Posted by Theo on February 11, 1999 at 11:38:48:
In Reply to: Great Balls o' Fire? posted by Ian on February 10, 1999 at 20:54:09:
I've had my Fireball for about a year and a half and I like it very well. I was drawn to it by a desire for better accuracy than what I had experienced with the Hornet, and I have not been disappointed. It is noticeably louder than the Hornet, but also noticeably less loud than the 222 or 223. Though I have several rounds marked for coyotes, I've not had the good fortune to get one in my sights with it yet. I have popped a few groundhogs with it at short range (60 to 125 yards) and it does a great job. So far, my best accuracy has been with the 40 grain V-Max and between 18 and 18.5 grains of AA1680. This gives me about 3100 fps with a 21 inch barrel. You can check out my web site using the link below for a look at my rifle. The Contender Carbine has taken me some time to get used to, but I think the cartridge has great potential for a lightweight bolt gun.
As for the 17MachIV, I don't have any personal experience with it, but have read very favorable reports. The 17M4 is a little more labor intensive because you have to go through the case forming operation, but from what I've read it's no big deal. I'm already about half talked into getting one myself. - Theo