221 Fireball
 

New member here looking for load data for a Remington XP-100 pistol in 221 Fireball with a 10 3/4" barrel. Id like to shoot 40-50 grain bullets over CFE-black.

Thanks for any insight even if it is not for CFE-black. I have other powders but CFE-black is what I use in my 20 VT.

Jeff

What kind of results are you having with the CFE BLK in the 20 VT? I've been thinking about giving it a try just for something to do? What's your start point with a 32 grain bullet?? I've been running CFE BLK in a 17 AH. The speed is there but not the accuracy. Now I gotta find something to use the rest of the pound of powder in. If I can get it to work in the 20 VT that would be awesome!

Have had 221FB rifles since 1998. Preferred loads are 40gr and 45 gr bullets using RL-7 or AA2200. Usually use Rem7.5 or BR-4 primers and Remington brass.

In both my XP's I used H-335 and H-322 and shot the Rem. factory 50 gr. sp.'s

Thanks for the replies. Still doing load development in the VT. Started at 17.5 and loaded 19.0 under the 32 vmax tonight. No pressure signs yet and accuracy has improved with the speed. Shot the XP this afternoon with modest loads of CFE-B and H4198. CFE-B was the most accurate load so now looking for more speed.

Thanks for giving me a starting point on the 20VT. Wish I could have helped you with your initial question.

@20VarTarg

I've used CFE Blackout and 40 V-Max for 2-3 seasons of PD shooting with 20 VT.

18.0g yields 3400 with no signs of high pressure even at 90-100 degrees on the prairie.

Very accurate powder bullet combo in my rifle.... OCW target with loads in my album.

Only issue has been the very fine ball powder clings to the drop tube of the Dillon. I was shocked to recently find the tube ID coated with hardened powder. I had to use a bore brush to remove it. This was after loading only 4 pounds of powder or about 1500 rounds.

I'm going to polish the tube ID and ground the tube housing to try to eliminate the problem.

Ricco, get your drop tube clean then try pushing a piece of dryer sheet through a few times. If that doesn't get rid of static electricity problem, try working some powdered graphite through the measure with the drop tube installed. One of these methods usually works.

For loading 221FB I use 40 gr bullets with AA1680 & CCI400, but in the short barrel you might get better results (again with 40 gr bullets) using Lil'gun from 15 to 16 grs. With 50 gr bullets I would say RL-7, CFE BLK or AA2200 probably, but I have never loaded 50's in mine.

Thanks Joe.

I'll try that after polishing the tube. I can see there are some rough spots in the tube. Silicone carbide on a patch spun in the tube should take them out.

If you mean the powder funnel when you say the drop tube, I used a tapered reamer to smooth out the machining marks, and it drops even 172 calibers just fine with no bridging or sticking. I also do not leave powder in the measure when done loading. Using a dryer sheet to wipe the plastic cylinder does reduce the static cling does help a bunch.

Yes Tinman I was referring to the powder funnel...... didn't have the nomenclature quite right.

I looked at my tapered reamers and none will clean up all rough areas without getting too big at the top of the funnel. Its about a 1.250 long cut. However I do like your idea and will extend the taper as far as possible with what I have. The hole is now .195 so I should be able to polish out the remaining rough areas with silicone carbide.

This is what I used, and is pretty inexpensive. It is meant for plumbing work, but worked great to ream out the Dillon powder funnels to avoid bridging, especially with smaller calibers. It makes a more tapered "funnel". I have done all my rifle calibers, and have had the reamer for 20+ years. If you chuck the reamer up in drill press or mill at low speed, it takes all of 5 minutes to do. I leave about 3/8-1/2" at the bottom of funnel at the original diameter. Use lots of oil.

https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools.../dp/B00004T82J

I'm gonna have to load some rounds with CFE BLK and give it a try. My RL-7 load is crazy accurate out of both rifles but the speed isn't where I think it should be. Maybe CFE BLK will bring it all together! So much reloading to do and simply not enough time. I'm still trying to find a load that my 17AH likes and another trip to the range today was a real disappointment. Back to the drawing board on that rifle.

Thanks for the tip on the reamer. I used an 11 degree that I have on hand and the funnel now works fine. I also drilled the remaining hole out to .199 to eliminate the remaining rough spots below the reamer cut and polished the ID with a bore brush wrapped in steel wool. I have a lathe so it was easy.

I'm going to order one of the reamers like you noted above, it will move the taper even lower into the funnel. I did find some on EBay also.

You can't read the Oehler chrono printout on my OCW target posted in my photo album but @ 18.6g the mean was 3511 with no perceivable pressure in my rifle. But you can see the groups expand as the load increases from 18.0g.

I chose 18.0g @ 3400 as my limit however because that is the maximum load speed I have seen for a pressure tested load in Accurate's loading manual. It also happened to be the optimum OCW load.

Primers are CCI 400's.

jeff for the life of me I can't see how this thread drifted so far away from your original post.
here ie loading data for a layman book.
10.75" barrel
40 gr jsp
h110 8.5-14.0 2545 fps max
imr 4227 13.0-16.5 2722 fps max
imr4198 15.0-18.0 2541 fps max
rx7 15.0-18.0 2287 fps


45 gr jsp
2400 12.5-14.7 26.11 fps
imr4227 13.0-16.0 2641 fps
ww680 15.3-18.8 2808 max
imr4198 16.0-18.0 2549 max
rx7 15.0-17.0 2111 max

no 50 gr loads but you can use the 52 gr load data for 50's

52 gr jhp
imr4227 12.0-15.5 max 2516 max
ww680 14.0-17.0 2589 max
imr4198 16.0-17.8 2497 max
rx714.5-16.5 2096 max


if you go to Hodgeon's website there are no cfe-blk loads under pistols but they are listed under rifle. if you must try the powder that might be a staring point. http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle

As an update I've been up to 18.5 grains of CFE-B in the FB without excessive pressure using 40 vmax. The best accuracy was at 18.0 so that looks like it will be my load. In the 20 VT I'm now up to 19.8 grains of CFE-B under the 32 vmax and only slightly flattened primers. I'm going to stop here and experiment with the over all length with the 32 vmax. The rifle and pistol both clean up easily with Bore-tech Carbon Out and patches.

My XP100 likes about 18gr of 1680 with CCI450 primers with 40gr bullets. Your powder is the same speed and I don't know what primers you use, but the 450'shave a much thicker cup than the 400's have. I haven't had any pierced primers or sticky bolt lift so I think I could go a little hotter than that.