221 Fireball using an 8 twist barrel

[dgeesaman]

I have a Tikka take-off barrel that was undercut ahead of the shoulder by the smith who removed it and rebarreled it for me. He didn’t want to risk damaging the action and it was the right choice. It was a mediocre .223 8 twist and of course it’s no longer useful for that.

I have a friend who wants to start chambering barrels so I’m considering grinding off the original 223 stamping and setting back into a 221 Fireball. It might be scrap considering it is a learning barrel or it might shoot ok. Don’t care if it turns out junk. Investment will be a set of dies, case of beer (afterward of course), and reamer rental.

Is there anything unwise about this? I reckon the 50-55gr bullets will stabilize with ease and won’t spin fast enough to burst at FB velocity.

 

[Paul's Black Rifles]

I have a Tikka take-off barrel that was undercut ahead of the shoulder by the smith who removed it and rebarreled it for me. He didn’t want to risk damaging the action and it was the right choice. It was a mediocre .223 8 twist and of course it’s no longer useful for that.

I have a friend who wants to start chambering barrels so I’m considering grinding off the original 223 stamping and setting back into a 221 Fireball. It might be scrap considering it is a learning barrel or it might shoot ok. Don’t care if it turns out junk. Investment will be a set of dies, case of beer (afterward of course), and reamer rental.

Is there anything unwise about this? I reckon the 50-55gr bullets will stabilize with ease and won’t spin fast enough to burst at FB velocity.

Go for it, sounds like a good plan to me. I've done it before.
Paul

 

[SSL]

I have a Tikka take-off barrel that was undercut ahead of the shoulder by the smith who removed it and rebarreled it for me. He didn’t want to risk damaging the action and it was the right choice. It was a mediocre .223 8 twist and of course it’s no longer useful for that.

I have a friend who wants to start chambering barrels so I’m considering grinding off the original 223 stamping and setting back into a 221 Fireball. It might be scrap considering it is a learning barrel or it might shoot ok. Don’t care if it turns out junk. Investment will be a set of dies, case of beer (afterward of course), and reamer rental.

Is there anything unwise about this? I reckon the 50-55gr bullets will stabilize with ease and won’t spin fast enough to burst at FB velocity.

You'll be fine with the 1-8" twist and 50-55 grain bullets. I regularly push those weights to well over 3,400 fps (50-grain) and over 3,300 fps (55-grain) in my 1-8" .223. .221 Fireball velocities will certainly not blow them up. Do avoid Hornady SX bullets in any weight. Good bullets for slower twist rates, but 1-8" is too fast to keep them from blowing up.

 

[BradY]

I know someone pushing 55gr Sierra gameking soft points in an 8 twist 22-250AI. No issues to speak of and at those rpm, they act like a ballistic tip

 

[nockhunter]

It would make a good suppressed 69g-80g shooter.

Mike