[jackdm]

Several years ago I talked with J.D.Jones about making a bolt action .300 whisper and he told me to use almost any action but a M-700. He explained it had to do with the combination of the extractor design and the internal geometry of the action behind the chamber. It opens up in diameter for a longer distance before reaching the ejection port allowing the ejector to "function" too soon resulting in the brass staying in the rifle. (The .223 is just long enough for this not too happen) I don't know how a .221 Fireball functions in the 700 from the factory, if it does look to Remington for what they do.
I posted this information before and had someone insisted his 700 functioned fine and I "didn't know" what I was talking about. All I can say is J.D. has far more experience converting guns than I. And while I am glad someone got lucky with a mix of manufacturing tolerances that gave him no problem, the rest of us must resort to "finding a fix" for it.