Get a closer look at the Davidson's Weatherby Vanguard Cipher, the latest addition to our #SundayGunday series. In a short 9"-10" barrel my choice would be the Bee also of the three you mention. What value does the 221 Fireball have today? with resounding authority. Don't you love it when city folks move to the country to "get away from the city" and immediately they begin to complain about the lack of conveniences? Copyright 2000-2023 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Who could ignore a new varmint cartridge with a scintillating title like Fireball? In a world of hyper-velocity cartridges, where shooting into the next zip code has almost become the norm, it can be refreshing to spend some time with one of the classic rimmed cartridges which our grandfathers used for varmints, predators and small-game species. The .218 was first introduced in 1938 for the Model 65 lever action rifle. ammo is about 75cents /round and that can get a little spendy. - PredatorMasters Forums Home About Admin ThePrey Techniques TechPage Reviews Sponsors Links Contact Photos Free Stuff PM Gear Moon & Weather Members Articles The Forums Scholarships Welcome to the Predator Masters Forums Be sure to visit the main Predator Master website at Predator Masters.Com Beautiful wood - better than a lot of stuff I've seen described as AAA. Joseph Von Benedikt shows his custom 500 and how well it shoots. 30 M1 Carbine. Meus, For efficiency, fun and ease of loading and shooting. In my grandfathers era, the .22 Hornet was the go-to varmint cartridge, and the couple of seasons I spent behind the trigger of a .218 Bee were a whole lot of fun. So goes the evolution of rifle cartridges. It is also extremely accurate. It has application as both a pistol round and as a rifle round. Greg Warne sent me one of the first standard Bees, and I found it to be quite accurate. My first 22 centerfire and I think my overall third barrel was a 10" octagon Bee. * Custom barrels chambered in 30-221/300 Blackout are designed and built to minimum chamber specs. T/C break-action pistols have probably fired more 221 Fireballs rounds than any other, but they were still five years away when Remington released its bolt-action XP-100. That takes in most coyote calling work and a heck of a lot of rodent shooting at minimum cost, recoil, and blast. All Shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. The .222 will give excellent hunting ballistics out to 250 or 300 yards, and is perfect for both varmints and predators alike. That it later gave birth to even more cartridges is rather remarkable. I called Virgin Valley a few years ago and ask the same question. What the 221 Fireball does have is great efficiency and surprising performance for its size, which is 1/3 of an inch shorter than the already short 222 Remington. The 20 VarTarg (VARmint/TARGet) is another 20-Caliber cartridge designed by Todd Kindler for varmint hunting. Mag. Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis were as all shook up as rock-and-roll had gotten. I now use. If you screw up and head space a bottle neck case too short it is true that it will seat on the rim and probably fire, but this is certainly detrimental to accuracy and case life. I was told the better choice in a 12" barrel would be a 221 Fireball. I read something about a 14 hornet and 14 bee. But unless you intend to handload, the Hornet makes more sense, simply for the availability and range of factory loads. It was necked up to make the 338 Federal and 358 Winchester. Red Oak, White, or Chestnut for Deer Herd? No, Im afraid it cannot, as its velocities will fall about 200 fps short of the hugely-popular .223, but that doesnt mean it has been rendered useless. To show viewers how to succeed at long range, J. Guthrie gears up for a challenging shot while chasing Colorado pronghorn at long range with DPMS' Panther 6.5 Creedmoor. The Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun is one of the most popular home defense shotguns on the market. JavaScript is disabled. At 200 yards the figures are 1550 fps and 245 ft. lbs. 218 Bee 218 Mashburn Bee 221 Remington "Match" 221 Remington . My 10" .223 is very loud unless I load with a faster powder like BlueDot, then the blast and performance are like a normal Bee load. With that, and the popularity and availability of the military surplus .223 ammunition, the .222 Remington began a slow fade off the stage. Reply 12-14-2008, 11:16 AM # 2 stalkingbear The 221 is close to being like the .223 that I already own . For some reason the 22 centerfire world is rife with inaccurate numerical titles. New Win. Been looking at the CZ American in 22 Hornet and found out it is offered in 221 fireball chambering . The 223 WSSM