I had one of the best shooting condition range sessions today that I have ever had! The air was dead calm - absolutely no movement in my long wind flag streamers! And the sun was bright and right behind my left shoulder. The temperature was a barrel cooling 18 to 24 degrees during my shooting. The Remington 700 Classic Fireball that I have been trying to start load development on for over a month performed really well. The wind prior to today had been blowing hard every day for a month. My patience paid off today though in the dead calm! I did some barrel break in first with some factory Fireball ammo I had laying around. I cleaned the barrel again and started with my handloads. I got on target and fouled the barrel a bit and then shot three 5 shot groups. My test load was using the 40 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip, Federal 205 M primers and 16.0 grs. of Hodgdon Lil'Gun powder in Remngton 221 cases. By the way I got this load suggestion from a chat room. I was very pleased with the resulting three 5 shot groups using unfireformed brass. The three groups measured .753", .664" and .882"! Great start I thought for this factory stock Rifle. I had given the Fireball a standard trigger adjustment of course. The last group I fired which measured .882" had four shots in .453"! I was very excited about that 4 shot cluster. The sad part about that portion of my range session was the Leupold 4X12 Vari-X-I scope (this is the model without the adjustable objective) was just not focusing very clearly at 100 yards! I tried several different positions for the focus and it did not improve much. I have 4X12 Leupold Vari-X-II's with the AO feature on all my other Remington Classics (222 Rem., 223 Rem., 17 Rem. and 7mm Rem. Mag.) and those scopes all perform perfectly! Maybe I will trade this Vari-X-I off someday. I was still very happy with the Fireballs first full session at the range. The feeding, extraction and ejection functions of the Rifle all went perfectly.
But the real highlight of the day was my second load testing session with my new Sako bolt action single shot heavy barreled 6mm PPC! It has a 24X Leupold scope on it. I only brought along ten rounds of test ammo for it but this Rifle was now using previously fireformed brass. The first load I tested was using the wonderful custom Euber 68 grain bullets, Federal 205M primers, Sako cases and Vihta Vourhi N133 powder. This load shot a .226" 5 shot group at 100 yards! It has been a long time since I shot a group that small. I was still very excited when I began shooting the next group of 5 test loads. I was sure this load would not be as accurate as the Euber loads. This load was using the same powder charge and primers but it was using the Nosler 70 gr. Ballistic Tips! Hold onto your hats gentle Varminters this 5 shot one hole group measured .212"! That is (IMHO) an exceptional group with a Varminting type bullet! I was just thrilled with these two groups out of a new Rifle!
So now I have both my new Rifles pretty much decided on their Varmint Hunting loads. I do have decisions to make though regarding both scopes. The Sako with the 24X Leupold on it (has ultra fine crosshairs which are fine for load testing and range work) I think may just get traded off for a Leupold 8.5X25X40mm. And the Fireball Classics scope I think I will do some more focusing and testing with. I think the parallax is set at 150 yards with this scope and the adjustable objective model might work out better for me. I will be using this 221 Fireball for Ground Squirrels, Prairie Dogs, Fox and other close to town Varmints. The recoil and report with the 40 gr. Ballistic Tips were both very mild.
I just got done cleaning the pair of Rifles and I am considering loading up a few rounds for each and heading out tomorrow for some Coyote calling and Hunting of feathered Varmints. I can't wait to break them in properly!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Good to hear VarmintGuy,
I had a good day at the range with the 6PPC yesterday, a lot of thought has gone into my case preparations and culling but it has in the end paid off.
The rifle shot groups from 0.65 to 0.215 with the 55grain b-Tips.

Over my targets you could see that the groups got tighter and tighter as the velocity went up.

Today I will go out and chrono these loads, no more "development" I get say from .4 to .2 or even smaller with 28.8gn of VV N133, using CCI BR - 4 primers, sako brass, out of a Sako 75 heavy barrel Varminter.

I am enjoying this rifle more and more. It has a Nightforce NXS 3.5 - 15 x 56 on top, glass bedded and floated, trigger is crips as a glass rod snapping at 600grams.

The only gripe I have about the scope is that I think it was intended for use at much longer rages than I generally shoot at. The 2nd point of impact is around 350mm, I have not tried the others, but I'll guess they might go out to somewhere in the vicinity of 1500M!!

