Sorry to clutter this board but gotta share:

Bear in mind I have been a reloader for 37 years but am not a serious bench rest shooter. I love skeet, informal rifle and pistol shooting but am not serious about either. In fact, I only shot off a portable bench rest for the first time less than two years ago and finally built a wooden one. For years, I just shot off the hood of a vehicle using a sleeping bag for a rest.

Opened the box of a new CZ 527 in .221 Fireball and mounted a Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x.

Needed to sight in the newly mounted scope so looked around and found some OLD H322 powder and Speer TNT 50 grain bullets I literally wanted to get rid of.

Homemade wooden bench, Caldwell "The Rock" front rest with sand bag under forearm. Swede leather larger sand bag in the rear.

Powder was metered with just a standard Redding lowest price powder measure model.......... no tricklers, no individual charge weighing.

With new Rem Brass, Winch. sm. rifle primers, 19.5 grains of H322 and the Speer TNT 50 grainers, I printed the following groups on my first outing:

1 1/8" (would have been 1/2" without the flyer)
3/4"
9/16" and:
7/16"

All done at 100 yards with a slight breeze. First shot in the first group was fired from a cold barrel.

Chrony said averages were from 2,959 to 2995 fps. Extreme spread was from 13' to 53' among the groups.

I may have found a load on my first try !! I am honestly scared to change anything.

Additionally, I have the same rifle in a .22 Hornet. It shoots the best of the Hornets I have owned, but this Fireball puts it to shame. I have never had a rifle that prints groups this consistant.......... or was it a bunch of luck ??

A happy camper..................... "Bo"

I've got a 527 in 221FB and right out of the box I was printing 5 shots at 0.7" using H4227 and 40gr V-Max. DAMN nice gun in a really cool chambering!!

My custom 700 shoots 40g vmax OVER 3600 fps no problems and into .3-.4 moa 5 shot groups and I know it can do better.

Neat round.

I have a stock Remington 221 and custom 221. I shoot the same load in both, not the same cases as the custon is a tight neck. Remington brass with Remington primers, Hodgdon Lil Gun powder with 40 gr VMax bullets. Check Hodgdons site for data.

http://hodgdon.com/data/

BoCash3: Thanks for sharing - no clutter about the 221 Remington Fireball at all in your post - I enjoyed it all!
I have two Rifles in caliber 221 Remington Fireball. Both shoot very well indeed and I have accounted for lots of different kinds of Varmints with both of them!
Several of my friends have rechambered perfectly good 223 Factory Rifles to 221 Fireball! In each case the accuracy increased!
But my favorite 221 Remington Fireball of all time was one owned by a Dentist friend of mine. He passed away last year. His Fireball Rifle was a factory stock limited offering Remington Model 40XB-KS. This model Rifle has the very heavy, factory, stainless 27 1/4" barrel. It is a single shot and I have seen my friend shoot it on three occassions at my old range out in Seattle, Washington. This Rifle consistently shot groups just under .500" at 100 yards - with factory ammunition!
I have been hesitantly (respectfully?) trying to buy this unique Rifle out of my friends estate for nearly a year now.
I would LOVE to own this Fireball as well!
I hope your CZ Fireball performs even better next time you get out with the now fireformed brass AND real calm winds!
One of my Fireball Rifles (Kimber Ultra-Varmint) prefers the 50 grain Sierra Blitz bullets and the other Rifle (Remington 700 Classic) prefers the Nosler 40 grain Ballistic Tips.
Both bullets have performed well for me on Varmints and at the range.
Long live the 221 Remington Fireball.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Mine is for sale, see my classified under 6.5BR

Speer's 50 grain TNT has been a mainstay in my .224 bullet pile. It's not the most accurate but it's damn good and dirt cheap. It shoots prairie dogs like crazy and blows the $&^t out of them.

If I was to recommend a more accurate bullet it would be Berger's and BTs and V-max's but the difference may only be slight. In the end the TNT is my finest bullet even though it's not the most accurate...it's still a damn good bullet.

It's an updated Hornet, with cases that last longer and loads that are less finicky. We don't always need Mach 3+... What's not to like?

Jaywalker

I think this is a nifty little cartridge. I have been eyeing up a M700 Classic chambered for this round. Just may have to anty-up.

I hope tomorrow to find out how "niffy" the Fireball is. Just got one today (CZ 527 American) and got it scoped and bore sighted. Brass is in vibrator now being delubed.

Joe A.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe A.:
I hope tomorrow to find out how "niffy" the Fireball is. Just got one today (CZ 527 American) and got it scoped and bore sighted. Brass is in vibrator now being delubed.

Joe A.

I think the 221 is one of the finest overachieving cartridges in the varmint world.
Try some of the various 40's on top of RL7, AA1680, or LiLGun, then enjoy!

I am looking into getting a 22 hornet and possible turning it into a "k". Hadn't thought about the 221 fireball until now. How much louder is the 221 vs. the hornet?

Bill,

I fired both the Fireball and my Hornet today. With ear plugs, I can't tell a lot of difference in the noise level.

Joe A.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill the thrill:
I am looking into getting a 22 hornet and possible turning it into a "k". Hadn't thought about the 221 fireball until now. How much louder is the 221 vs. the hornet?

Hard to answer accurately; I'll just say the 221 is enough quieter to me than a 222 or 223 to be pleasant to shoot w/o earplugs, when the conditions call for it.
Mine wear 22 and 24" barrels.