What to do with a little .17 fireball.....

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gobigorgohome

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A few years back I purchased a left handed Rem 700 sps varmint chambered in .17 rem fireball off the EE. My original plan was to use it as a back up coyote rifle and primary fox gun, as foxes were bringing good money. However, the fur market tanked, foxes became nearly worthless and so it sat in the safe and only came out for the odd gopher shoot.

Well now, the round count is getting up there, the majority of my brass is reaching its limits (a lot of split necks), factpry brass is nearly impossible to find and she will be in need of a new barrel in not very long... So here is my question for you all, using this gun primarily for gophers, but also occasionally for possibly coyotes, beavers and other small varmints, what shouldnthe new barrel be chambered in? I enjoy the easy and cheap loading of the fireball and enjoy the high volume shooting it can do.

So what would you do? Another .17 fireball and neck down lapua .221FB brass? Re barrel into a .221 fireball? Or maybe a .20 Vartarg? Or be boring and go to a plain old .223?

Thank you for your input!
 
K-Hornet work?
Just a thread in the forums 'bout this chamerbing.
Buddy hazz one and it rawks awn gophers, marrmuttzs and such.
I call it the "Buggy" gun.
 
20 Vartarg would be my choice, I have one and love that little round. I use Lapua 221FB brass necked down to 20 cal , I have some of this brass with 20 reloads on it and it is still very usable ( tight primer pockets and haven't had a split neck either.
 
I’d keep shooting it until it’s truly burnt out. Then I’d screw on another 17Fireball barrel, source the largest quantity of same lot brass I could and I’d go to town.

If you feel donewith the 17Fireball then the 20Vartarg would be a great re barrel.
 
kamlooky said:
K-Hornet work?
Just a thread in the forums 'bout this chamerbing.
Buddy hazz one and it rawks awn gophers, marrmuttzs and such.
I call it the "Buggy" gun.
Click to expand...

I would build a K hornet or better yet a 17 hornet.... However, it took me 5 years to find a left handed 22 hornet for sale in north america (and I paid a good chunk of change for it). I dont know if I could ever find another left handed hornet as a donor gun.....
 
I doubt you’ll get the 17Hornet to feed or function in the 700. But you could certainly download your 17FIREBALL to Hornet levels for high volume shooting. This would cutdown on barrel wear and still allow you to ramp up for predator or longer range work.
 
Forget about trying to make a Hornet case work on a 700.

Any of the 221's or 222's will out shoot a Hornet every day of the week.
 
I actually already own rifles in .22 hornet (Browning A Bolt Micro LH) and 222 (tikka m595 LH), I think I am leaning towards the .221 fireball, as I dont need to already neck down existing brass and peojectiles cost the same as .17 cal ones.
 
But you already have 17 Fireball Dies... it's just a sizing step in the loading...

You just need to source a barrel...

.17's are so much more impressive on critters...

or sell the worn out rifle and continue with the others you have...
 
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