Bullet choice for .221 Fireball?

M

massbigbore442001

New member
Hello All:

I have been handloading my .221 Fireball and with one load I am averaging 3100 fps at the muzzle with a 40 grain bullet. Pretty impressive from a 14 inch barrel.

My question is, what brand of bullet would you use for varmints like coyote? Barnes Varmint Grenade? Nosler Varmageddon? Hornady Vmax? Any others?

In the near future I want to settle on one bullet for the 221 Fireball as well as the 22 Hornet and 223 Remington. I would like some good opinions on what bullet you happen to like. Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: Noveske CrusaderDon't get V-MAX....they make a huge entrance splash.
I don't think splashing will be a problem with a 14" Fireball and resulting velocities....

My favorite bullet is a 40 grain Ballistic Tip. My go to load in a Fireball ran that bullet to 3100 in a 10 1/2" X-P-100. Never shot a coyote with that load, but I'm sure it'll work fine.
 
Back in the day when I was shooting my XP100 (221), I was loading just the 52gr Speer HP, was pretty accurite @100.

But now, there are so many more newer bullets to try. My thought would be to try a 52 Amax 1st then go from there. Also the Seirra 53 BR might work really good for you, for I remember trying that one and it too was very accurite.
 
The Speer 50 TNT (HP) bullets is very accurate. I use to shoot a ton of these in my 222. Same with the Sierra 52 HPBT. The Sierra though would probably be my choice as a good economic cross-over bullet between 221 and 223 (but not the hornet). I have a buddy that took over my supply of these (Sierra 52's) and is using them with great success now in his Savage 223. Not lots of splash, but DRT results.

I personally like the 40 V-MAX in my 222, and use it on predators with mixed results as far as tearing stuff up. Like anything else if it hits bone, it's going to make a mess. But no big entrance holes in my experience on boiler room shots even on lighter fox, and I drive these to 3300. It is another very accurate (even at long range) bullet, with impressive terminal results in the field.

When I was looking at bullets for my 22-250, the 52 A-MAX was a strong consideration but ultimately I went with Berger's 52 target match hollow point - another excellently accurate bullet, and I really don't find it tears stuff up like you would think it might in the 3,600-3,700 fps range.

But for the hornet, well... if I wanted something tough enough for a coyote and preserving fur was a consideration, I really think I would try the Barnes 45 TSX. I thought about the 53 TSX for my 222 at one point but my 222 was a 1 in 14 twist and it wouldn't have stabilized the 53 which needed a 1 in 12. I think a 1 in 14 or my 1 in 16 hornet though could probably handle the 45 TSX so that one might work in both your hornet & 221 as well. Just a thought.
 
I have had the most consistent results with the 40gr BlitzKing with a close second with the 50gr Sierra Blitz bullets. As mentioned I would avoid the 40gr VMax as they will give occasional splash wounds.
 
Anything in the 40-50 grain range with preference to 40 grain VMax or BT. You can get some nice velocities with the 40s and Lil Gun.
 
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