[HarryB]

Been looking for a .222 chambered rifle since firing my dad's not to long ago. Sadly, they are few and far between. It seems that only Remington and CZ are the only current players. However, a new choice has emerged. I checked out a Remington 700 Classic chambered in .221 Fireball. How do the ballistics of the wo compare? I realize the practical choice is to get a rifle in .223 or 22-250 but sometimes I wanna be different. And the .222 is a super accurate little bugger. I don't need to take shots over 250 yards, don't have any delusions of sniper grandeur, just wanna punch paper, 2 liter bottles, and an occasional varmint.

What was the question again?

Opinions on .221 Fireball versus .222 in a rifle please...

[Art Eatman]

The only data in my Speer or Hornady books shows velocities from a 10.5" barrel for the Fireball, so a rifle barrel would probably add some 300 ft/sec.

By the book, the Fireball will shoot a 52-grain bullet at 2,600. From a rifle, then, maybeso 2,900 ft/sec.

The .222 will send that same bullet out at 3,370 ft/sec.

For comparison, the .223 will give you 3,450, or not enough difference to matter.

Seems to me that if you hunt around some, you'd find a really good deal on a used .222. Since they're no longer popular, the prices oughta be pretty low in comparison to new stuff.

Art