Hello to all.  New to this website but am mightily impressed with its depth and breadth of topics.
Anyway, checking to see any of you Western Jackrabbit hunters have experience with the under-rated .221 Fireball?  Note I reference this as a "walk-about" rig...when hunting Jacks in SW deserts, you're shooting unsupported from your hind-legs without the benefit of rests or bipods.  Hunting action is fast (those rascals really can run like the proverbial ricochet rabbit), a 250 yard shot is a really long one, 150 to 200 is more the norm.
For equipment; lightweight, fast, not excessively noisy all add up to user- friendly fun.
My qualifier here is a CZ 527 in that .221 Fireball which to me, is a much more modern equivalent of the grand ole Hornet - only better.
I handload (assuming virtually everyone here on this site does too), with 50gr. Remy's (PLHP) and 15grs of Lil'Gun, it torches off at over 3100fps with groups in the half inch range at 100 yards from the bench (using the cool CZ set-trigger).  From the economy perspective, that's well over 450 loads per pound of powder!  Nice!

Haven't tried the 40gr Nosler's or Hornady's plastic tips yet, but that is certainly on my list of things to do.  Would anticipate velocities in the 3300-3400 range with a miserly amount of powder...love efficiency when it comes to powder to power output ratio's.

This rifle/cartridge combo has pretty much retired my good ole 22-250 as my go-to rig.  The Fireball does everything I need much more cost effectively with that "user-friendly" mantra clearly in focus.

Am surprised that the 221 isn't a more popular cartridge (for western jack hunters anyway).

Again, great website!

Jeff

Welcome to THL Jeff.

Oddly enough, the .221 Remington Fireball is listed with the 'Handgun Cartridges' as far the reloading manuals are concerned (at least that's the way I've seen them).  This came about due to the XP-100 that was popular at one point.  You can see the history in the image attached.

I've chambered a number of rifles in the .218 Bee cartridge which ups the anti as far as velocity is concerned.  I reckon it is due the actions involved, the bullets involved and the powders that are/were available.

My jump in velocity is from the .22 Hornet (a Savage rifle I purchased many years ago) and a Remington Classic in .22-250 that shoots almost one hole groups.  I have used both on Jacks in our S.W. deserts with great success.  I do have to admit to having a real weakness to such hunting using a S&W 25 in .45 Colt with Keith type bullets for the same purpose.  It's rather like lobbing bullets at the range involved but can be most satisfying in such open territory as you can see the bullets hit.

The Fireball is a good cartridge but is not so prevalent as it once was.  I'm glad to see it doing honest work for you.

Here is the Bee.