Randominator
Well-Known Member
I run 17.5 grains of 4227 with a 40 grain Ballistic Tip set off by a Remington 7-1/2 primer.
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.221 fireball
- Thread starter Lrreloader
- Start date
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Yup, the little 221 FB is a sweet little shooter! Never could figure out why the rage of the 22 Hornet when the little FB shoots like it does. I have three of them, 38 Cooper, CZ 527 and the nifty little XP 100 pistol. My go to load is 19.5 gr of AA 1680 with either the 40 gr V max or the 40 BK. I also am trying to use up my 2400 powder and it shoots great as well. Fun little round. It also really works well necked down and made into the little 20 SCC. Got to love the little 221 FB!!!
StillLearnin
Member
Thank you for posting your 4227 40gr load. When I revisit that powder, I'll try your load. My goal is to find a 40gr load for my Dillon 550B. .221FB is made to shoot a lot.
I use 15.5 grains of Lil"Gun and the 40 grain bullets at 1.840 COAL, CCI BR primer in my 221. Get .1 to .2 groups at 3350 fps. Mine also shoots the 36 grain Varmint Grenade well and same load pushes it 3550 fps (best accuracy on the Barnes with extra jump, 1.810 COAL). I load them on the Dillon 550, it will easily throw Lil'Gun within a tenth total variation, 1/2 tenth over or under. One thing though, do not leave the powder in the Hopper, empty the hopper when finished loading. It is a Nitro based powder and will yellow the clear plastic Hoppers.
CatShooter
Well-Known Member
I bought my first FurBall (an XP-100) in the mid '60's, and fell in love with the cartridge. Loaded W-680 and 50gr soft point, ultra thin jacket Blitzs.
My current FurBall is a Remington ""Classic" that I bought in 2002. It is one of my two small farm rifles (the other is a Ruger #1 in .218 Bee).
It shot funny, long, oblong groups, from 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock. I think the barrel must have had a stress problem. I called Remington about replacing it and they said they didn't have anymore and offered me a different calibre.
Nope - I rebarreled it with a medium weight stainless DAG match barrel, 26" long w/12" twist. Scope is a Leupold fixed 10 Target/Silhouette
I also run H-4227, with 40gr SBK's. It shoots very well... mostly ~ 0.25" to 0.3"-ish at 100 yds.
My longest shot with this FurBall was on a 8 pound ground hog at 318 yds. It dropped like a sack of rocks.
lewwetzel
Well-Known Member
I'd love to try some 53 gr. V-Maxes in my Fireballs.....if the barrels had twist rates (1:12" or faster) to stabilize them. 
StillLearnin
Member
How many grains of H-4227 do you shoot with your 40gr SBK's?
CatShooter
Well-Known Member
I think it is 17.2, but don't quote me on that.
sw282
Well-Known Member
Hi, Kinda new here (2015). Just haven't posted. The 221Fireball is probably the most revolutionary small bore ctg since the 22 Hornet. lntroduced in 1963 in the XP100, lt is the parent ctg for the 223/5.56x45 introduced a year later in 1964. 221 FB and 223 Rem have the same neck length and shoulder angle of .197'' and 23 deg...... 222 Rem is .313''
l ''discovered'' the 221FB about 5 yrs ago when l got a little Rem 700 SA LVSF 22'' barrel. lt was a dream come true in a lighter Varmint pkg over previous 26'' rigs. l got a chance to test its handling on a NM prairie dog shoot last year. My load was 35gr Berger JHP using IMR4227, Rem 7 1/2 primer and Brass. Not a lot of dogs, but no complaints from those that ate their ''BERGERS'' @ 3400FPS.. Only mods to gun were a SHILEN trigger and Pachmyer Decelerator pad installed by Kenny Jarrett
l ''discovered'' the 221FB about 5 yrs ago when l got a little Rem 700 SA LVSF 22'' barrel. lt was a dream come true in a lighter Varmint pkg over previous 26'' rigs. l got a chance to test its handling on a NM prairie dog shoot last year. My load was 35gr Berger JHP using IMR4227, Rem 7 1/2 primer and Brass. Not a lot of dogs, but no complaints from those that ate their ''BERGERS'' @ 3400FPS.. Only mods to gun were a SHILEN trigger and Pachmyer Decelerator pad installed by Kenny Jarrett
CatShooter
Well-Known Member
The 221 was not the parent cartridge for anything (except the 17 Fireball).
All of these are derivatives of the 222 Rem (1950) and the 222 Rem Mag (1957). The .223 was a shortened version of the 222 Magnum.
Some history.
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During the late 1950s, ArmaLite and other U.S. firearm designers started their individual Small Caliber/High Velocity (SCHV) rifle experiments using the commercial .222 Remington cartridge. When it became clear that there was not enough case capacity to meet U.S. Continental Army Command's (CONARC) velocity and penetration requirements, ArmaLite contacted Remington to create a similar cartridge with a longer case body and shorter neck. This became the .222 Special. At the same time, Springfield Armory's Earl Harvey had Remington create an even longer cartridge case then known as the .224 Springfield. Springfield was forced to drop out of the CONARC competition, and thus the .224 Springfield was released in 1958 as a commercial sporting cartridge known as the .222 Remington Magnum. To prevent confusion among all of the competing .222 cartridge designations, the .222 Special was renamed the .223 Remington in 1959. In the spring of 1962 Remington submitted the specifications of the .223 Remington to the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI). With the U.S. military adoption of the M16 assault rifle in 1963, the .223 Remington in a slightly derived form was standardized as the 5.56x45mm NATO. As a commercial sporting cartridge the .223 Remington was introduced in 1964.
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The .221 FireBall gets it's neck length from the .223, NOT the other way around.
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lewwetzel
Well-Known Member
I'll have to try some of those 35 gr. Bergers in my LVSF.
Nice to see someone's not reinforcing the rumor that the Fireball was a shortened .222 Remington — a common misconception that I've even seen repeated over on the "premier" small-caliber site. Just checking the neck length should be a clue.
Does make one wonder, however, if a longer-necked Fireball would be even more accurate?!
Edit: To clarify, the FB and .223 are indeed "derived" from the parent .222 Remington. The .221, though, is not a shortened .222 as some claim; it's a .223 from the shoulder up.
Nice to see someone's not reinforcing the rumor that the Fireball was a shortened .222 Remington — a common misconception that I've even seen repeated over on the "premier" small-caliber site. Just checking the neck length should be a clue.
Does make one wonder, however, if a longer-necked Fireball would be even more accurate?!
Edit: To clarify, the FB and .223 are indeed "derived" from the parent .222 Remington. The .221, though, is not a shortened .222 as some claim; it's a .223 from the shoulder up.
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sw282
Well-Known Member
Sir... 221 FB came a YEAR BEFORE the 223 in 1963... 221FB and 223Rem have the SAME neck length at .193''.... The 223Rem really a STRECHED 221fb because of its LONGER case body. 1.557'' vs 1.197''..
When I make 221 FB brass I start with military 5.56 cases. I usually have to turn the necks to thin them out but once fabricated they last a really long time. First shot fire forms them to my guns chamber. Very robust little cartridge. Mine favors the 40 grain Ballistic Tips.