Congratulations VG,
I really like the Fireball, and enjoy loading for it. I had never heard of the lil' un load, and have made a note of it.

7mm/08: Yes someone (I think it was from this board) E-mailed me with this load suggestion and said it was posted at the Hodgdon site. www.hodgdon.com
When you go to that site go to data then rifle data then 221 Fireball and view the amazing performance of this powder!
It gives 133 FPS more than the next fastest powder and does so with 1,300 C.U.P. less pressure than the next fastest load! So more velocity with less pressure using the Lil'Gun! I had never used the powder before but once the load was suggested to me I travelled a long way and bought some. I got all the way home and noticed in small print that it said "Shotgun Powder"! Yikes I thought I had gotten the Lil'Gun Shotgun powder! I was dreading the long trip back to the sport shop! But my questions and inquiries were answered in that there is in fact only one "Lil'Gun" powder and it is used in both Rifles and shotguns! Apparently this powder works well in many other smaller Rifles!
Yeah I had never heard of it before either.
My Fireball sure seems to like it with the 40 gr. Noslers! With this load of 16.0 grains I figured in my tiny brain that there are 16.0 ounces in a pound and 437.5 grains in an ounce so by extrapolating or something I figgered I should get 437.5 reloads per pound of Lil'Gun powder in my Fireball. Thats a lot of reloads from a pound of powder! Anyway I am happy it worked so well.
Good luck if you decide to try it!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Express: I have been meaing to inquire about your Sako Rifles trigger! My Sako has a trigger pull similar to some old military triggers - in that it has a two stage movement til it fires. The first stage is a movement of about 1/4" at the tip of the trigger with no resistance of pull at all. Then it comes to a resitance and breaks at about 16 ounces and at this last stage it is very crisp breaking like you describe with no backlash of the trigger. Does your Sako have this "two stage" trigger movement?
Also did my package to you arrive? I am praying it got there OK!
Snowing here today in Montana! What is your weather like there in Italy?
I am happy your Rifle is shooting so well! There should be ballistic computer programs to tell you the trajectory over the distances in between your zero range and 350 m? I do not want you to shoot over the back of a Coyote or a Wolf!
Good luck!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Unbelievable groups from those Sako 75 Varmint rifles!
In the .221 FB rifle I have always prefered the 40gr B-Tip (moly)bullet and 19.3gr RE7. Reliably shoots .5 moa out to 200yds in my Hart barreled walking varmint rig.
However, now that I've had a chance to experiment with Lil'Gun, I don't think I will be using much RE7 in the near future. I am loading 17.0gr into the Rem case with Fed 205M primers. Accuracy is just as good but velocity has been increased to an honest 3,600 ft/sec.
If I hadn't proved it in my own rifle, I wouldn't have believed it.
Last year I killed a lot of groundhogs with that little gun, this year they better stay much farther away.
Longest .221 kill for me was 265yds. Just had Premier Reticle put a 300yd - 350yd - 400yd dot in the reticle of the scope which is mounted on that rifle. Yeh I know, 400 is pushing things a bit but a guy can dream can't he??

Last Sunday had the first try with LilGun powder in the Fireball. I believe its name came from targeted use in the .410 shotshell, but it sure is getting results in Hornets and Fireballs. I was impressed at the 3400+fps I was getting with 18.5gr AA1680 over a 40gr Vmax, but 16.5gr of LilGun averaged 3550fps in my converted 788, and 3620fps in my new 700 Classic. Groups were 0.7" and 0.8" respectively. What was puzzling was the sooty case necks...not expected with a full power load.
A really interesting powder!
I continue to shoot the Classic, but it needs to go back to Remington for the ejection problem. Glad to hear Varmintguy's works well; gives me hope for repair.

