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Old 06-15-2008, 11:37 PM
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AB2506 AB2506 is offline
 
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Default 17 Fireball

Who has used the 17 Fireball on coyotes? Is it effective?

Considering the 17 Fireball in the Model 7 Predator for coyote control around farms/acreages. Figure it would be a good choice as it should do the job and be quiet, with reduced chance of bullet pass through and reduced chance of ricochet.

Already own a good 22-250, but it is likely too noisy for this work. Have a good reduced load, that is like a 50 gr 22 mag, but it shoots 6 inches below standard load at 100 yds. This load is very accurate and very quiet, but 6 inches is a lot on a coyote. I don't want to be re-sighting in every time I change loads. Have thought about getting a tactical scope that is made to be regularly adjusted, but this is a good chance to justify a new rifle.

Also considered 22 mag, but worried about ricochet, and hooped if coyote hangs up much beyond 100yds.

Considered 22 Hornet, but limited gun selection, can be finicky to find an accurate reload from what I hear, and does the average bullet open up enough to prevent pass throughs at this velocity.

Considered the 204 Ruger, but will it be hampered by the 22 inch barrel? and will it be quiet enough? Loading it or the 223 or the 22-250 down is an option, but keep coming back to the 17 Fireball as the best solution to all my parameters.

So all you 17 Fireball users, let me know the good points and bad points to the 17 Fireball. Had to keep clean? Hard to reload? Accurate? Drops coyotes decisively or wounds regularly? I don't think it is a 300 yd plus coyote rifle, but I can live with it if it is a good 250 yd coyote gun.
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  #2  
Old 06-16-2008, 08:17 AM
Eagle Eye Eagle Eye is offline
 
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I have not owned a 17 Fireball largely due to the negative reports I have read about it. Issues with the 17 calibre include fouling and the need for smaller cleaning rods, etc. Concern also for its lifespan....will it disappear? It certainly willl kill coyotes with proper bullet placement and reasonable shot distances.

My choice would be and is the 204 Ruger. Yes a 22" barrel will reduce the velocity a bit but it will still do 4000 fps with 32 gr pills. The 204 round is superb for all your varmint needs without the recoil of a 22-250 and it uses much less powder as well. Noise has not been a big factor either, unlike the 22-250. The 204 is a great round and it will serve you very well.
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  #3  
Old 06-16-2008, 08:20 AM
Stinky Coyote Stinky Coyote is offline
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i don't have one but we think the same...

i have 204 and its a great calling rig (i get 4030 fps out of cz american with 32 gr v-max, 21" barrel approx.) but around acreages etc. i use .17 hmr and its been good to me, i'm starting to lose count but i'm at least 17 on them but i think i might be near 20 now and factor in quite a few more with Dad who lives on 26 acres and the ones he's been killing lately with the .17 hmr also....single body shoots to the boiler room with tnt's or v-max in the 100-ish yrd range always produces short recoveries (60 yrds or less) if they don't spin/go down on the spot, did a brief experiement with xtp (slow expanding) bullets and tracking them up to 4x further so went back to the frangible bullets...

i actually want the same cartridge for Dad on his acreage because there are a couple spots at the 250 yrd mark that he has to just let them be....but the fireball would then allow him to shoot anything he sees and not worry much about noise/ricochet etc. and its just hold dead on shooting....

so in my eyes get a .17 hmr or .17 fireball....the nice thing i like about the .17 hmr is it can be found in an auto-loader and the recoil is literally so light that if you practice you can send 2 or 3 at the same time and move to the next target....practice on gophers works great here....dump 5 into the same gopher as fast as you can pull the trigger...but your probably gonna run out of point blank aim and lethality at 150 yrds give or take a few either way....i haven't shot one past say 110 yrds but i'm sure i'd still get good results to 150 with same hits...but the fireball should give you another 100 yrds just like you figure....

more on the hmr, i think the thing that makes the .17 hmr more lethal than it should seem is that it puts centerfire type spin velocities on the bullets (1 in 9 twist) vs the slow spin of the .22 rimfires (1 in 16) and when those centerfire like bullets in the hmr with the centerfire like spin hits the target those frangible bullets really do a good job of coming apart in a nice explosion inside the critter.....vs what the .22's do which is basically poke holes...even with the light v-max bullets they still over penetrate compared to the hmr....

fireball is same energy as hornet but smaller bullet means more speed and extended range probably about the same noise....basically the smallest centerfire....plus is you can reload here, 700 ft/lbs muzzle energy vs 275 ft/lbs (approx.) for the hmr?

so after all that?.....i think you should have both
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  #4  
Old 06-16-2008, 09:34 AM
LuckySeven LuckySeven is offline
 
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Location: Hick Ville out West
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Default Fireball

I have two rifles in the Fireball (SPS Varmint, CDL Ltd edition....SPS is 4 sale) and both are great shooters. As far at the fouling goes I have not experienced anything unusal or heavy. My CDL just went 80 rounds with no degradation in accuracy, and copper was minimal ( 3 patches of Butch Bore Shine....done !!) Just dropped a dog the other day at 227yds with the 20 gr V-Max and it fell like a stone. Couldn't even find the entrance hole....LOVE IT ! My .22-250 has almost taken a back seat to this new caliber.

http://www.varminthunter.org/downloads/Issue62.pdf

http://www.varminthunter.org/downloads/Issue62.pdf
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  #5  
Old 06-16-2008, 11:56 AM
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aulrich aulrich is offline
 
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I can't see the 17 fb not working for that useage, should be darn near perfect. I am not convinced that the 17 caliber fouling is even an issue anymore, or even if it existed at all to any large exstent.

I myself have a 22 k-hornet that fits the quite bill but I was happy using a handi-rifle so rifle selection was not an issue. Pass through have not been an issue but I need a few more down to really form an opinion on that.
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  #6  
Old 06-16-2008, 11:38 PM
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220swifty 220swifty is offline
 
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I bought a 17 rem. for the exact same reasons you want the fireball and found it to be much louder than expected. Not sure if that is the case with the fireball, but something to consider.
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  #7  
Old 06-18-2008, 08:41 AM
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Prdtrgttr Prdtrgttr is offline
 
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I have the 17 Remington(necked down .222 Remington Magnum), which is basically the grown up 17 Fireball. I have owned 3 of them. As well, I know 4 others who have them and use them often. I don't think that I'd describe my 17 as any quieter than a 223; so I'm not sure how loud your Fireball will be.
17 Centrefires are good coyote guns, however, for consistent kills you'll want to stay with 25gr pills and heavier. The more you research these pencil guns, the more interesting stuff you'll find out about them. Also, if you reload, you can buy all different types of lead for them( 25- 30)gr pills. There's a fellow on this board who goes by the handle, "Snowshoes". He's used the Fireball for the past season and has killed a boatload of coyotes with this gun. He'd be a great guy to chat with more about this calibre.
Go get one and let us know how it performs for you.
Good luck to you!
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