17 Fireball Range pic

[Davemuzz]

I rebarreled my Stevens 200 from a .308 to a .17 Remington Fireball. I'm working on the magazine feed issues and believe I will get them resolved, but I loaded up a bunch of 20 grain Berger's and then another batch of 25 grain Bergers. Both over H-335.

Here is a pic of the 4 shot group of the 20gr. and the 25gr. at 100 yards. No doubt I've found the right load with the 25gr. bullet. I also whacked a groundhog at about 60 yards. One tiny hole in and no exit wound. And one 'hog that flipped.....flopped....and then just stayed there. The 25gr. Berger is the Match bullet and it does what the reports said it would. Leave a small entrance wound and no exit wound, and somewhere in the middle it will just explode and the target will just die.

And that's what happen!!! 

The 17 Fireball is a cut down and necked down .223. It has the "crack" report of the .223....maybe just a bit more subtle, and the rifle gives just a tiny little bounce off the stand\shooting stick\truck hood. (Yeah, I'm in Pa. but I have a disability...shoot from a vehicle permit....so I can legally do this in Pa.) The plus is I can still look through the scope and see the impact.

Yeah....I think I'm gonna like this one for fox hunting, and just general varmit whackin.

[Skunk]

Sounds like fun. How did the dies turn out for you? Do you wish you would have gotten the RCBS dies with the window or do the Hornadys work out OK?

[Davemuzz]

The Hornady Dies are working out great.  I was concerned that with the small bullet I would have a hard time getting it to seat straight in the die. Now, I've gotton a little ahead of myself on a few and seated the bullet too quickly and crunched the brass neck.....but I've loaded about 150 rounds and done this to about 3. So, not a bad batting average.

Not a bad or hard cartridge to reload.

Dave

[Skunk]

That's good to hear. It's funny that RCBS only makes the windowed die in the Gold version and not the Competition version for .17 Rem Fireball. I have the Competition version with the window for .308, 6.5x55, and .223, and think pretty highly of them. The more I hear about you guys shooting those little Fireballs makes want one, but I'll probably be looking at the Hornady dies like you did - Great dies and a bit less expensive than the RCBS Gold Match, but darn, I'd sure miss that convenient little window. Good shooting to you there Dave.