Anyone using .17 Fireball?

[Cyres]

My mate has a 17 Remmy Fireball which was made by Swift Precision rifles. It wears a Photon with a doubler and it is his go to fox rifle. Super bit of kit up to about 150yds. I find its a bit fussy on bullet placement on foxs in fact I shot my first ever left and right on foxs with it.

As for brass I did him a major favour and it was the bargin of the century as I was in Wynnstay Farmers Oswestry gun room when they were closing down and I think they had 7x boxes of 17 Remmington. I haggled a deal at £5 box! Mind you took nearly 2 years to pick them up with covid lockdown and alike.

I would not have one as I use my .204 too much.

D

 

[Ttocs]

I’ve just had my 17 Rem Sako 75 re-barrelled in 17 Fireball (24” stainless barrel). Picked up some Nosler 17FB brass and Hornady Custom Grade Dies from Spud at around £60/100 and £65 respectively - using Ramshot xterminator, Br4 primers behind a Nosler Varmageddon got 4200 f/s and < 1/2” groups.
Now swapped the Nosler for 20gr Vmax and I’ve seen the groups drop to 1 hole about 6-7mm in diameter. I haven’t checked the speed yet (I usually load develop over a chrono but it was too bright and sunny when I was at the range) however I’m expecting >4k f/s.
It’s very quiet too - about the same as my 22 Hornet and nothing like my 204R.
I did the usual run in cleaning regimen; then, after load testing the Noslers, gave it a good clean - got the usual show of carbon out of it but no indication of any copper on the patches - wildly different to the Sako 17 Rem barrel!
It’s everything I hoped for - can’t wait to get out and use it for real.
N

 

[C h r i s]

Mnay thanks for this, does the Sako 75 action feed and eject OK with the short 17 Fireball cases?

 

[Ttocs]

I found the feeding was better with 25gr bullets rather than the 20gr as the round occasionally flicks up at too steep an angle with the lighter bullet.
I’ve put a 10mm spacer at rear of the mag (and trimmed the sprung follower to fit) and that seems to have improved things as I’d also found, on cycling, all the rounds in the mag were sliding forward with the bolt causing a jam.
I’ve gone with the 20gr and the cycling/ejection isn’t really an issue; it’s not 100% more like 90% and that’s some thing I can live with.
N

 

[hedge hunter]

Mnay thanks for this, does the Sako 75 action feed and eject OK with the short 17 Fireball cases?

Hi chris I had a 20 vartarg put together by Steve kershaw in a small action 75 sako never failed with feed or ejection. Brilliant little caliber

 

[keeper]

Just to add my little bit, 17 cals are ok I still have a lovely 17 rem that Steve kershaw made me, plus a hmr my aim was the ultimate vermin round,

The 17 rem is king absolutely in the 17 cals if you know what your doing reloading.
.
But the search for the holy grail ended with the 20 tactical, its quick, quiet, very stable, and very accurate, cheap to load.

 

[C h r i s]

Never tried the 20 tac, but have used the 204Ruger for a few years, had loads of noise complaints about the 204, did some rudimentary testing and found that one of my 223 Tikkas with 22.5" barrel was quieter than the 204 when using 40gn 223 vmax. (But not substantially quieter), hence me looking for the ultimate c/f .17.

 

[keeper]

Never tried the 20 tac, but have used the 204Ruger for a few years, had loads of noise complaints about the 204, did some rudimentary testing and found that one of my 223 Tikkas with 22.5" barrel was quieter than the 204 when using 40gn 223 vmax. (But not substantially quieter), hence me looking for the ultimate c/f .17.

Chris

The ultimate c/f 17 is the 17 rem without any doubt.

In my research I found barrel length and rate of twist most important, I went with a 24" walther barrel I waited six months to come as its a special order job.

Looking at my stelok it fires 4118 ftps using 25gn vmax,

Using the right sound moderator it's low noise.
I strongly recommend 25 vmax due to the bc.

Home loading is the only way to get the best out of any gun.

Just remember .1 of a grain makes alot of different top end of book in the rem.

I was crazy about the 17 and really enjoyed the process.

I am happy to share any of my data or notes.

Or your welcome to come try yourself.

 

[Greenmist]

My mate has a 17 Remmy Fireball which was made by Swift Precision rifles. It wears a Photon with a doubler and it is his go to fox rifle. Super bit of kit up to about 150yds. I find its a bit fussy on bullet placement on foxs in fact I shot my first ever left and right on foxs with it.

