball cases.

Try 222 cases; less to trim, annealed back a little farther than 223. 222's are easy to find and are about as cheap for new cases.

223 Mil cases are cheap and great, but you should re-anneal the work hardened area for best results.

Nelson: I was up to Kesselrings Gun Shop in NW Washington state in early December and they had some then.
They have a web site and I will try to link it for you:
http://www.kesselrings.com/

Good luck in your search.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

has anyone had any luck forming 221 cases from 222 or 223 brass i've made 222 brass from military 223 brass. when i tryed to form 221 from 222 cases it moved the shoulder back partway and then collapsed the case. has anyone tryed a 221 trim die as a forming die ,seems like that has worked for me in other forming jobs. looked up the prices of forming dies on huntingtons site and dicided a guy would have to make a lot of cases to make those pay off. Ed

Thanks for the input,still unable to locate any. Will just wait until Remington turns out 17fb brass to slow the outflow. I have 250+ to reload as it is, just would like more in case the ground comes alive with ground squirrels and I need to fight them back. Will go with the 204, 223, 220 Swift, and if needed the 458 Lott. I think I will be OK.

Varmintguy, I live about 3 miles from Kesselrings, first place I looked. Not a good place so close to home as I am sure you would understand. Can get somewhat expensive. Don and Ron are great, have been a customer there for my whole life.

Thanks, Nelson

Don't need a form die. If you use standard RCBS or standard Redding dies form with the seater, then size in the FL die.

Hmmm. Time for an EXPERIMENT. I have some odd lots of 223 brass that aren't enough to turn into a pet-load batch, so maybe I will try forming and trimming those just in case the 221 supply isn't forthcoming.

tryed to us rcbs seating die marked 1972 won't work newer dies might work ? Ed

Did you use a 222 case or the ones you already formed from mil 223?

good thought on the 222 case length. tryed it same result. did a little more checking my seating stem i threaded 1/4x28 which leaves me with an i.d. at the top of the die of .225 the o.d. of a case neck on some resized 221 brass is .246 when the case hits this tight spot it necks it for a little bit then colapses the case. looks like your idea would work if the die stem was a larger diameter. will have to do some looking at the next gunshow i get to.

Okay,
There are two things you can do:
1. Back off your seating die from touching the shellholder. You are hitting the crimp and buckling the case, simply because the neck is too long. You only want to move the shoulder a little at a time (which is why 222's are a little easier than 223's). When forming cases, a little at a time is best. The form dies have no crimp and no seater plug threads in them; when using a seater for forming with longer cases this needs to be addressed.
2. Trim the case to F.B. length BEFORE running in the F.B. seater die. You'll have to trim anyway, and you might as well do it now (and you won't worry about hitting the crimp). I usually leave a little excess and re-trim for even mouths. Don't forget to chamfer inside and outside before F.L. sizing.

Using mil or sometimes std. 223 cases requires neck turning!
Hint: If you have 222 seaters use these before the 221 seater when using 223 cases.