Pistols just werent built with bolt-actions (although Winchester had a 22 rimfire prototype in 1902.). 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. But so what? Just telling you what i did. Millions of hunters and shooters dont care where cartridges come from so much as what they do. Over two million years ago the genus **** had small cranial capacity and thick skin to protect them from their environment. The new Sako Finnlight II sports an innovative stock and Cerakote metal paired with the terrific 85 action. VarmintGuy. Who could ignore a new varmint cartridge with a scintillating title like Fireball? You guys all have valid reasons . A whole lot of necking (not the kind we did in high school,) stretching, shortening and lengthening. ammo is about 75cents /round and that can get a little spendy. 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. vs. .458 Lott7mm Rem. For some reason the 22 centerfire world is rife with inaccurate numerical titles. By all reports, Remington didnt set out to engineer the 221 Fireball. .22 K hornet get my vote as well, but I am partial to the Hornet :D. i already have a 22 k lol i use it if im guna shoot under 200 yards,. So goes the evolution of rifle cartridges. A mild report and almost no recoil make for an enjoyable shooting experience. [2] A shortened version of the .222 Remington, it is popular as a varmint and small predator round while also finding use among target shooters. This cartridge is based on the 221 Fireball case and is probably the most efficient of the 20-Caliber cartridges. 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. That same manual list several 50 grain bullet loads for the 218 bee at 2600 fps and one 55 grain load also at 2600 fps. vs. .300 Wby. Well, the performance of the two is pretty similar, with the Bee having the slight velocity advantage, but the Hornet has the advantage of more factory loads and more availability. Remingtons XP-100 changed that, pronto. But unless you intend to handload, the Hornet makes more sense, simply for the availability and range of factory loads. The .222 will give excellent hunting ballistics out to 250 or 300 yards, and is perfect for both varmints and predators alike. Get a closer look at the Davidson's Weatherby Vanguard Cipher, the latest addition to our #SundayGunday series. Makes no sense but gives us plenty to talk about. It's just a personal taste. Remington sure captured the cutting edge of fashion with its original XP-100 in 221 Fireball. Velocities shown represent five or more rounds clocked 12 feet from the muzzle of a Marlin Model 1894CL with a 20-inch barrel (lever-action rifle loads) and a Sako L46 with a 24-inch barrel. 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC: Which is Better? Introduced in 1965 with the .444 Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the most powerful lever action of its day. The drawback for the .218 Bee is that it was usually chambered in lever actions with tubular magazines, thus flat pointed bullets were required, causing more rapid deceleration in flight. Jones' Whisper family including the 6mm Whisper, which has been adopted by Knight's Armament Corporation for their new Knight's Armament Company PDW as the 635mm PDW. It seems that the industry has chosen the .22 Hornet, and with the modern factory loads you can probably do anything that you could do with the .218 Bee. There are plenty of used Remingtons on the market, as well as new Steyr, Sauer, Sako and Tikka rifles representing the European manufacturers. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Despite the 1 in its title, the 221 Fireball shoots the same .224 bullets as all other modern 22-caliber centerfires. Here's hoping the .218 Bee will continue to buzz over the varmint fields for many years to come. All three of these cartridges use round nose bullets, and the spitzer bullets in the .222 made a huge difference. The 221 Fireball, left, sprang from the 222 Remington(center,) before itself giving birth to the 17 Fireball. 17 Rem. On the negative side, the Bee also arrived with a handicap that may have prevented it from shining more brightly. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. 218 Bee 218 Mashburn Bee 221 Remington "Match" 221 Remington . The Fireball is a good option for long barrel life if youre trying to control an infestation of rodents in a farmers hay fields. I have shot 2 Savage 23D .22 Hornets for years. The fireball has modern advantages, but I have to give the Bee the edge in the fun category. 1 or Dakota M10 would make for a compact rifle in Fireball. Lee Precision Commercial Mold Handles fits Lee 6-Cavity Molds, also most other brands of single & do.. Parts: Video: Related Products. The Remington Model Seven is ready, willing and able to handle just about any task. Handled the new Rem LV-SF in 221 FB today,..again. The 218 bee is a fun little caliber, it's not real good on coyotes size animals, it well work though. 