Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles .221 Fireball Loads

I’ve got a 221 700 classic that I was about to re barrel ( staying 221 just a new “better barrel). I tried all the powders that were supposed to work best. Tried 45 hornet, 40 BT and vmax. It was about a .75-1” rifle…. Then on a whim tried 50BT’s and H322…. Wallah! Tiny little clusters in the target! Not the fastest load but pdogs still flip up in the air and fly apart. Works pretty good on larger varmints also. Long live the FB! Now….if I could just find more H322…..

I have a left handed mini Mauser action, still in the white and have decided once my gun fund is replenished adequately I will build a 221 on it. Or perhaps a 221/300 BO switch barrel. At any rate it will be a 221 whether I add the BO barrel or not.

I’m sure it’s been covered and I probably missed it, but how does the 221 fair with 55-63 grain bullets. I know it does well with the 40-50 grain bullets and I would use them. I have a lot Sierra 1365s and would be curious as to how they perform in a 221.

Only one way to find out....out of the set mentioned tho. I could get motivated with the 63 grain Sierra SMP out of one.. ran with RL 7 or some 1680 etc. Short range, say under 150 to 200 yds... but I bet that 63 gr SMP, would have some punch to it...that and the 70 SMP Speer would be a fun round and a cool looking round for the 221 Fuzzball.

The 221 f.b. shines with the bullets at 40-52 gr. and vel around 3000 fps. or little more. I've always used H-335 with 50 and 52 gr. bullets and H-322 with the 40 gr. bullets.