22 Vartarg?

[Evan]

I've been eyeballing the 221 Fireball as a fun, affordable plinking round. I've got a 22-250, and so I have all the stuff for 22 caliber and a large supply of 52gn match bullets on hand. I also have several pounds of IMR 4227 from a long gone 22 hornet. If I didn't have the existing "infrastructure" already, I'd consider a 20 Vartarg instead.

Does anyone have any advice or ideas about a 22 Vartarg? I like the idea of a 221 Fireball with a 30degree shoulder to stabilize the brass more and reduce trimming and such. I also like the idea of pushing the shoulder back a touch to gain some more neck.

 

[B23]

I'm sure a 22 VT would be fine but if I was looking for a smaller capacity .22 cal the 222 would be better suited to sling the 22 cal bullets and it would be a straight load and go right out of the box, as well as the 222 is an outstanding shooting round.

 

[Evan]

My draw to the 221 was the ~9gns less powder and only lagging the 222 by 150fps or so. It just seems to be really efficient with the powder. For example, going down to a 22 hornet cuts another 9gns, but the velocity falls to 2100fps or so; the 221 seems to be in a spot where it is making most of the velocity with the least powder. Could shoot a whole lot without getting the barrel very dirty or hot!

 

[Gabe22BR]

Nothing wrong with the fireball!!

 

[TAJ45]

Interesting idea there esp.
If you'd go to that trouble, I like your idea of 40° and more neck. Not much taper so no gain there.
Again, if you're going to that trouble - howabout a shortened 222 or .223, 40°, dial your neck length in. Better brass, more options, less scarce too. Just spitballing.......

 

[6xcshooter]

why bother with a 22 vartarg. the 222 with 40 grainers get 3600 fps. I'll take the more speed of the 222 with less hassel of the 22 vartarg. If you want a vartarg get a 20 vartarg then you will be out shooting the 222. I have a 20 vt and love it.

 

[boltman223]

My draw to the 221 was the ~9gns less powder and only lagging the 222 by 150fps or so. It just seems to be really efficient with the powder. For example, going down to a 22 hornet cuts another 9gns, but the velocity falls to 2100fps or so; the 221 seems to be in a spot where it is making most of the velocity with the least powder. Could shoot a whole lot without getting the barrel very dirty or hot!

Nothing wrong with the 221, I love mine! The nine grains less powder is nice too.

I have a light weight model and had a 40x with a heavy barrel and wish I still had it. Some day I'll have another.

 

[1raggedhole]

I have been shooting 221FB in an old XP100 for a few years. Only set the shoulder back 001” and you won’t have to trim.

 

[NorCalMikie]

Nothing wrong with the fireball!!

Nothing wrong with the 221, I love mine! The nine grains less powder is nice too.

Deadly accurate!! 5 shot groups that can be covered with a dime. What's wrong with that? Don't fix it if it ain't broke.

 

[B23]

My draw to the 221 was the ~9gns less powder and only lagging the 222 by 150fps or so. It just seems to be really efficient with the powder. For example, going down to a 22 hornet cuts another 9gns, but the velocity falls to 2100fps or so; the 221 seems to be in a spot where it is making most of the velocity with the least powder. Could shoot a whole lot without getting the barrel very dirty or hot!

I think a 222 is going to more than likely be around 250-300fps faster than a 221 or 22VT shooting the same bullet.

 

[NorCalMikie]

"I think a 222 is going to more than likely be around 250-300 fps faster than a 221 or 22 VT shooting the same bullet".

Your target doesn't know how fast the bullet is going. If they're all going in the same hole, don't mess with a good thing.

 

[JohnHenry]

why bother with a 22 vartarg. the 222 with 40 grainers get 3600 fps. I'll take the more speed of the 222 with less hassel of the 22 vartarg. If you want a vartarg get a 20 vartarg then you will be out shooting the 222. I have a 20 vt and love it.

One can get 3500 fps out of a 221FB with 40 grain bullets. 20.8gr CFE BLK=3543 fps and 45800 CUP. The 221FB w/o any changes is an excellent round as surely is the 20 Vartarg. A small caliber fan needs one of each.

 

[Evan]

How heavy and long a barrel would be needed with a 221 if I wanted to shoot 100 rnds in a session, fairly rapidly in groups of 5? I'm thinking 26" MTU, but don't have a good idea for how much heat something this small will generate.

 

[flatlander]

I built myself a 20VT several years ago on a M700 SSFluted 17 FB in the CDL trim - Zanders had been running a special on these 17FB rifles, and I got it at a very good price. The stock was the nicest factory stock I'd ever seen on a M700, so I pulled the fluted stainless bbl & sent it to Bartlein so they could duplicate the contour on a 20 cal 5R blank, which I finished at 26". The rifle shot very well, but I often thought about pulling the bbl & cutting it back to 22" or 24". I really doubt there'd be any good reason to go with a 26" bbl on a VarTarg, with its very small case capacity, plus using fast burning powders. I built mine intending to shoot prairie dogs locally, but after getting it up & running, realized I'd been living in the past - there are no decent dog towns within easy driving distance anymore. Finally sold it to a guy who went up to the Dakotas for guided PD shooting sessions.

Now I've got a Howa Mini bbl'd action in 222, and have been thinking about using one or the other of a couple of Bartlein 20 cal blanks to build myself another 20VT. Since Lapua now makes VT brass, I'm more interested than ever. The R-P 221FB brass I'd bought & used for the first VT has very inconsistent primer pocket depths & neck wall thickness variations. I'd expect to get more consistent & better accuracy out of the Lapua stuff, but would have to neck turn, since my VT reamer has a .232" neck. Same goes for the 20VT brass formed from LC5.56 available from a couple of sources. Which makes me wonder how thick neck walls of the Nosler 221FB brass are? Seems like I saw the website of another new brass company that's making 221FB brass recently - anyone have experience with any of that?

 

[JohnHenry]

I have been shooting Nosler 221 brass made by Norma in my .250 nk 221FB. Neck wall thickness is .012 and thus a loaded neck diameter of .248. Neck wall thickness around the circumference only varies by .0002. Obviously the neck wall thickness is going to increase somewhat when you neck down to 20VT but I think it may work in a .232 nk 20VT. Nosler indicates that they are now producing their 221FB brass internally. I do not know the neck wall thickness of that brass.

 

[flatlander]

Thanks for the quick reply John! Was asking because 221 brass availability/quality is going to determine whether I built myself another 20VT or not. I used to have the time & energy to neck turn cases in quantity, but age & other commitments are eroding the desire to dink around with neck turning. It'd be a lot simpler just to chamber a bbl for the 222 Rem & settle for shooting fatter bullets with a lower BC - but I've got a couple of Bartlein 20 cal 1-9tw blanks, and am wanting to shoot 40 or even 50gr 20 cal bullets. Probably should go with a 20 Practical or Tactical for more case capacity with these heavier bullets.

 

[DogBuster]

flip a coin

Fireball or Deuce