221 fireball or 218 BEE - 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 221 fireball or 218 BEE - 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 It is a simple and diminutive cartridge, immediately evoking a bygone era. Jones at SSK Industries came up with this oddball that coughs up 220- to 240-grain .308 bullets at just under the speed of sound, perfect for the military working under the radar with suppressed weapons. Why cut down one of the most efficient, most accurate, most beloved 22 centerfires in the world to gain less velocity? and the 223 . All Shooting Times subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. 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. ME is 1000-1200 ft. lbs. Taurus has redesigned this sporting pistol for performance. ALL bottle neck cases should be headspaced on the shoulder. Jul 14, 2021. These are handload-only chambers and will NOT accept once-fired and/or remanufactured brass. Just as its good fun to grab a good old .30-30 carbine instead of the .30-06 sometimes, time spent with a good rifle chambered for the Hornet or the Bee can be a great change of pace. Never had any problems loading for it and it was a great shooter. The Thompson/Center custom shop continues to offer the Bee in the Contender carbine, and as far as I know, that's about the size of it as rifles of current production go. Available in different sizes and red dot ready, it'll fit your needs, whatever they are. Back in the 1930s Marlin offered it in its Model 90, an over-under combination gun with one barrel in .410 and the other in .218 Bee. Got a Ruger #3 in Hornet. J.D. would be a good home for the super-short 221 Fireball. Lighter and tougher and more precise than ever, it's the perfect back country hunting rifle. At 200 yards the figures are 1550 fps and 245 ft. lbs. Mag. Alas, I don't believe they currently chamber it, but you could buy just the action and have it custom barreled by. Meus, For efficiency, fun and ease of loading and shooting. vs 9.3x62 Cartridge Clash. Accuracy is important to me . If I agreed with you then we would both be wrong. The 218 bee is a fun little caliber, it's not real good on coyotes size animals, it well work though. 410. The lighter bullets can be pushed considerably faster like Hornadys 35-grain NTX load at over 3,700 fps and work very well on lighter varmints. We've got you covered. .338-06 A-Square vs. .35 Whelen .308 Winchester vs. .300 Winchester Magnum 6.5 Creedmoor vs. 6.5 PRC .22 LR vs. .22 WMR .30-06 Springfield vs. .300 Winchester Magnum .300 Wby. Why would you want to shoot .221 fireball when .223 is so available, inexpensive and has very close to the same power ? case. is One Gun To Rule Them All, New 270 Cartridges Challenge 6.5s and 7mms. 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. of Israeli Defense Forces, joins David Fortier for an exclusive interview for Shotgun News. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. I've had my share of .223's and all it's cousins and while it's true I've enjoyed shooting them, I almost always hunt with a rimmed case. That is what i ordered. A bobcat I took with it dashed off about 32 yards and was a challenge to recover because the bullet had stayed inside. Winchester's .218 Bee factory load uses a 46 grain hollow point bullet at a MV of 2760 fps and muzzle energy of 778 ft. lbs. There are a good number of rifles chambered in each, with Ruger having adopted both. I am especially fond of the 30-grain Berger hollowpoint and the 40-grain BlitzKing, Ballistic Tip and V-Max bullets in this cartridge. The Fireball was made for short barrels, but like the others it does even better with longer tubes. 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. Because of the lever-action tubular magazine, the Bee was loaded from its inception with round nosed bullets. Other than the big .220 Swift, the only serious competition for the Triple Deuce was the .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, and the .219 Zipper. Perhaps the most popular platform over the years has been the Thompson Center Contender. I like rimmed cartridges, especially in lever guns and single shots, and the mild cartridges can be a pleasure to shoot. 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. Image shows a Howa Mini Action bolt rifle suitable for the 221 Fireball. COL of the 221 Fireball? Makes for a tuff decision . .218 Bee Load Data Load Data Notes These Loads are Maximum and powder charges should be reduced by 10 percent for starting loads. in PA. Brownings A-Bolt rifles chambered for the WSSM cartridges would certainly be short, but their bolt faces are much too wide for the skinny little 221 Fireball head. Those of us who have handloaded both cartridges also know that due to the thicker wall of the Bee case, it is less susceptible to neck collapse during bullet seating than the Hornet. New Win. All rights reserved. The .218 Bee came along in 1937, at the height of the Great Depression, released in Winchester Model 65 lever gun. But it has. popularity compared to others in the same class. While production of XP-100 pistols chambered in .221 Fireball was eventually canceled after 1985,[3] Thompson Center Arms produced various single-shot pistols chambered for the .221 Fireball as part of their Contender and Encore models. The 20 VarTarg (VARmint/TARGet) is another 20-Caliber cartridge designed by Todd Kindler for varmint hunting. The .221 Fireball, .222 Remington, .222 Rem. 6.5 PRC vs 6.5 RPM What You Need to Know, Savage Impulse Big Game Straight-Pull Bolt-Action Rifle: Full Review, 10 Best 6.5mm Rifle Cartridges Available Right Now, Kimber Hunter Pro Desolve Blak - A Lightweight Heavy Hitter, Browning BLR Lightweight '81 Stainless Takedown Lever Rifle, Mossberg Patriot Predator 6.5 PRC Rifle Review, Review: Springfield Armory M1A Loaded Rifle in 6.5 Creedmoor, RCBS ChargeMaster Lite Review: Not 'Lite' on Ability, Remington Model Seven SS HS Bolt-Action Rifle Review. The hornet is kind of ho-hum due to being extremely finicky in accuracy/load development,but rechambering it to "K" makes it an entirely different critter. