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

thanks Ol Mike.

VAnimrod, I remember a post about the .221 Fireball + 45gr TSX.........did you ever take a deer with this combo? Having used the 45gr TSX some, I know if some marksmanship is added it would work just fine,,,,,,just curious!


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Remington LS 700

Bullberry Contender Carbine.

Both have been excellently accurate w/ 40 BT's and Re-7. Quit weighing each load years ago and went with the little dandy measurer. A huge plus considering how many rounds you can shoot on PD's or ground squirrels. Very friendly combo all the way around.

Good luck,

Scott

I don't remember powder charge. I'll go look just for kicks.

Can you elaborate a little on the problems you saw with Lil Gun? I had great accuracy and velocity with it, but had a couple of rounds that blew the primers. And that was at 15.1 gr which is under what others have listed. Is it a temperature issue?

Jerry

Which primers were you using Jerry?

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Rem 7 1/2 if I recall

I had one blown primer in the first lot of 50 that I loaded at 15.3 gr. A couple of others that loosened the pocket.

I backed off to 15.1 gr on another batch and had one blow out of the first 10 I fired. The others seem completely normal without even flattening the primer.

Jerry

I've used Fed 205M primers with my load of 16.0 LG and 40gr NBT.
No problems.

Steve

I have a little Sako in 221 with a 21 inch 1 in 12 twist Shilen. 16.8 of RL7 and a 64 grn Winchester is quite startling out to about 150.

I'd pick the 40g V-max for Squirrels, Foxes, Bobcats, and an occasional yote. If I shot more yotes, I'd opt for the 40g NBT.

Its all academic for me now - behind the lead free curtain. I shoot what the government says I can shoot.

I was just curious if they weren't maybe Rem 6 1/2's. I had some old Rem 6 1/2's laying around I wanted to use up, so when I first received this rifle I loaded them with Lil Gun and was simply looking for a proof load. The Rem 6.5's have a real soft cup and I pierced a couple right around 15.5 gr w/40gr B-tip. Switched to CCI BR-4's and worked on up to 16.5gr to reach a maximum for this rifle.


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I had the same issues you did, pierced primers at 15.0 grains, using 205Ms. It shouldn't have been temperature, as it was in May, in southern Indiana, hardly a hot spot temp wise. I just figured I had an oversized firing pin hole, at first, but I got enlarged pockets, too, not just a pierced primer. Being cautious, I just quit using it. I have .223s and .204s if I want to go fast.
Damn the stuff shot good, but I'd rather keep the rifle in one piece, so I went to Reloader Seven, same accuracy, slower speeds.

Lil Gun had a recall early on, I wonder if I had a pound that needed, but didn't get, recalled? Doubtful, my buddy has a 700 Classic that works fine with it, I gave it to him.
I also switched to 7 1/2s, but accuracy went south compared to the wonderful 205Ms. I'll switch back when supplies ease up.

I picked up a pound of 1680 this weekend, I plan on trying it in the Fireball and a Hornet I just bought. We'll just have to see about that one, it's supposed to deliver high speeds, too, but frankly, mine shoots Re-7 so well, I might just let well enough alone.

I have no expierence with lil gun powder -how does it fill the case at max charge ?
Kirby [gunsmith] did a write up quite a while back on longrange hunting -he did some testing of powders that didn't fill the cases against powders that filled the case were it wouldn't shake around.
He loaded a few rounds w/a powder that filled the case 2/3-3/4 full -just guessing here to get my point across -and pointed the loaded rifle steeply towards the ground so that there was a gap between the powder and primer.Fired it over a chrono. there were wild deviations in velocity.
Then checked a few more after the rifle was pointed up to stack the powder on the primer -noticeably more consistant.
Then repeated the exercise with a powder that filled the case better -much more consistant across the board of coarse.

If lil-gun fills the case well -forget everything i just said -laf.
From a hunters standpoint this senario could come into play when you consider how a rifle can and is carried -up -down etc.
Just something to consider.

Good point about the case filling. I hadn't thought of that. I will have to check, but it seems like the case is only 3/4 full or so. It was in sort of a hunting situation. I was shooting Jack Rabbits so the gun may have been tilted down before the shot. As to the temp; I may have sent a couple out quickly and then had one sit in the warm chamber for a minute or two. That can increase the cartridge temperature quite a bit. The first time it happened the ambient temp was close to zero so the cartridge temp might have been very low also. I just don't remember the exact circumstances.

Jerry

Every rifle is different so the reloads has to be developed for your rifle . My Rem 700 LS likes the 40 Gr V-Max bullet ,Re 7 Powder,Fed 205 primers in the Rem 221 cases ,but you rifle may not like it.

Have you got pics of the modified LSS mtn rifle stock? I wouldn't have thought that stock could be opened up enough to fit a mag contour barrel.

It's a tight fit but will work fine....I'll post pics when I get it finished.


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I eyeballed the Firball for a few years before I bought one and after I bought it I wished I'd done it much sooner. Mine is the Rem 700 LVSF but I replaced the synthetic stock with a Boyd's Thumbhole Laminate. The heavier stock shifted the point of balance back toward the buttstock and I like it a lot better. I sold the synthetic on eBay for a little less than I paid for the laminate. Don't know if others have had difficulty holding a consistent point of impact but my factory stock flexed quite a bit. Everything fell into place with the laminate stock but it is no longer a "Light" Varmint Stainless Fluted. This is it.





I've taken piles of critters with it, especially crows. Both the Nosler Ballistic Tips and the Sierra Blitzking 40 grain bullets are super performers in my gun.

I've tried just about all of the powders mentioned above except 1680. Reloader #7 is my go-to powder and I like the CCI BR4 primers when I can get them but also use Rem 7 1/2 and CCI 400 primers with good success. Lil Gun stepped things up a bit but accuracy was not as good in my gun as other powders. I found I get my best accuracy with cases I re-form from 5.56 military brass. I neck turn the thicker web military brass to provide a controlled fit in my guns chamber.

Glad to see so many Fireball fans, it's a much under appreciated cartridge.

Hey, is that Puxatawny Phil?

Nice looking stock. It makes the barrel look a little small though. Looks very similar to the stock on an XR100.

Jerry

Xverminator: I brought my first 221 Remington Fireball Rifle on line back in 1994.
This was a Kimber of Oregon Ultra-Varmint model with a 24" heavy barrel.
This Rifle prefers Berger 40 grain H.P.'s and IMR 4227 powder.
Then in 2,002 I bought a Remington 700 Classic in 221 and this Rifle has a 24" sporter weight barrel.
This Rifle prefers 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and Lil'Gun powder.
I suggest plenty of scope power (in the form of a variable power scope) as this cartridge is capable of extremely fine accuracy.
I once got to shoot my good friend "Doc" Mitchells all factory stock Remington 40 XB-KS in 221 Remington Fireball and with its heavy 27 1/4" barrel and a Leupold 6.5x20 variable scope I was making "one ragged hole" groups at 100 yards!
Best of luck to you and the re-stocked Fireball!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy