I haven't posted for a long time, but I still read what is going on. I have a passion for all my varmint rifles, but I'm wondering if anybody has purchased(or if they are available yet) the new caliber in the .17 Fireball. I'd be interested what peoples thoughts are. Any new varmint rifle gets my juices flowing.

I've posted this thread on a couple of other sites and have had a couple of people say they shoot real well.
I will be looking for this barrel for a T/C Contender that I have had in my safe for several years. Didn't know what to do with it but I think this will fit the bill.
I have been doing some reading though on the new 5/35 (can't think of who was the one that developed this round at this point) but this sounds like the ultimate PD shooter.
If I find the barrel for the Mack IV and do some load testing I will post it here.

Thanks for the reply. I happen to be a big Remington fan. I love the .204 Ruger. That caliber is one fine varmint gun. I have two of them. One is a second generation Remington, and the other is a Ruger target model. One gun I've never owned is the .17 Remington centerfire. I guess I'm curious if this new .17 Fireball is like a .204 only in the .17 caliber style? I guess I'm just looking to find another reason to buy a varmint rig. Varmint guns are like playing golf, you can't play with just one club!

I just purchased the VSF model last week. With no available ammo I haven't shot it yet but I did get one .17 Fire Ball case from a friend that I have been loading with my .17 MachIV S-Bushing neck die and Redding Competition Seater. Those work fine on fired brass (the MachIV full sizer wouldn't work as the Fire Balls case is a bit different) and so far I've fired my sole case 10 times into my big log in the garage and cleaned after each shot for break in. As brass is a year out for reloader's according to Remington I ordered 5 boxes of factory loads ( ouch!) that will be here tomorrow according to UPS.
I like the rifle, it has an HS Precision stock in sand color with aluminum bedding block. I do like the fact that in loading my one bullet (I named it Barney in honor of the late Barney Fife who also only had one bullet) I can seat a 25 grain V-Max out far enough to reach the lands while still fitting into the magazine and having good neck purchase on the bullet.
I've shot the .17 MachIV a great deal and expect the Fire Ball to be very similar and that's a good thing as the MachIV is a gas. 25 grain bullets at 3,800ish mean 3 to 4 hundred yard p-dogging and ya see every hit due to no recoil. Here's a repost of a picture I took of it. It actually looks a lot lighter in better light.



In fairness I should add I'm a very biased small caliber junkie. Shoot one of these for a while and if it's as accurate as it oughta be I'll bet you will be too.

Ok! I must have the the article wrong I thought the fireball and the machIV were the same.
What's the diff?

quote:

Originally posted by Greg Jackson:
Ok! I must have the the article wrong I thought the fireball and the machIV were the same.
What's the diff?

From what I gather from people who have gotten ammo, not much. The 17 Fireball will be in a SAAMI standardized chamber, where as the Mach IV chambers may vary a bit. So in SOME rifles they will be interchangable, in others they may not be. It's that close.

Actually that's only partially right,there is a bit more difference than that. Your right about the wildcat chambers varying but there is a fairly standardized .17 MachIV reamer used by most smiths. That aside firing one in the others chamber is an unwise idea.
The .17MachIV has a shorter neck and is narrower both at the case body neck juncture and the web by a few thou each. Not a great deal but certainly enough to create a possible head-space issue.
I've been reloading one case for the Fire Ball for break-in using my Redding S-Bushing neck die and Reddings Competition Seater. The neck die works well but the Fire Ball case is right on the edge of sticking in the seater. If I were to full length size the Fire Ball in the MachIV full length die it would create a head-space problem.
They are sure gonna be ballistic twins but Remington wanted to make sure it was there case and no wildcats allowed.
I sense some attorney involvement here.
The MachIV was actually designed by P.O.Ackley and he let Vern O'Brien run with it and O'Brien actually gets all the credit for it (it was a different world back then, they did it for love of the sport). I've also heard that O'Brien patented the .17 MachIV but just never defended the patent. After what "Show Me the Money" Jamison did to Winchester I think everyones a bit nervous about patent infringement and greed at all cost gun guys.
Sorry for babbling.

I am still waiting to hear some real world experiences with this round...

Instead of a new rifle, I am looking to rebarrel a 223 to the 17 Fireball.. I have a Ruger Sporter that is a candidate..

Pac Nor is now chambering this round.. along with the 17 Mach 4...

I am still interested to see what it does, but it will definitely be a replacement for the 17 HMR at my house...

A 17 K Hornet seems even more efficient, but then that involves more work and expense, getting dies etc...

Just wonder if my fat fingers can seat those tiny bullets???

It sure will make 8 lb container of powder go a long way...

