Groundhogs with 221 Fireball

[ARW]

Rick, those are two fine shooting rifles!

I don't have any A1680 on hand but have heard it steps up the velocity and shoots well in the 221FB.

I see you shoot the Rem 7 1/2 primers, I picked up a 100 pak of those to try also.

Thanks for the pics and info.

Alan

 

[bheadboy]

a friend tried 1680 - though it was accurate and fast it was temp sensitive so he droped it

Bob

 

[Bangs OH]

ARW, I thought I'd get you a picture of a mid-sized groundhog shot with a 40 gr. (Nosler BT) out of a 221 Fireball, but a drenching lightning storm before I could get my phone out and some quick-to-respond buzzards ruined that plan. At any rate: I poked a sitting-up 'hog yesterday at 180 yards. Rifle (Cooper M38 Phoenix) zeroed at just under 200 yards cold; no holdover used and off stand-up BogPod tripod. Dropped with no movement. Bullet exit wound, just above heart, looked more like a wide gash about 1/2" long than an explosive crater. No drama or gore, but thoroughly dead.
This was in an area where the Fireball is the perfect rifle: a beanfield only 250 yards long paralleling a bike trail. Not that I really give a rat's a-- about the hearing comfort of those using the trail (except for the kids), the relative "quietness" of the .221, and the trajectory that drops sharply after about 250 yards (yes, I was 100 yards away from and shooting parallel to the path) makes it ideal for such situations, and where a Hornet might not be quite enough gun.