Need loads for 221 Fireball
- Thread starter kyray
- Start date
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
For short range use, 18.7gr of H4198 is good with the 40 Berger.
NOTE: That is over a max load in some manuals, work up.
Jack
NOTE: That is over a max load in some manuals, work up.
Jack
chuckaholic
New member
15 grains of Lil Gun behind 40 grain Nosler BT's give me 3350 fps and and great accuracy out of my LV SF's 22" barrel.
Hodgdon gives 16 grains and 3384 fps for a top load with 40 gr. Nosler BT's. My experience with 16 grains and many others are high 3500-3600fps speeds. I backed down to 15.5 grains for around 3500 fps and ended up with loosened primer pockets in once fired brass thus the backing down to 15 grains. Velocity is a better indicator of pressure than charge weight. FWIW.
Hodgdon gives 16 grains and 3384 fps for a top load with 40 gr. Nosler BT's. My experience with 16 grains and many others are high 3500-3600fps speeds. I backed down to 15.5 grains for around 3500 fps and ended up with loosened primer pockets in once fired brass thus the backing down to 15 grains. Velocity is a better indicator of pressure than charge weight. FWIW.
chuckaholic is right on the money. Lil'Gun is the premium powder for a Fireball.
Hodgdon just shot a bunch of new data here and if you call their techs they'll tell you that muzzle report and recoil are much better than with rifle powders and yet velocity is still great. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
$bob$
Hodgdon just shot a bunch of new data here and if you call their techs they'll tell you that muzzle report and recoil are much better than with rifle powders and yet velocity is still great. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
$bob$
NEVarmiter
New member
19 grains of RL 7 back of a 40 grain bullet has droped over 50 coyotes for me.
Handgunr
New member
About the only good area to grab any data for my .22 Super Jet is off the .221 Fireball manuals & threads like this one.
PO Ackley listed loads of 4227, 4198 and BLC2 (I think), and they were right up there with the max loads from the Fireball....definitely skeptical, but don't know without working the loads up.
Li'l Gun is new since then, and 2400, RL7 and H110 were also mentioned. Ballistically, Li'l Gun does look like the better option.
I did read several articles, including Nosler's book, where they were obtaining 3500fps plus out of a rifle, using the 40gr. bullets like chuckaholic mentioned.
Now chuck......were on the same page of music regarding those 40gr. bullets /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
PO Ackley's load data used 45 & 50gr. bullets to obtain 3300-3400fps. Not necessarily looking for top velocities, but it's nice to know where the limits are. Especially when there's no published data on the round.
Take care,
Bob
PO Ackley listed loads of 4227, 4198 and BLC2 (I think), and they were right up there with the max loads from the Fireball....definitely skeptical, but don't know without working the loads up.
Li'l Gun is new since then, and 2400, RL7 and H110 were also mentioned. Ballistically, Li'l Gun does look like the better option.
I did read several articles, including Nosler's book, where they were obtaining 3500fps plus out of a rifle, using the 40gr. bullets like chuckaholic mentioned.
Now chuck......were on the same page of music regarding those 40gr. bullets /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif.
PO Ackley's load data used 45 & 50gr. bullets to obtain 3300-3400fps. Not necessarily looking for top velocities, but it's nice to know where the limits are. Especially when there's no published data on the round.
Take care,
Bob
Mike Eversole
New member
I just knew i'd see AA 1680 ,my CZ likes 19.6 gr of 1680, cci 200 primer, 40 gr Nosler BT.
I shot 6 five shot groups while shooting some of my other guns.The groups average was .716 ,not bad for a sporterweight rifle.
Lapua is going to make 20 cal 221 fb brass ,so feel good about the fireball case it is here to stay.
I've killed about 25 crows , 400-450 praire dogs in two pd trips ,3 coyotes ,50 rabbits ,and a big panda !! just kidding about the panda !!lol.
Anyway you'll love that little fireball ,best of luck to you Mike
I shot 6 five shot groups while shooting some of my other guns.The groups average was .716 ,not bad for a sporterweight rifle.
Lapua is going to make 20 cal 221 fb brass ,so feel good about the fireball case it is here to stay.
I've killed about 25 crows , 400-450 praire dogs in two pd trips ,3 coyotes ,50 rabbits ,and a big panda !! just kidding about the panda !!lol.