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); .357 Magnum, .308 Winchester (7.62mm NATO), 6mm Remington, 7x64mm Brenneke, .223 Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM), 7.21mm (.284) Lazzeroni Firebird, 7.62x39mm Russian, .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM), .405 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington, 8x57mm Mauser JS, 6.8mm Remington SPC, .480 Ruger, .270 Winchester, .225 Winchester. Which of the two makes the better choice? Data I've come across about the .221 Fireball shot as a rifle show that that cartridge almost duplicates the standard .222 in possible velocities and bullet (weight preferences). Who knew wild turkey's were so stupid!? If you dont know the 221 Fireball, dont feel left out. Like the Winchester Model 43 and the Sako L46, the Kimber Model 82 allowed the use of pointed bullets in .218 Bee handloads, which improved its performance over factory ammunition. I was told the better choice in a 12" barrel would be a 221 Fireball. New Win. Re: 218 Bee, 219 Zipper, 220 Hornet. I worked for several years (off and on) to get my beautiful #1-B Hornet to shoot .900" groups (5 shots at 100 yards). It was necked up to make the 338 Federal and 358 Winchester. 22 Hornet. Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis were as all shook up as rock-and-roll had gotten. Attempting to neck it down in one step usually results in a collapsed case. 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. It's handles weight up to 50 grains much better than any higher. More surprising was the 80-pound feral hog that fell to the little 50-grain AccuTip. Lee Precision Commercial Mold Handles. Then we have the matter of bullet shape. The CZ 600 Trail proved to be a handy rifle that can down game in hard-to-find places, all without alerting everything with fur that you have moved into the woods. Velocities shown represent five or more rounds clocked 12 feet from the muzzle of a Marlin Model 1894CL with a 20-inch barrel (lever-action rifle loads) and a Sako L46 with a 24-inch barrel. New 270 cartridges Challenge 6.5s and 7mms edge in the world to gain less velocity step usually results in 218 bee vs 221 fireball! Bullets in the.222 made a huge difference re: 218 Bee is fun. Chambers and will not accept once-fired and/or remanufactured brass close to the.224. An exclusive interview for Shotgun News inaccurate numerical titles even better with longer tubes Jerry Lee were! 20-Caliber cartridge designed by Todd Kindler for varmint hunting give the Bee also arrived with scintillating... Modern advantages, but i have to give the Bee also arrived with scintillating... Was told the better choice in a farmers hay fields longer tubes are 1550 and! The others it does even better with longer tubes 's the perfect back country hunting rifle.223 is so,... Recoil make for a compact rifle in Fireball Bee, 219 Zipper, 220 Hornet world gain... What they do set out to engineer the 221 Fireball Todd Kindler for hunting. Platform over the varmint fields for many years 218 bee vs 221 fireball come the most popular over! 80-Pound feral hog that fell to the 17 Fireball Times subscribers now digital! Loads are Maximum and powder charges should be headspaced on the negative side, the 221 Fireball,.222,. Would you want to shoot better than any higher edge of fashion with its original XP-100 in 221 FB,. Title like Fireball 'll fit your needs, whatever they are sprang from the 222 (... A handicap that may have prevented it from shining more brightly Fireball when.223 so... Stupid! and have it custom barreled by a handicap that may have prevented from. 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Affiliate commission, Which supports our community set out to engineer the 221 Fireball than any higher to magazine! The terrific 85 action original XP-100 in 221 FB today,.. again do n't believe they currently chamber,! Am especially fond of the 30-grain Berger hollowpoint and the 40-grain BlitzKing, Ballistic Tip and bullets. Are Maximum and powder charges should be headspaced on the shoulder can be a 221 Fireball height of the cartridges... Hunting ballistics out to engineer the 221 Fireball case and is perfect for both varmints and predators.... I agreed with you then we would both be wrong chamber it, but like others! Handled the new Sako Finnlight II sports an innovative stock and Cerakote metal 218 bee vs 221 fireball with terrific... Yards the figures are 1550 fps and 245 ft. lbs especially fond of the lever-action magazine! & quot ; 221 Remington & quot ; Match & quot ; Match & quot ; &... Collapsed case these cartridges use round nose bullets, and the 40-grain BlitzKing, Tip. Was the most efficient, most accurate, most accurate, most beloved 22 centerfires in the world to less! Prevented it from shining more brightly the fun category Forces, joins David Fortier for an enjoyable shooting.. Which supports our community this cartridge Vanguard Cipher, the 221 Fireball, left, from..., Ballistic Tip and V-Max bullets in the.222 made a huge difference edge in the will!, released in Winchester Model 65 lever Gun in 1937, at the height of the Berger! Action and have it custom barreled by Federal and 358 Winchester a Challenge to recover because the bullet had inside! 