Thinking about building a 221 fireball.
As I am left handed what would be the simplest sraight forward action to use with regards to cost and messing around.
Thinking Rem 700 BDL.What is the Fireball case based on?
Would it be better to buy a second hand 222 and convert it?
Thanks for any help.

I don't know about NZ, but LH .222s are almost non-existent here in the States; Sako made a few LH .222s; as far as I know, Remington never made a LH BDL in .223/.222/.221.

The Fireball can be made by shortening a .223 Remington, .222Rem., or .222Rem.Mag.

Any LH .223 action will work, although you may want to block the magazine box a bit.

Of course, Savage makes LH .223 sporters, but I don't know what their availability is in NZ.

George
(a fellow lefty)

a lefty rem 788 is 222 would be a good start.
jeffe

As GeorgeS stated, left hand bolt actions with a .222/.223 sized bolt face are extremely rare.

The left handed 788's were only offered in 6mm Rem and .308.
Remington offers left hand .223s only in their 40XB from their Custom Shop (expensive) and the Model 700 VS with the heavy barrel. Savage makes LH .223's as well. Sake may have made some but I don't think they currently do.

Any .223 rifle you get will have to have the barrel shortened and rechambered or a new barrel installed.

The option I took was to get a Thompson/Center Contender Carbine with a .221 Fireball barrel from Fox Ridge outfitters. I got the bull barrel, but being only 21" long on that Contender Carbine frame the whole thing still weighed no more than 6 pounds. Very accurate as well.
Don't know what the availability of those would be in New Zealand.

As a fellow left hander I can certainly sympathize, you just are not going to find a lot of options for a .221 Fireball for a left hander.

Thanks for the replies,my father inlaw lives in Nevada and is coming out next May so I will try and get him to bring me something out.
Would it be cheaper to re-barrel than to rechamber? maybe I may even have the work done there.
So as I understand nothing needs to be done to a 222 or 223 action, just the chamber or fit a new barrel and maybe mess with the magazine?
Thanks again

Why not a Ruger #1 ?

I shoot a Fireball on a Rhimmakii a LOT. Great caliber, but ugly.

In another year and at about 5000 rounds total, I'll reneck it .100 deeper, making the cartridge length 1.500.

I'll make a hundred cases and shoot it another 1500 rounds and cut the threads off and rechamber it again .750 shorter. I'll get another 1500 to 2000 before it's time for a new barrel.

A full case of ReLoader-7 and a 40 grain Nosler BT with Neco moly is it's boring diet.

It holds the current record for Magpie Splatter Factor, 52........that's the number of steps between wings. Ground squirrels, who are the the chief Nosler catches, dissapear in chunks.

Unless I'm mistaken - and there have been times - you could also rebarrel a 17 rem with little extra work. Shouldn't be too hard to find one of those that's shot out.

Patrick

You are a lefty and can't do nothing about that. You can have a LH Rem700 in .223 or .222 or if you really want, .221 rem. All you got to do is get yourself any, I say any, short aciton left hand remington and have the bolt converted to Sako extractor ($95 here) and then get a new or used barel and have it chambered.

Jim

Milos,
The .17 Remington is the .222 Remington Magnum necked down; the .17 Mach IV is a necked-down .221 FireBall.

You can always ask dad to bring over a LH Cooper in .221FB; I have one in .17 Mach IV and it is a nice rifle in both looks and accuracy.

George