Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .221 Fireball experiences.......

Gentlemen, I've got a LVSF 221 Fireball that I'm about to restock and get running. I'd be curious to hear what loads are working for you guys. Go ahead and relate field performance on predators and varmints as well if you like.

I'm thinking I'll start with 40 grainers since I have a ton of both V-maxes as well as B-tips on the shelf. This will be primarily a fox and bobcat rifle but will see some prairie dogs and jackrabits occasionaly........What's working out there for you guys?


X-VERMINATOR

I keep it very simple, one charge 18.5gr. of Reloader Seven. I use that same load with all bullets 52gr. and under, it shoots under a half-inch with any GOOD bullet. Use Fed. 205M primers for better results, at least in my little CZ 527. I've used that load with 40VMs, 50VMs, 50SPSXs, 50 Blitzes, 52 Sierras, all shot really, really well.

I don't get hair-raising velocities with that load (2900/50gr., or 3030/40s) but the accuracy out of the rifle is stellar, especially out of such a light rifle. It simply shoots that stuff better than anything else. I tried Lil Gun in my rifle, it shot great, too, but I had some pressure excursions with it, and I've sworn off the stuff.

I've got other rifles for shooting faster, but if I want outstanding accuracy, that little Fireball is the one I reach for.

I have .221 FB's in Rem. LS 700 and a XP-100 pistol. Most use is for ground squirrels in E. Oregon. It is a tremendous round. Minimal recoil to observe impact, easy to reload for, and seems to be very accurate, at least in my rifles. I recently picked up a new LVSF myself and as of yet to get it up and going. Hope to before late March.

Why are you changing out the stock on the LVSF and what are you going to?

Nelson

Absolutely love mine.

LS 700, and have run them in LVSFs and Contenders as well.

It delivers all you need out to 300ish on groundhog/fox sized critters, and I'd not fret a coyote at 1/2 to 2/3s that.

I run Lil'Gun, but AA powders seem to do very well as well.

I simply can't stand the looks of the stock. I was going to put it in a Bansner High Tech I have laying around but decided instead to use a LSS Mountain Rifle take off.


X-VERMINATOR

Over the last 20 years of shooting the Fireball in a rifle, I've shot RL7, H335, H4198, h4227 and most recently, AA1680 behind 40 gr VMax and Nosler Btips. 1680 gives me great accuracy and outstanding speed. The 221 has killed about a bajillion pds and ground squirrels in grand fashion. It sits at the front of my gunsafe; the one I grab when I need to kill a marauding varmint.

No FB rifle experience, but the 50 BlitzKings and H4198 or RL-7 shoots very well from a hand cannon.

For 40's it was the defunct H4227.

I had a Fireball drilled into the back of a burnt BR barrel, slapped it on a Stevens 200, and found myself wishing I'd done it sooner.
Seafire should be on here soon, he'll affirm that the FB, because it is so small, is touchy like a Hornet, but run right, a great shooter.
I'm running molied 40s of various makes over 15.5 of Lil Gun and have another pet load with Blue Dot at around 10.7. But I wrecked some cases finding out where the limits were. DON'T be aggressive in working "up" --

simple answer--
AA1680 max 20.5-Rem 7 1/2 primer, Nosler 40 grain BT. Go shoot, have fun and watch things come apart.
I have one that shoots honest 3500 fps and honest 1/2 groups at 100 . WIth a better gun and shooter I am sure it could do better.
Have fun
Greg Harrison

Having loaded for the Fireball almost 20 yrs, I find it very user-friendly, not challenging in the least.
After happily using RL7, H322, H4198, and LilGun, I will concur that AA1680 under a 40gr is now the best load for both accuracy and speed.
It makes the 221 a real over-achiever!

I had that same LVSF package. Cool little rifle.

4198 gave me the best accuracy, but AA1680 was darn close and allowed me to use a powder measure instead of weighing each charge.

I dinked around with some hornet bullets and bee bullets but mostly shot 40s. The Ballistic tip was a hair more accurate, the VMAX seemed to splat more.

Lots 'n' lots of 40 grain VMAXes with AA1680.

The summer I ran that rig, I developed my own flock of crows, ravens, and buzzards that'd show up about my 3rd shot on a Saturday morning and follow the "food maker" all day long. It was pretty cool.

Most of my shooting was on California Ground Squirrels, 2 pounds or so.

Tom

Mulerider: Interesting results. I've used RL7, H4227, IMR 4227, AA1680 and Lilgun and a couple others. I got the best accuracy and by far the best speed from Lil Gunn (3500).

I prefer 40g V-max over the Nosler BT - much more explosive. Recently been working on a lead free load.

Nice, gotta love it when someone includes pictures...I'd be very interested in hearing your lead free results, 35gr Noslers I presume?


X-VERMINATOR

We almost had twins. I wore one barrel out shooting 20.1 grains of 1680, 7 1/2's, with moly plated 40 grain BT's doing 3500 even too. One rare windless afternoon on the prairie gave me several kills over 500.

I've been using 16.0 Lil Gun, with a 40 gr NBT and a chronographed average of 3495fps. Shoots and hits very well.

Steve

CZ 527 American
40 nbt or vmax
21gr of AA 1680

One five shot group over a chrono averaged 3546 fps.
Agree with Mulerider -my fireball has been very easy to work with .
I researched load data for it and many people said AA-1680 powder and 40's so that's all i've tried and used.It shot 5/8 too 3/4" groups right out of the gate -good enough for me.
For colony varmints the 40gr vmax is the ticket ,40gr nbt's with their solid base make a great coyote round.
I have killed two doubles with the fireball ,i think the low report of the cartridge makes it a great calling rifle.

I have many hundreds of rounds down the barrel of the little cz it's a gem ,i've glassbedded it tuned the trigger down to about 2.5lbs.
It has killed hundreds of critters -praire dogs ,ground squirrels , crows ,coyotes ,chucks and more .

Plan on trying some heavier bullets soon to expand the usefullness of the 221fb .
IMO any rifleman without a 221fb is missing out on one of the most efficient accurate walking varminters there is.
If a coyote stands still for a few seconds within 200yds it's dead..
FIREBALLS rock !
Mike

ps Any powder recommedations for 55-60gr bullets ?

So with fur preservation of bobcats and foxes in mind, I'm assuming you guys would pick the V-Max over the B-tip?



X-VERMINATOR

X-Verminator ,

I have tested the 40gr nbt on coyotes chucks and a couple of coons ,in my expierence they are not hard on fur .
There probably wouldn't be a huge difference between the two ,but i chose the nbt because i thought it would be better for penetration.
I have purposely put the crosshair square on the shoulder of two healthy two year old coyote at 80 -110yds just to see what the 40gr nbt would do.Each coyote had a nickle/quarter size -tear- in the pelt -the fur was just flapped over not gone.
It would have taken only a few minutes to sew up ,the vmax might have did the same thing.
Same thing on a big boar coon ,i was calling from a tree-stand and a big ol coon came out of a hole in the bank of a dry creek bed almost directly beneath me.He strolled down the creek bed about 50-60yds and i sent a 40nbt high in his back that exitted in front of his right front leg -again just s flap of fur.

Major internal damage and probably the base of bullet exitted and did the damage.

The 40 sierra blitzkings are another top end bullet -sierra's have always shot great for me in several guns.

What OAL do you usw with the 40 NBT or Vmax?

1.915" w/nbt .