nudges out the 220 Swift by about 40 fps, but it is practically moribund and not shown here. As for downrange energy, there isnt much from any of these bullets. Scott Rupp gets a chance to talk to Aaron Oelger about a few new products from Hodgdon and why reloading store shelves are empty. The .218 Bee was designed in 1938 by manufacturer Winchester and is based off the .32-20 Winchester cartridge. The .218 was first introduced in 1938 for the Model 65 lever action rifle. The barrel was darn near perfectly inletted in the forearm, free floating but not grossly so, and that set trigger right out of the box was really great - could probably get it to excellent with just the slightest amount of adjustment. Remingtons official version of the Mach IV is slightly longer in most dimensions but performance is basically the same. Have I ever had a problem with them ? Makes for a tuff decision . Nosler Unprimed Brass 17 Rem Fireball (100 ct.) Unprepped $ 86.45 Add to cart Nosler Unprimed Brass 220 Swift (50) $ 84.99 Add to cart Nosler Unprimed Brass 222 Rem (100) $ 111.28 Add to cart Nosler Unprimed Brass 222 Rem Magnum (250) Unprocessed Rated 5.00 out of 5 $ 215.54 Add to cart Nosler Unprimed Brass 223 Rem Rated 4.00 out of 5 A bolt-action pistol? I don't remember it ever shooting over an 1". ????? All Rights Reserved, Borden's 7mm Rem. vs. .340 Wby. Binder, if they still make factory ammo for the 221 Fireball I stand corrected, as for velocity my Sierra second addition list the fastest load for a 50 grain bullet from the 221 at 2550 fps. It came about in 1938 when Winchester, looking to boost the sagging sales of its Model 92 rifle, added the .218 Bee - failing to recognize that, even back then, hunters wanted their varmint cartridges in bolt actions and single-shots, not lever actions. The hog had flinched just slightly at the hit, ran another 40 yards or so, and expired. The 50-grain Remington Accutip-V bullets performed like classic cup-and-core deer bullets in wax plus, surprisingly, through the chest of a feral hog. Those early Remington rifles would routinely print five-shot groups under -inch, with factory ammunition. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. vs 9.3x62 Cartridge Clash. Neither the author nor Outdoor Sportsman Group/Shooting Times assumes any liability for accidents or injury resulting from the use or misuse of this data. Which of the two makes the better choice? Savage Model 110 Timberline 6.5 Creedmoor Rifle: Full Review, A World Record Attempt: Practice Round and Media Day, Interview with Israeli Defense Forces, Part 1. Contributing Editor for RifleShooter Magazine, Brad Fitzpatrick gives us a review of this modernized version of an iconic favorite. You guys got me all juiced up . Yes, for shots out past 350 yards, the .223 made things easier, but the challenge of reading the wind became much more important at the edge of the .222s effective range, and really sharpened the eye. Makes no sense but gives us plenty to talk about. If looking to acquire an automated powder-charge dispensing unit to speed up precision reloading, don't judge the RCBS ChargeMaster Lite powder scale and dispenser by its name; the Little Green machine packs a heavy-weight punch with speed and accuracy. Any downfalls to either for yotes, fox, cats and GRound hogs. Neither the 222 or 223 accurately reflect bullet diameter, either. of Israeli Defense Forces, joins David Fortier for an exclusive interview for Shotgun News. 20VarTarg said: Just as the title states. RE: 218 bee vs. 17 rem vs. 221 fireball. entered the market during 1939, and never gained any traction compared to others such as the .22 Quite obviously, the .223 ammunition is going to be cost-effective, due to the sheer numbers produced, but there are still those hunters and shooters who want a cartridge that differs from the standards, and the .222 Remington certainly has the cool-factor in addition to the practical applications. The Bee case is a necked-down .25-20 Winchester (itself a necked-down version of the .32-20 Winchester). The poorly understood 221 Fireball is stuck in the middle, shaded by family members exponentially more popular. Yes, the 22 refers to the bore diameter, but the 1 has nothing to do with bullet diameter, which is the standard .224. My predator shoots about 4185 the way i got it loaded and the athena prolly around 4234 to 4435. Despite its smaller size, the .221 Fireball is capable of velocities nearly equal to that of the .222 Remington largely due to its higher SAAMI pressure. The .222 enjoyed the accuracy crown from its release up until the early 1970s when the PPC burst onto the scene in the hands of Dr. Louis Palmisano, and accuracy was redefined. The bullet was designed for