221 FB powder

[BT]

For those of you that have loaded the 221, what has been your preferred powder?

[ramon]

Watching this also. BT what bullet weight you going to use? Probably use 50 gr. in mine but do have some lighter weights.

[BT]

Ramon, 40 gr NBTs and V Max is what I’ll be starting with. Barrel has a 1:14 twist. I’m sure I’ll test some 50 gr as well to see how they’ll do, but the 40’s are the main plan.

[Bobby Tomek]

If you have it or can find it, Re-7 is a great place to begin with the .221FB.

[FyrepowrX]

another vote for Rx7 here also....for quite a few years it was my go-to; when Lil Gun loads were first published i tried those because of the lure of speed , and they did shoot well, but i later had a series of high-pressure instances that i was not comfortable with, and abandoned it.

Not long ago i started a new load work up for the 17ackley hornet, and again lil gun did well, with good accuracy...and again the pressure spikes showed up. I still burn lil gun in the 22Hornet, but other than that, i only use lil gun in straight wall cases.

i havent tried it yet in the Fireball, but CFE-Blk has worked well for me in a few other small cartridges where powders like 1680 & lil gun were options. Had it not been dropped i'd also throw a vote for Norma200; but it is now gone.

My contender carbine in fireball is a 24" tapered, 1-12 twist...also have a Remington 700 LVSF in .221FB....dont have any pistol length barrels any more. Quite a few years ago i had a beautiful copper 21 Varmint Extreme in .221 with great lumber on it, but it was one of those that looked nice enough to where i was kind of afraid to haul it around in the field.

I've mostly stuck with .40's & .45's, although my rem700 shot well with R-P factory loads that were 50gr...but those factory 50's are kind of short squatty semi-spitzers, not sure how well a long sleek 50gr would do, i seem to remember the 700 was a 1-14 twist. I've shot a pile of 40gr blitzkings through those, but they've also liked the 45gr Hornady hornet bullet, and those are both cheap & expand well.

i'll dig around and see if i have some data saved, and post it here.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

IMHO, anything that will work in the .223 will work in the .221 Fireball.
Funny how folks will jump all over the place when it comes to powder.
Pick your powder and work it till you can't work it anymore, then work it some more.

Someone will say "I use xxxx powder and it's killer" so they switch.
Next thing you know, they've got 10 different powders on the shelf and never really found the FULL potential of ANY of them.
Started out with AA 2230 C Data powder in 8# jugs @ about $65.00 ea. Thinking maybe 10 ea. till it wasn't available anymore.
(M1As and Mini 14s eat LOTS of powder!!) Moved over to AA 2230 and never looked back.
Works VERY well in my M1A, Mini 14 AND my bolt guns. Bug holes are the norm without too much work.
Except for the gas guns, chambers are all cut with ZERO free bore.
Start with the "lightest bullets I can get my hands on", loaded and seated INTO the lands, then go to heavier as the throat wears.
No issues with brass, primers, bullets or powder. 5 shot groups, from the bench that can be covered with a dime on a regular basis are the norm.:cool:

[sunnysmarine]

powder wise I have and use to many to suggest just one I like the 4198s, my suggestion for your FB is to try 35gr Vmax or some of the 34gr shots both have out performed many heavier bullets in my 22 Hornets thru 219 wasp I am waiting on my new 221 FB barrel to be completed and will be starting with 30gr Varmint Grenades

[Dan L]

As I just got a 221 FB Barrel
I am going thru experimenting also
So far Rx7 and H322 are the best for me
I am using 52 BTHP bullets

Dan

[Iowa Fox]

The little guy shoots pretty good with a lot of different powders. Right now I'm using 40gr V Max or B tips and A2230 or A2200. I'm down to about 2 1/2 8 pounders of 2200. Shooting it out of a XP, a Van Horn 20" Contender and a 22" TC custom shop Encore.