Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Calling all 221 Fireball shooters.

Nope, we compared the cases fired in my rifle (measured necks after firing, before firing, loaded and unloaded) with a buddy who's got THREE other Fireballs, and danged if my measurements weren't tighter than all three of his rifles.

Just to check, I shot some of that lot in another buddy's Remington Classic, and the cases split in his rifle, too. It's the friggin' cases, NOT the rifle.

MD,

In my LVSF Fireball the 40gr. BT's makes contact at 1.955 (measured with a Lock-N-Load). At that length there isn't much bullet in the case. How far off the lands do you seat the 40's?

Thanks,
Steve

Hmm. I'm loading them to an overall length of 1.95, which puts the bottom of the shank of the bullet just above the base of the neck.

I have no idea how far this is off the lands in my rifle, partly because the throat got somewhat eroded, and partly because I then "refreshed" it with a NECO fire-lapping kit.

They're probably seated quite a ways off the lands, but generally I load 40-grain Ballistic Tips deeply enough in ANY cartridge so they'll hold firmly in the neck, and don't pay any attention to how close they are off the lands. In most my rifles they don't come very close anyway, whether the .22 Hornet (both of mine are single-shot Rugers), the .223 or the .220 Swift. It doesn't seem to make much difference, as all my rifles still shoot them very well anyway.

Rats, there's no law that says you will go to jail if you anneal those necks. If the cases are that firm, then the bases are probably firm, too. Might be a good thing after all.
One thing I did learn with Fireballs is that small cases are a little fussier and less-forgiving that even a 223. So it's a good idea to be diligent in your workup and loading....as dinky as that case is, as unprepossessing as it might appear, it's still a high-performance centerfire rifle round.

Interesting... although I find Lil'Gun to do weird things in bottlenecks/fatter cases and avoid it there.

Had a Speedy Gonzale 'SG&Y' built 700 in FB, shot 40 Vmax over Lil Gun at 3600+.......Very accurate, loved the round, no lift/recoil, or bbl heat Fairly flat I'd say also.

awesome rifle 7-08 fan! i want one now

Looks as if I'm resurrecting and old thread.

M700 LS .221 fb
18.5g rl-7
50g Sierra spitzer

Gee, those pictures look real familiar. LOL I see you made your way over here.
John

Is there anyone that currently makes a small action for the .221 like a Kimber?

LOL! I didnt know you were a member here...Differnt handle. Lotta Pm members here