Anyone else get really high velocity with less than max charges of Lil Gun?? Just returned from a range session with a friend whose Cooper rifle in .221 Fireball spoke for the first time.

15.5 of Lil Gun with the 40 VMax averaged 3500 fps (alright, 3499.x for the picky - I can't remember the value of x). Brass was RP factory, primer was Federal 205. The 40 Barnes VLC with the same powder charge averaged 50 fps less, which I attribute to the blue coating reducing pressure.

While the rifle has a 24" barrel, this still strikes me as rather high velocity. The Hodgdon web site shows 16.0 of Lil Gun with a 40 Ballistic Tip giving 3380 from a 24" barrel.

The 45 Barnes-X over 14.5 of Lil Gun gave 3300+.

Thanks for the input.

BigIron

Sure have. See the thread a few days back on the 221 Fireball for my findings. Search "small calibers" or "varmint hunting" for other LilGun observations.
It is an unusual powder!

Wow, that is some great speed out of the Fireball, what was the accuracy like?

40 gr Sierra HP or Horn Vmax's usually go into 0.6" out of my converted Rem 788. The 30's have given similar accuracy at more modest (3600fps) speeds; the max LilGun loads strung out to just under an 1".

Took a perfectly good 222 Rem 788, and had the barrel setback and finished reamed to 221 Fireball. The `smith that did it also tweaked the trigger somehow (not easy on 788's).
Cartridge feed from the 222 magazine is not flawless, but does work well.