My 26-inch Pac-Nor barrel in 17 Remington Fireball arrived this week. Will screw it on a Savage action.

Have dies. No brass. But have some spare 221 Remington Fireball brass.

Hope to try it this week.


Have been using the original 17 Remington on prairie dogs for quite a while. Works fine.

I have ran 56 rounds of factory 17 fireball thru my 700 rem varmint. I chronographed 5 rounds right after I got the gun and 5 rds averaged 3996 fps. rifle groups right at 1/2 inch @ 100 yds. Performance is very similar to my 17 rem (CZ 527). The fireball is about 100 fps faster than my 17 rem but I think this is due to difference in bbl length. As far as performance on ground squirrels I can't see much difference between the 17 fireball and 17 rem.

shep

I have two friends who purchased rifles and have just recently acquired 4 boxes of ammo. Have not heard any results as yet. They are taking them on a sage rat shoot this coming weekend.

Greg Jackson,
The 5X35 SMC was developed by By Smalley and ML McPherson. Here is a link to their web site. Formed brass is available from Russ Haydon's Shooters Supply in Gig Harbor WA.

I have one in a Savage model 12 right bolt left port. We ordered them from their custom shop. The guys who bought the .17 Fireballs actually talked Savage into chambering them. They do not list them or did not when we got them. I have not even had time to shoot mine but I am going to in the next few weeks. I am ashamed to say I have had it for almost 6 months and have not dirtied the barrel. Shame on me.

quote:

Originally posted by Customstox:
I am ashamed to say I have had it for almost 6 months and have not dirtied the barrel. Shame on me.

"life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun"

quote:

Originally posted by Customstox:
Greg Jackson,
The 5X35 SMC was developed by By Smalley and ML McPherson. Here is a link to their web site. Formed brass is available from Russ Haydon's Shooters Supply in Gig Harbor WA.

I have one in a Savage model 12 right bolt left port. We ordered them from their custom shop. The guys who bought the .17 Fireballs actually talked Savage into chambering them. They do not list them or did not when we got them. I have not even had time to shoot mine but I am going to in the next few weeks. I am ashamed to say I have had it for almost 6 months and have not dirtied the barrel. Shame on me.

A pair of 5x35's just arrived in Kansas from TX for a PD shoot; one is a rebarreled Rem 700, the other a Sav 12 LR** like you described, from the Custom shop. It is actually the 2nd rifle ordered locally, as the first one had a very rough bore, and Sav promptly shipped out a replacement.
A friend and his son-in-law are the owners of these 5x35's...barrel life TBD, as a 40gr Vmax at 4200fps is a screamer!
They did their load workup at my place, so I was able to see their rifles and results.
They are also taking a 204R and 17 Rem.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by seafire/B17G:


Just wonder if my fat fingers can seat those tiny bullets???

I have a 17 cal Remington centerfire and faced the problem with fat fingers and tiny bullets. The 1st effort to reload resulted in crushing 4 out of 20 cases.
Then I discovered GMW-Vickerman dies! These dies are a great step up from an RCBS or Redding seating die.
You just drop the bullet into the hole in front of the die and push down the ram on the press. Perfect alignment!.......pg

I just recieved one box of 17 Fireball and the 17M4 and 17 Fireball appear to be one and the same with my calipers. The 17 Fireball ammo headspaces in my 17M4 Cooper with .002" headspace. Of course with the M4 being a wildcat for 40 some odd years chambers are going to vary, but I would like to compare prints of both chambers they appear to be VERY close.

I have a bolt action Rem 700 CDL 24 inch fluted barrel, Stainless ,Limited Edition , wooden stock, 17 Fireball with one box of ammo. I still need to get a scope and reloading dies . When I get it set up I ll try it out on prairie dogs.

I've been looking around for one of these new 17 Rem Fireballs. It looks like Remington is chambering 2 or 3 models this year in that caliber. So far my Sportmann's Warehouse has only gotten several in and sold before I could get one of them.

Father got his in on Friday, SPS Varnmit. Got dies in on Tuesday and I picked him up 2 boxes of ammo so this week off to the range to sight it in and then off to watch the dogs fly. CAN'T WAIT

Mines a VSF, there's picture of it at the top of the thread. A buddy and myself bought 5 boxes of ammo each as Remington says bulk brass is a year out. I ordered a set of Hornady dies from Hornady and got them 10 days or so ago.
Here's a picture of one of the first groups to the range with reloads. The calipers read .5630 out side to out side which came to about a .4020 center to center with the 25 grain V-Max. Gonna try the 30 Bergers next, the 1 in 9 twist should do well with them.



If I hadn't pulled the one to the left that'd be a real impressive group for a factory rifle.