Whats up with the 221 FB brass?

C

Chard

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$$$$$ (read pricey) and never available. Been shooting the FB since 78. Tough being a 221FB fan.
 
Send an email to Lapua about getting into the 221FB case business. I did and got a nice reply. I argued that it is now a monopoly where the brass is junk and a golden opportunity for them. The 221FB case market has to be larger than the 222 cases Lapua just announced that they will soon be making. How many manufacturers still make 222 rifles? There are more 221FB, 17FB and 20FB rifles being made today than 222 rifles. And there is only one competitor in the 221FB brass business, and a shi++y one at that. If Lapua would make 221FB cases we could form our own 20FB and 17FB cases from it as well. The volume is there. The future is there as more and more folks discover the efficiency and accuracy of the 221FB, 17FB and 20FB. Send them an email or phone them.
 
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I have made .221 brass...

...with .222 Lapua.

Kind of a pain but works.

pf
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I kinda wish Rem. had taken the 20 cal. route instead of going with the 17 FB, but since they didn't, I've got a new PTG 20 VarTarg reamer, and am just waiting on a couple of .204" bbls. from Bartlein. Bought a Rem 700 CDL Limited in 17FB, pulled the fluted SS OEM bbl. and sent it to Bartlein so they could duplicate the contour. The factory CDL stock is very nice (except for that ugly & ill-fitting recoil pad!!! - why put such an ugly POS pad on an otherwise beautiful stock on rifle chambered for a cartridge with next to no recoil?), and the factory bbl. was pretty light even w/o fluting, so I should have a nice walking varmint rifle when it's finished. Have a Nikon Monarch 6-24x50 (one of the new ones with ED glass) and Leupold PRW rings to sit on an EGW scope rail. Will have to see if the X-Mark Pro OEM trigger can be adjusted to suit, or whether I'll need to replace it with a Jewell HVR.

Bought Hornady 20 VT die set and have a box of 500 R-P 221FB brass, along with plenty of Nosler 32 BTs & Hornady 32 VMaxs to try with H4198. I'm really looking forward to working with this little cartridge.
 
Chard: I have been using Remington 221 Remington Fireball brass for over two decades myself and I have as yet to encounter my first problem with it.
I use it in two factory Rifles (Kimber Ultra-Varmint & Remington 700 Classic) chambered in 221 Remington Fireball and in a custom Rifle chambered in 17 MachIV.
I also have a Remington 700 VSF in 17 Remington Fireball that uses Remington brass.
All these Rifles give excellent accuracy and the brass is long lived and without fault - that "I" can find anyway.
Speaking of finding it - I have had NO problems in that regard either!
The Remington Fireball brass lasts so long (with MY reasonable loadings!) that I rarely have to replace it.
When I do though I usually buy my 221 Remington Fireball brass through Ron Kesselrings wonderful gunshop in Burlington, Washington - Kesselrings Gunshop - http://www.kesselrings.com/servlet/StoreFront
As one example of the accuracy I get with Remington 221 Fireball brass I will cite the last four groupings I have made with my custom 17 MachIV heavy Varminting factory/hybrid Rifle (weighing 12 pounds 11 ounces) - these are 5 shot groups fired at 100 yards - groups: .264", .339", .322" & .262"!
Nothing wrong with that brass, accuracy wise.
By the way those groups were all fired in different but consecutive years for sight in verification, using a Leupold 6.5x20 variable scope.
The FIRST "on-line" site I just now checked for availability of Remington 221 Fireball brass had a virtual unlimited supply of it in amounts from 20 pieces on up through lots of 1,000 and 2,000 pieces!?
30 cents apiece for brass that lasts nearly "forever" is a small price to pay in my eyes.
I thus disagree with your contention that its "hard' to be a 221 Remington Fireball fan".
Long live the 221 Remington Fireball "family" of cartridges!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy:confused:
 
Over the past 15 years, of the three lots of Remington 221FB brass I purchased, all have been either under-annealed, or not annealed at all. All three lots had consistent neck splits on the second firings. These were all shot in min-spec customs (no turning though) with minimum sized bushings used to neck size only. Also, the neck thicknesses themselves were all over the place, so no more Remington for me. And they charge a premium for all of this.

Try Remington 17FB brass, it is even worse.

I started making my own out of Winchester 222 many years ago and haven't looked back. But I sure would love to buy well made brass off the shelf from a company like Lapua.

VarmintGuy, you are one lucky SOB. You have gotten some good lots. Next time you buy some some Remington 221FB brass, buy a lottery ticket as well. :D
 
221FB: I AM using 17 Remington Fireball brass from both factory ammo and of recent from bulk purchase of brass now that its available - and I have as yet to see my first split neck or other other evident flaw with this brass either!
I simply MUST ask - is there something deficient about your reloading technique with the 221 Fireball brass?
Are you lubing the case necks enough when you resize?
I have as yet to have a single split neck in any of my Remington 221 Remington Fireball brass useages!
I use "Imperial Sizing Die Wax" on (and in!) my necks.
I also use Redding dies for all my 221 Fireball family of Rifles.
Hmmm.....?
I never think about "Lotto" tickets when I am in towns!
I am usually looking for and thinking about gunshops and the like.
Are you basing your contention that Remington's 221 Remington Fireball brass is NOT annealed (or not annealed correctly?) on the fact that you are getting split necks immediately?
Hmmm.....?
I know several folks that used to make 17 MachIV brass for their custom Varminters out of the then readily available LaPua 222 Remington brass!
I always considered going that route but never did - I guess I was happy enough with the accuracy of my custom 17 MachIV with Remington Fireball brass.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
 
promises promises..

What ever happened to the Lapua 6ppc brass .268 or so neck.. ready to go..

You know the old story.. believe it when you can touch it...

heck maybe Lapua did make and are offering the 6ppc lapua... heard this song and dance back in 2004 or 2003...

Great brass... just don't hold your breath.
 
Same here, Imperial for over 20 years. Redding for more than that. Heck, if I make my own out of 222 cases I think I got all the bases covered. Mine is not an isolated instance(s). I have known of first hand and read of quite a few folks who have had the same troubles with Rem 221FB and 17FB brass that I did. And I have also heard of folks like you who have never had any problems. I think it is lot dependent. What I should have done is return them to Remington until I got good lots. But I was too lazy and gave up on it many years ago. And just in the past few years Remington has raised their Fireball brass prices dramatically.

The cases I form using 222 brass fit my chambers perfectly, last forever, and are very accurate. But it is a pain in the butt. If Lapua made Fireball cases I would be all over them.

BTW, there are reports (here and elsewhere) that the original Lapua 222 cases weren't that great. They were subcontracted out and weren't of the same quality as their in house brass. The new Lapua 222 cases announced a few months ago will be made in house and will be up to snuff. But I have had very good success using some older Winchester 222 cases. I once took a Winchester 222 case, necked it down to 20 caliber, fired it 16 times in a row with a 32VM going 4000 fps and it only grew .005", and the neck and primer pocket was still perfect. It is well made, tough brass! But it is older stuff from about 15 years ago. No idea about today's Win 222 cases. Another benefit is I only need 18.2 gr of H4198 to go 3800 fps with a 32VM in my 20FB. The thicker Winchester 222 cases makes my 20FB even more efficient than it would be with a Rem case.

Anyway, I hope Lapua considers making 221FB brass one day. I hope some of you Fireball fans here give Lapua a call, email or letter letting them know there is interest in these cases.

Joe, I believe your post belongs in another thread.
 
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