RancidSumo
Member
Anyone have any opinions on this caliber? Is it any good for cyotes? Is the CZ a good platform for it?
.221 Fireball
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i think its a good cartridge. i do not have one, but i know that guys are puting down coyotes with 22 lr's and 17 HMR's and the newer 17 fireball, so i think that it would do the job.
may i ask though as why not to go with maybe the .223? i dont want to make you change your mind and pick something you dont want, but ammo availabilty might be better, as to a liitle more power to get those long shoot accomplished.
as to the .221 freball and yotes... i say it would do the job as long as you keep the range to under 200 yards.
if you want to stay with the 20 caliber projectile, i would also look into the .204 ruger. very accurate, can be shot out of .223 length actions, and super lazer like trajectory.
hope this helps, brian
edit:
some good reading on the .221...
http://www.chuckhawks.com/221fireball.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.221_Remington_Fireball
http://www.accuratereloading.com/221rfb.html
http://www.gunblast.com/CZ-527.htm
this last one is about the cartridge in the 527 CZ rifle. amybe the one your looking at???
may i ask though as why not to go with maybe the .223? i dont want to make you change your mind and pick something you dont want, but ammo availabilty might be better, as to a liitle more power to get those long shoot accomplished.
as to the .221 freball and yotes... i say it would do the job as long as you keep the range to under 200 yards.
if you want to stay with the 20 caliber projectile, i would also look into the .204 ruger. very accurate, can be shot out of .223 length actions, and super lazer like trajectory.
hope this helps, brian
edit:
some good reading on the .221...
http://www.chuckhawks.com/221fireball.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.221_Remington_Fireball
http://www.accuratereloading.com/221rfb.html
http://www.gunblast.com/CZ-527.htm
this last one is about the cartridge in the 527 CZ rifle. amybe the one your looking at???
RancidSumo
Member
That is the rifle I am looking at.
I picked up one a year ago. I bought the Remington Light Varmint Stainles Fluted (LVSF) and replaced the synthetic stock with a Boyd's Thumbhole Laminate. This is what it looks like. It's the thing without the fur.
I will tell you the Fireball is definately a handloaders cartridge. Brass seems to be seasonal (and it's available now) but can be made from 223 cases if needed. IMR4198, Hodgdon Lil Gun, and RE #7 are all very good powders for the Fireball. I just bought 5 pounds of #7 for mine. I like the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip and 40 grain Sierra BlitzKing bullets. I've used the Sierra 50 grain BlitzKings as well but I also have a 223 that I use 55 grain Ballistic Tips so I stay with the 40 grain stuff in the Fireball. Primers make a difference in accuracy. CCI BR4 and Remington 7 1/2 work best for me.
It is wonderfully accurate and my gun is sufficiently heavy that recoil is hardly felt. You can see the hits through the scope. I bought one because it's something you don't see every day and once I started toying with it, it became a fixation. I can't speak with any authority about the CZ but the 700 I have is a really nice gun. I'm not sure but I think Remington dropped the LVSF from its offerings. They are still out there if you look, I got mine at Gander Mountain.
I will tell you the Fireball is definately a handloaders cartridge. Brass seems to be seasonal (and it's available now) but can be made from 223 cases if needed. IMR4198, Hodgdon Lil Gun, and RE #7 are all very good powders for the Fireball. I just bought 5 pounds of #7 for mine. I like the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip and 40 grain Sierra BlitzKing bullets. I've used the Sierra 50 grain BlitzKings as well but I also have a 223 that I use 55 grain Ballistic Tips so I stay with the 40 grain stuff in the Fireball. Primers make a difference in accuracy. CCI BR4 and Remington 7 1/2 work best for me.
It is wonderfully accurate and my gun is sufficiently heavy that recoil is hardly felt. You can see the hits through the scope. I bought one because it's something you don't see every day and once I started toying with it, it became a fixation. I can't speak with any authority about the CZ but the 700 I have is a really nice gun. I'm not sure but I think Remington dropped the LVSF from its offerings. They are still out there if you look, I got mine at Gander Mountain.
280shooter
Member
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- Jan 31, 2008
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t/c
I have 221 in 10in,bull barrel,mine likes the lighter bullets,I have a 3 power scope on mine,burris,its a shooter,I wished now i would have bought a bolt rifle,I'M thinking of either selling my barrel with scope.or maybe have a smith weld a piece of tube to it to make it over 16 in, so i can use my butt stock.and add a rifle scope,I know my barrel will hold 1/2 at 100 yards with only a 3 power scope,
tiny recoil.small amounts of powder,light pills ,whats not to like about the 221,
I used 4227,4198 powders only.
I have 221 in 10in,bull barrel,mine likes the lighter bullets,I have a 3 power scope on mine,burris,its a shooter,I wished now i would have bought a bolt rifle,I'M thinking of either selling my barrel with scope.or maybe have a smith weld a piece of tube to it to make it over 16 in, so i can use my butt stock.and add a rifle scope,I know my barrel will hold 1/2 at 100 yards with only a 3 power scope,
tiny recoil.small amounts of powder,light pills ,whats not to like about the 221,
I used 4227,4198 powders only.
rangerruck
Member
great, great , great cart. mild mannered , just a little slower than a 223, but i would get one in 20fireball(vartag) or 17 fireball first, they take better advantage of the case, with a bullet that can really get out there, as far as trajectory goes.
RancidSumo
Member
Woah, I like that .17 Fireball and the Remmington 700 model built for it. Thanks for the suggestion. It doesn't look a lot more expensive then the .221 and the 4,000 FPS is impressive.
This target was shot on a windy day at 150 yards. The winds were irregular and swirling but mostly blowing from right to left (east to west) as I faced the target. I had a small flag on the target indicating wind direction. The target should actually be turned 90 degrees right so the big cluster of shots is on the left hand side of center. It was set at 150 yards down range. My gun is an honest one-holer making clustered cloverleafs at that range and it was pretty telling how much drift I could expect under similar conditions. This was with a 40 grain bullet. The 17 and 20 cals are nice but they will be more subject to wind.
RancidSumo
Member
What rifle and what optics were you using?
I bought a Rem 700 Light Varmint Stainless Fluted in 221 Fireball. It comes with a synthetic stock but I replaced the synthetic with a Boyd's Thumbhole Laminate. The synthetic stock was way too flimsy and I couldn't keep a consistent point of impact until I jambed a folded business card up under the front of the forearm. That helped for load development until I got it replaced. This is it below. I have a Zeiss Conquest 4.5-14X44mm scope.
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