Anyway you'll love that little fireball ,best of luck to you Mike
Utahcaller
Active member
I like 16 grains of lil'gun with 40 grain NBT's.They are pushing 3400fps in my rifle and are very accurate.Good Hunting Chad
ae35gunner
New member
KYRAY,
My favorite loads for my 2 Fireballs (one CZ527 and one Cooper Model 21 Varminter) are as follows...for the CZ I am using 42 gr Calhoon DHPs over 17.8 grains of AA1680 with chronographed velocity average of 3264FPS. This load is good for Chicken sized silhouettes at the Turkey line (385 meters), sighted in on the Chickens at 200 meters and using the 4th "plex" line below the horizontal crosshair of my Burris 3-9X40 MM Fullfield II Ballistic Plex scope at 385 meters.
The Cooper I use for shooting in competition at our local Metallic Prairie Dog Silhouette shoots. My load for this competition is 57 gr Calhoon DHPs over 17.5 grains of AA1680 with chronographed velocity averages of 3048FPS (10 shots), 3048FPS (5 shots), 3043FPS (5 shots) and 3054FPS 5 shots. Targets are 5.5" x 2.5" at 100 meters, 7" x 4" at 200 and 300 meters, and 9" x 5" at 385 meters (that's 417 yards folks), and these loads will do it. I use a Leupold 12X on the Cooper and shoot off of Dog-Gone-Good sand bags. The majority of my competition are using 16X-32X scopes and Hart & Sinclair front shooting rests, some with gunsmithed rifles up to 6MM BR with 70 grain bullets. The Fireball does well in this environment. It's a winner, and AA1680 has the consistency of sugar therefore meters extremely well through powder measures. Try it, you'll like it.
STEVEM,
The 20 cal/.221 FB brass referred to here is for the 20 VarTarg (chambered in Dakota Rifles and proprietary to Todd Kindler). Lapua is supposed to start producing 20 VarTarg and Tactical 20 brass soon.
My favorite loads for my 2 Fireballs (one CZ527 and one Cooper Model 21 Varminter) are as follows...for the CZ I am using 42 gr Calhoon DHPs over 17.8 grains of AA1680 with chronographed velocity average of 3264FPS. This load is good for Chicken sized silhouettes at the Turkey line (385 meters), sighted in on the Chickens at 200 meters and using the 4th "plex" line below the horizontal crosshair of my Burris 3-9X40 MM Fullfield II Ballistic Plex scope at 385 meters.
The Cooper I use for shooting in competition at our local Metallic Prairie Dog Silhouette shoots. My load for this competition is 57 gr Calhoon DHPs over 17.5 grains of AA1680 with chronographed velocity averages of 3048FPS (10 shots), 3048FPS (5 shots), 3043FPS (5 shots) and 3054FPS 5 shots. Targets are 5.5" x 2.5" at 100 meters, 7" x 4" at 200 and 300 meters, and 9" x 5" at 385 meters (that's 417 yards folks), and these loads will do it. I use a Leupold 12X on the Cooper and shoot off of Dog-Gone-Good sand bags. The majority of my competition are using 16X-32X scopes and Hart & Sinclair front shooting rests, some with gunsmithed rifles up to 6MM BR with 70 grain bullets. The Fireball does well in this environment. It's a winner, and AA1680 has the consistency of sugar therefore meters extremely well through powder measures. Try it, you'll like it.
STEVEM,
The 20 cal/.221 FB brass referred to here is for the 20 VarTarg (chambered in Dakota Rifles and proprietary to Todd Kindler). Lapua is supposed to start producing 20 VarTarg and Tactical 20 brass soon.
Mike Eversole
New member
Thanks ae35gunner !!
I started rootin around in the big old cyberworld and couldn't find the info for Steve.I had it in my mind that i read it at 6mmbr.
Thats some fine shooting with your FB's ,I'm going to fine tune mine a little more at longrange soonish.
The 1680 powder does meter like a dream for sure.
I'm going to give the heavier bullets a whirl -52 gr amax ,should do well on pd's.
For a $450 rifle [cz] i couldn't ask for a better little walking varminter.
Yes sir kyray--your welcome ,tikka in a 17 rem ---would love to have one. Mike
I started rootin around in the big old cyberworld and couldn't find the info for Steve.I had it in my mind that i read it at 6mmbr.
Thats some fine shooting with your FB's ,I'm going to fine tune mine a little more at longrange soonish.
The 1680 powder does meter like a dream for sure.
I'm going to give the heavier bullets a whirl -52 gr amax ,should do well on pd's.
For a $450 rifle [cz] i couldn't ask for a better little walking varminter.
Yes sir kyray--your welcome ,tikka in a 17 rem ---would love to have one. Mike