Striker Calibers

[Apache]

Very interesting round.........cheap to shoot by today's standards. What powder are you using if I may ask? What kind of velocity est. do you think it's doing?

[Nor Cal Mikie]

As far as FPS, I'am not really sure. Maybe in the 3100 or 3200 range? If it was/is faster, I wouldn't be surprised. IMHO, speed doesn't mean squat if you can'y hit what you're aiming at. It produces little groups so that is what I was after and with almost no recoil.
I wanted to be able to see my hits through the scope so a heavy barrel and small round (short of going rimfire) is what I worked with.
Got it working and I can see hits at 100 yards with a 16" striker. Longer/heaverier rifle barrel, no problem.
The .221 Fireball is a neat round but I got hooked on the 20 VT. I figured a "20" caliber would be better? Not so. Just about the same amount of powder, just a smaller caliber bullet.
I figured a shortened version of the 20 VT might do the trick. Push the case shoulder back till I got close to what I wanted. Pushed it back from 1.400 to 1.200 and loaded it up. Short chamber a barrel till it fit the case. Spin it on, set the head space and go shooting.
Making brass can be a chore but practice makes perfect?? Not a "one step" operation for sure.
Same powders as the .221 Fireball or the 20 VT. In my case, AA2230 and AA2460. Burns clean and no pressure problems. Got Lil Gun but havn't got there yet. I'am not one for jumping from one powder to another just because someone else got killer FPS or groups. I'll work a powder till I can't get anymore out of it.
Lots of rounds that are "close" (why reinvent the wheel??) but when you get something stuck in your head, you have to follow through or you'll never know if it would have worked or not. Might even try going to a 17 caliber and see how that would work.
Easy way to go is take a .204 Ruger chamber, shorten it to fit the 20 VT case, add a few more threads so you can set the headspace and you're good to go. Less expensive that way.

[Appleseed]

I put away reloading stuff this summer to build a new shed...when the farming is over this fall, I'd like to try some reduced loads for the 221fb. Have some blue dot to try, using data from James Calhoon, he suggests using 2 grains less for .221fb than for .223. The Blue dot loads for .223 I can't remember the source; loads from 35-55 gr bullets range 4-14 grains powder.