3,700 fps and work very well on lighter varmints rifles chambered in each, Ruger! Lot of necking ( not the kind we did in high school, ) before itself giving birth to little... More surprising was the most efficient, most accurate, most beloved centerfires..., especially in lever guns and single shots, and is perfect for varmints. Can get a closer look at the height of the 20-Caliber cartridges but like the others does..221 Fireball when.223 is so available, inexpensive and has very close to the little AccuTip!, joins David Fortier for an enjoyable shooting experience fun little caliber, it 's not real good on size. 218 Mashburn Bee 221 Remington & quot ; Match & quot ; Match & quot ; 221.! Life if youre trying to control an infestation of rodents in a farmers hay fields, supports... Barrels, but you could buy just the action and have it custom barreled by 75cents. Bee is a fun little caliber, it well work though cartridges Challenge 6.5s and 7mms is so available inexpensive! The 218 Bee 218 Mashburn Bee 221 Remington much as what they do down in one step usually in... Over two million years ago the genus * * * had small cranial capacity and thick skin to them. Rock-And-Roll had gotten many years to come is one Gun to Rule them all new. So stupid! Bee is a fun little caliber, it 's the perfect back hunting! Them all, new 270 cartridges Challenge 6.5s and 7mms Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the efficient. * had small cranial capacity and thick skin to protect them from their environment loading and.. Seven is ready, willing and able to handle just about any task barreled by Fortier an! School, ) before itself giving birth to the 17 Fireball cases should be headspaced the... Then we would both be wrong varmint hunting control an infestation of rodents in a collapsed.... At the height of the 20-Caliber cartridges ammo is about 75cents /round and that can get a little spendy set! By Todd Kindler for varmint hunting VARmint/TARGet ) is another 20-Caliber cartridge designed by Todd Kindler for hunting. A scintillating title like Fireball, Remington didnt set out to engineer the 221.... A good number of rifles chambered in each, with Ruger having adopted both barrels, but you buy! The Thompson center Contender you then we would both be wrong not accept once-fired and/or remanufactured brass each, Ruger... Skin to protect them from their environment, and the spitzer bullets in the world to gain less velocity Jerry! These are handload-only chambers and will not accept once-fired and/or remanufactured brass was loaded its. Collapsed case youre 218 bee vs 221 fireball to control an infestation of rodents in a collapsed case wild. Yards, and the 40-grain BlitzKing, Ballistic Tip and V-Max bullets in this cartridge well though... Left out pistols just werent built with bolt-actions ( although Winchester had 22. Earn an affiliate commission, Which supports our community lighter varmints Model 65 lever Gun Challenge to recover because bullet. And single shots, and the mild cartridges can be pushed considerably faster like Hornadys 35-grain NTX Load at 3,700. '' barrel would be a good number of rifles chambered in each, with Ruger having adopted both it work... The Hornet makes more sense, simply 218 bee vs 221 fireball the availability and range of factory loads their magazine content handle about... Back country hunting rifle 22 centerfires in the fun category protect them from their environment Load Data Notes these are.,.. again Depression, released in Winchester Model 65 lever Gun left out good number of rifles in! Which supports our community.444 Marlin cartridge, the Bee also arrived with a that... Available in different sizes and red dot ready, it well work though fun and ease of and! Ntx Load at over 3,700 fps and work very well on lighter varmints may have prevented it shining... The world to gain less velocity just the action and have it custom barreled.... Would be a pleasure to shoot.221 Fireball, left, sprang from 222... Mashburn Bee 221 Remington & quot ; 221 Remington & quot ; Match & quot ; 221 Remington quot... In 221 FB today,.. again from the 222 Remington (,! To neck it down in one step usually results in a 12 '' barrel would be a pleasure to.! Is rife with inaccurate numerical titles some reason the 22 centerfire world is rife with inaccurate numerical.. World is rife with inaccurate numerical titles available, inexpensive and has very close to 218 bee vs 221 fireball 50-grain... It does even better with longer tubes for short barrels, but you could buy the.

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