As for brass I did him a major favour and it was the bargin of the century as I was in Wynnstay Farmers Oswestry gun room when they were closing down and I think they had 7x boxes of 17 Remmington. I haggled a deal at £5 box! Mind you took nearly 2 years to pick them up with covid lockdown and alike.

I would not have one as I use my .204 too much.

D

How have you done him a favour by getting .17Rem when he has a .17fb

 

[finnbear270]

From .17 Fireball to .20 PRACTICAL , Clue is in the name.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

From .17 Fireball to .20 PRACTICAL , Clue is in the name.

The one I would choose if I didn’t already have 20 Tac and the associated dies etc.

 

[C h r i s]

Slow progress, I now have the .17 Fireball ammuntion to test in a Tikka T3x action, and can confirm that it doesnt feed very well at all. So picking up a Sako 85XS at the weekend with any luck, hopefully this smaller action will work better with the short catridges.

 

[finnbear270]

Slow progress, I now have the .17 Fireball ammuntion to test in a Tikka T3x action, and can confirm that it doesnt feed very well at all. So picking up a Sako 85XS at the weekend with any luck, hopefully this smaller action will work better with the short catridges.

Fast cycling of the rounds (As in reload good shot!) cured all the probs for me.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

Slow progress, I now have the .17 Fireball ammuntion to test in a Tikka T3x action, and can confirm that it doesnt feed very well at all. So picking up a Sako 85XS at the weekend with any luck, hopefully this smaller action will work better with the short catridges.

A scaled action is usually better feed wise. However knack is something that applies too. Cycle my CZ527 wrong and it will not feed well. Some cartridges require a smart application of the bolt. Not too fast or too slow.
I still look at some of the 17’s as a HMR alternative now and then. But I am less inclined than I used to be.
I think the Tac has ticked most of the small calibre boxes for me. That and a lack of the former burgeoning rabbit population round here.

 

[C h r i s]

Luckily I'm still inundated with rabbits on my shoots, last count using thermal on a 20 acre field was 84, but for how long I don't know. Although one farm I visit a little further away has a lot more Hares than rabbits. I like to try and ensure a sustainable population.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

Luckily I'm still innundated with rabbits on my shoots, last count using thermal on a 20 acre field was 84, but for how long I dont know. Although one farm I visit a little further away has a lot more Hares than rabbits.

We have area’s good for Hares (although I don’t shoot them) and others hold some rabbits. But even in the Dales where I grew up. There’re nowhere near the numbers. I used to make good money ferreting. Now I would be lucky to cover the cost of the bullets.

 

[MACKY]

Chris

Mightbe worth looking at the. 20 VarTarg.
.221 fireball necked down to .204.
I've had one for a few years and it's a grate little round to shoot.
Mine started of as a rem 700 .17 fireball, rebarrled to. 20 cal and as it was already a short action I've had no feed issues.

 

[C h r i s]

Chris

Mightbe worth looking at the. 20 VarTarg.
.221 fireball necked down to .204.
I've had one for a few years and it's a grate little round to shoot.
Mine started of as a rem 700 .17 fireball, rebarrled to. 20 cal and as it was already a short action I've had no feed issues.

Have used .204 extensively in the past, too noisy for my application I'm afraid.

Sako 85XS purchased and should be on its way to Neil McKillop any day now.

 

[MarinePMI]

If I remember correctly the Rem 700 has a different extractor position for the fireball rounds. Not sure if magazine is different or not as well. Brass may well be an issue to find although Lapua now do 221 Rem FB brass.

To be clear, the ejector needs to be moved (from a 9 o'clock position to 12 o'clock position on the bolt face), not the extractor, so that the case is not pushed off the bolt face as the bolt head clears the bolt lug slots (and the short case comes off the bolt face as it dips into the bolt lug cut out on the receiver ring).

The short case begs for a controlled feed, mechanical eject action for reliable feeding and ejecting at any bolt cycling speed (like a Big Horn/Zermatt Origin or TL2/3).

That being said, the 17 Mach IV/17FB is a killer on vermin.

 

[MarinePMI]

ETA: On another note, a Tikka/Sako may work marginally well, since the Tikka is a 60* bolt throw, with the ejector located at the 10:30 location on the bolt face (looking from the rear), and the bolt lug cut out in the receiver ring is at the 3 o'clock (again, looking from the rear). I think the case may still want to slip off the bolt face, but not as severely as a 700 action, and may be why a quick bolt cycle allows extraction on a Sako (as noted). Likely the bolt is moving faster than the case is being pushed off the bolt face into the lug cut out (due to the case hitting the lug cut out at an angle; plus the Tikka receiver is much narrower than a Remington internally)...