Pistol · SAAMI
.221 Remington Fireball
A shortened .222 Remington designed for the XP-100 bolt-action pistol.
- Caliber
- 0.224″ · 5.69 mm
- Introduced
- 1963
- Case
- Rimless
- Parent
- .222 Remington
- Primary use
- Competition, Varmint
- Status
- Active
- Introduced
- 1963
- Type
- Pistol
- Origin
- United States
- Inventor
- Remington
- Manufacturer
- Remington Arms
- Standard
- SAAMI
- Status
- Active
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 22 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:14
- Primer
- Small Rifle
- Case type
- Rimless
- Max pressure
- 60,000 psi, SAAMI transducer
- Eff. range
- 200 yd
- Max range
- 3150 yd
- Recoil
- 3.5–5 ft·lb
Introduced by Remington Arms
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .221 Remington Fireball. Parent case: .222 Remington.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
SAAMI · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 5.69 | 0.224 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 6.43 | 0.253 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 9.19 | 0.362 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 23° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 9.55 | 0.376 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 9.60 | 0.378 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.14 | 0.045 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 5.14 | 0.202 | ≈ |
| Case length | 35.56 | 1.400 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 46.48 | 1.830 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .221 Remington Fireball is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Suitable powders
9 reloading powders listed for .221 Remington Fireball, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .221 Remington Fireball
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Remington created it specifically for the XP-100 bolt-action handgun in 1963. The XP-100 was the world's first modern bolt-action centerfire pistol. The Fireball's short case was optimized for 10-14" barrels. It later became a parent case for wildcats and inspired the .17 Fireball.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .221 Remington Fireball use?
- .221 Remington Fireball typically uses a 1:14 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .221 Remington Fireball?
- .221 Remington Fireball uses a 0.224″ (5.69 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .221 Remington Fireball still in production?
- .221 Remington Fireball is active; typical availability is common.
- What is .221 Remington Fireball used for?
- .221 Remington Fireball is primarily used for competition, varmint.
- What is .221 Remington Fireball based on?
- .221 Remington Fireball is derived from the .222 Remington case.
- What are the best powders for .221 Remington Fireball?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .221 Remington Fireball include Accurate 1680, N120, N130, Benchmark, among 9 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 13 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