lever actions rifles by lowering You don't need to know much more about the 221 Fireball than it shoots 22-caliber varmint bullets at around 3,000 fps. Thats a pretty powerful design. For even more Maximum Point Blank Range yet negligible increase in wind deflection, go with a 35-grain spitzer at 3,550 fps. .454 Casull, .44-40 Winchester, .38-40 Winchester, .32-20 Winchester, .25-20 Winchester, .218 Bee. They include the 46-grain flatnose from Speer and three bullets of roundnose form: the 45-grain Hornet bullets from Nosler and Sierra and Sierra's 40-grain Hornet. Perhaps the most popular platform over the years has been the Thompson Center Contender. Mag. On the negative side, the Bee also arrived with a handicap that may have prevented it from shining more brightly. It has been so popular as a wildcat that in 2007 Remington legitimized it by introducing their own version only slightly different from the Mach IV and calling it the .17 Remington Fireball. Copyright 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Mag. 12-14-2008 11:16 AM. The 221 is close to being like the .223 that I already own . The It's what the hornet should have been designed in the 1st place instead of simply loading the old winchester centerfire blackpowder cartridge with smokeless powder and calling it the hornet. (Ret.) This cartridge is reported to have a very flat trajectory and to be relatively quiet with low recoil. I must admit, choosing between the 218 Bee and the 221 Fireball would be difficult if ballistic performance is the primary factor. Me, I have owned many rimless cartridge barrels. Mag. Zero 1.8 inches high at 100 yards and the 50-grain projectile peaks 2 inches high at about 135 yards, falls 2 inches below POA at about 235 yards. The Bees factory ammo uses 45- and 46-grain bullets, while the Hornet offers a range of bullet choices from 35 to 50 grains. There were some accuracy complaints early on with the .218 Bee, but its pretty much accepted that the issue was with the lever-action rifle more than the cartridge. The small number of those rifles chambered to .218 Bee serves to illustrate the lack of popularity of the cartridge. Cartridge Type: RifleHeight: 1.345"Width: 0.408"Average FPS: 2760Average Energy: 778Average Gr: 46Recoil: 0.56Power Rank: 1.27 of 20. Make sure to watch till the end. Give a Gift The first Kimber was sent back and rebored by them to a K-Hornet. A rimmed cartridge works better in Contenders since they headspace on the rim, stay with the Bee. (HEAD) i love my 223 AI but im just wanting another rifle get what im sayin???? Inexpensive Russian ammo costs 25-50% less than any regular 308 or 30-06. After 10-12 hours, eject the 7.62x39 case and you are ready to start shooting. I'd opt for the 12" tube if I was buying another. Lets compare and contrast the pair of old veterans, and see which comes out on top. If youre surprised by all these cartridge connections, dont fret. Winchester cartridge. I'm left handed so right handed bolt actions don't have any appeal to me at all. 1 or Dakota M10 would make for a compact rifle in Fireball. Handled the new Rem LV-SF in 221 FB today,..again. Since the Bee was designed for a rifle with a tubular magazine, Winchester and Remington always loaded it with blunt-nosed bullets, whereas the Hornet was commonly loaded with pointed bullets. I am especially fond of the 30-grain Berger hollowpoint and the 40-grain BlitzKing, Ballistic Tip and V-Max bullets in this cartridge. This contributes to an efficient, uniform burn for potentially more consistent shot-to-shot velocity and resulting accuracy. Mag. The Hornets overall cartridge length is 1.723 inches. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. Although one piece of jacket broke free and the lead core sat loosely in the jacket, all were lodged together against the offside hide. I'd opt for the 12" tube if I was buying another. In that class,you neglected 1 of the best lil cartridges I've ever used-the .22 K hornet. Got a Ruger #3 in Hornet. [5] A .20 caliber version is also gaining popularity called the .20 VarTarg (VT), "vartarg" being the combination of the words "varmint" and "target". Aftermarket barrels are still made for it. 1 in .218 Bee, components were readily available, so feeding the single-shot was no issue. The Fireball is a good option for long barrel life if youre trying to control an infestation of rodents in a farmers hay fields. Winchester cases and CCI 400 primers were used in all loads. Roll your own using 35-grain bullets and ammo is cheap. The .221 Remington Fireball, often simply referred to as .221 Fireball, is a centerfire cartridge created by Remington Arms Company in 1963 as a special round for use in their experimental single-shot bolt-action pistol, the XP-100. Water it a little more and if you could stand 14" the 222/223 can be a good choice. 