Mulerider: I just went down stairs and checked my 20 empty cases for the Fireball that I used the Lil"Gun powder in. The necks of mine did not appear to have much soot at all on them - infact I got my Krazy Kloth and cleaned the necks and there did not seem to be any undo amount of anything on them. First firing here though. The inside case necks did seem to be rather dark! Hmmm.
Also I threw the Fireballs cartridges into the breech yesterday in haphzard manners and they all slipped easily into the chamber from all over in the breech (way forward and way back). I did notice that getting one of the tiny rounds down into the magazine took a concerned placing of the round before clicking it down into the magazine. The spacer does extend forward into the middle of the action opening a fair distance. Unless the base of the case was positioned just in front of the spacer loading into the well of the magazine was not gonna happen. The ejection of my Classic Fireball was always succesful but the case did not fly far. That could be desirable in the Varmint fields.
VarmintHunter: What power scope do you have on your Fireball and if you don't mind a price check on the addition by Premier of the dots? Thanks to you both for the additional load data! And velocities! Wow! Fire on - Fireball!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

varmint guy: i have been reading along and enjoy the info. I live in helena and come down to dillion and lima for some squirrels. used to travel there every week and always brought along a rifle. by the way, this is the worst season i've ever seen for yotes. i hate to admit to getting skunked so far. working on some .22-250 loads right now but have not tried ant vv powders. suggestions welcome. thanks:}

VarmintGuy: the performance of LilGun in the Fireball is so impressive, I will have no problem wiping off those sooty case necks! In the Small Calibres forum, there was a discussion on Hornet powders, and others noted the soot, while also (usually) heaping praise on the powder. I have some 30gr Bergers...wonder what speed I can launch them? Hmmmm..

Trshootem: This venture with the 6mm PPC and Vihta Vourhi powder is my first use of the powder. All my shooting buddies use the stuff though and rave about it. I decided to try it because virtually all the recommended loads that people gave me used this VV N133 powder for the PPC! I may just try some in a couple of other Varminters I am tinkering with now.
2 years ago I shot Squirrels til I was sick! I shot 4,000 rounds of 22 LR ammo at them. I have 3 Ruger 10/22's and often take the kids and wife with me. I did not shoot as much this year as I was doing some body guard work out on the coast. I needed the "mad" money! I will do more shooting this spring and summer. Let me pass on a secret - when you hammer out a field for Squirrels come back to the field at night with a hand held spotlight and shoot not only Coyotes and Foxes but Badgers as well! Great sport this! Look me up sometime!
Both my 22-250's like the Sierra 55 gr. Blitz bullets! Please try them as they are very accurate, very lethal and very affordable! I think its stock #1345 the 55 gr. Sierra Blitz.
The weather has just been the pits around here for Coyote Hunting. Even the Foxes are not stressed to find food. Easy times for the predators. Lots of Rabbits around here this year and I am sure it does not take the Coyotes long to get a Rabbit each night! Mating season will start soon and that always slows things down. Keep after them. I Hunted the Ft. Peck country this fall for Deer and the Coyotes were just everywhere! By far the highest populations I have seen! I may have to head over that-a-way.
I am sure someone else will have a VV load for your 22-250. Maybe post on the reloading board here, that is a very active board.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmintguy, the trigger on the Sako has no play whatsoever in it. Have to be my favourite rifle to shoot (flavour of the month) it really is nice; I like it very light, breaks at 600grams - about 1lb but there is no creep or play so you almost get a surprise when it goes off.

Your package still hasn't arrived, the postal system, here is not the best...I am hoping that it will get here in time for me to load them up. I've gathered 2 boxes so far from the ends of Itlay, and another is on it's way, though I have gone through one already testing loads.

All the best.

VarmintGuy,
Where can one purchase Euber bullets? I've heard good things about them, and would like to try them in my 6BR.

Rem. 222

Rem. 222: I went in (several years ago) with my old friend Wally Siebert and we bought a large run of the Euber bullets and then we spilt them. They came in bulk. Wally had them shipped to his house and then we split them. I have used them in my 6mm BR, a 6mm Remington Ackley Improved and a factory Remington 40XB-BR in 6X47! They shot really well in all of these Rifles!
I do not have Allie Eubers phone number but I do have his street address from 6 years ago or so - it is:
Allie Euber
Church Street
Orwell, Vermont
05760
Try the computer phone book and see if there is a listing for him. These bullets are not only very accurate they also worked pretty well on Varmints!
Good luck with them!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks VarmintGuy

I'll look him up and give him a call. Do you happen to remember the price? If not that's okay they have most likely increased in price.

Thanks again

Rem. 222