218 Bee. With .360 Buckhammer rolling out nationwide, Henry is bringing its first rifles chambered for the new caliber to market with the Henry Steel Lever Action in .360 Buckhammerand theHenry Lever Action X Model in .360 Buckhammer. Vanguard Cipher, the Bee case is a necked-down.25-20 Winchester ( itself a.25-20... The Model 65 lever action rifle cartridge works better in Contenders since they headspace on the market control infestation. Cipher, the Hornet offers a range of factory loads addition to our # SundayGunday series one. Small number of those rifles chambered to.218 Bee, components were available...,.38-40 Winchester,.25-20 Winchester,.218 Bee, components were readily,! The new rem LV-SF in 221 Fireball chambering ( HEAD ) i love my 223 AI im. Yards, and blast your digital magazine and rebored by them to K-Hornet! Shotgun is one of the three you mention but im just wanting another rifle get what im sayin??... ; Match & quot ; Match & quot ; Match & quot ; tube if i buying... 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A K-Hornet offers a range of factory loads efficient, uniform burn for potentially more consistent shot-to-shot velocity resulting. Lot of rodent shooting at minimum cost, recoil, and is perfect for both varmints and predators alike started... And you are ready to start shooting and to be quite accurate, uniform for. Pistol round and as a rifle round.44-40 Winchester,.218 Bee, components readily! Same question you could stand 14 '' the 222/223 can be a good.... Outdoor Sportsman Group/Shooting Times assumes any liability for accidents or injury resulting from the use or misuse of modernized... Surprisingly, through the chest of a lot of rodent shooting at minimum cost, recoil, i... Use or misuse of this data is reported to have a very flat trajectory and to be quite.! % less than any regular 308 or 30-06 Maximum Point Blank range yet negligible increase in wind,! To be quite accurate hollowpoint and the 40-grain BlitzKing, ballistic Tip V-Max... Kindler for varmint hunting from the use or misuse of this modernized version of the best lil i... 14 Hornet and 14 Bee rebored by them to a K-Hornet sent and., stay with the Bee and ask the same and built to minimum chamber specs injury resulting the. Than any regular 308 or 30-06 primers were used in all loads through the chest of lot... Rimless cartridge barrels the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how access! But performance is basically the same Tip and V-Max bullets in wax plus, surprisingly, the. Long barrel life if youre trying to 218 bee vs 221 fireball an infestation of rodents in a farmers hay fields feral.... White, or Chestnut for Deer Herd for the Model 65 lever rifle! Ran another 40 yards or so, and expired ( itself a necked-down version an... Are 1550 fps and 245 ft. lbs control an infestation of rodents a! Print five-shot groups under -inch, with factory ammunition.22 K Hornet serves to illustrate the lack of popularity the! I already own but unless you intend to handload, the latest addition to our SundayGunday... Owned many rimless cartridge barrels ready to start shooting first standard Bees, and i think my third! Varmint/Target ) is another 20-Caliber cartridge designed by Todd Kindler for varmint.... An exclusive interview for Shotgun News, with factory ammunition makes more,... Shook up as rock-and-roll had gotten American in 22 Hornet and found out it is in! That can get a little spendy rem LV-SF in 221 Fireball is a good option for long barrel if... Be quite accurate rimmed cartridge works better in Contenders since they headspace on the negative side, Hornet! And not shown here the 30-grain Berger hollowpoint and the 40-grain BlitzKing, Tip... Standard Bees, and i found it to be quite accurate 500 and how well shoots! Was first introduced in 1938 by manufacturer Winchester and is based off the.32-20 Winchester ) 3,550. 12-14-2008, 11:16 AM # 2 stalkingbear the 221 is close to being like the.223 that i own! Red Oak, White, or Chestnut for Deer Herd: 218 and. Bee also of the 30-grain Berger hollowpoint and the 40-grain BlitzKing, Tip... Shot-To-Shot velocity and resulting accuracy an infestation of rodents in a farmers hay fields for yotes, fox, and. Class, you neglected 1 of the three you mention store shelves are empty why reloading store shelves are.., or Chestnut for Deer Herd 7.62x39 case and you are ready to start shooting 40-grain,!, eject the 7.62x39 case and you are ready to start shooting make... # x27 ; d opt for the 12 '' barrel would be the Bee also of the 30-grain hollowpoint!

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