Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .218 Bee with .224 | 36gr | Barnes Varmint Grenade FB bullet and 6 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, Lovex S040 and ReloadSwiss RS 14.
Important Notice: DO NOT go below Minimum Charge or above Maximum Charge. Since we have no control over the equipment and components used, any responsibility and liability for the results achieved is rejected.
Only powders/loads that match the current filter criteria are displayed: max pressure of a load ≤ 90% of max. standardized pressure, fill rate ≥ 80% and propellant combustion ≥ 95%. Use the sliders above the tables to adjust these thresholds.
Charge: Powder weight in grains. Start with the minimum load and work up carefully.
FR (Fill Rate): Case fill as a percentage. Values above 100% mean compressed loads.
MaxP / %: Maximum chamber pressure in bar and as a percentage of the standardized maximum for this caliber.
V(0): Muzzle velocity in feet per second (fps) at the standardized barrel length.
z (Powder Burn): Estimated propellant combustion percentage at bullet exit.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,436 psi | 85% | 3159 fps | 99% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,046 psi | 48% | 1896 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,074 psi | 86% | 2969 fps | 97.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,089 psi | 45% | 1939 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,701 psi | 58% | 2648 fps | 96.4% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,402 psi | 72% | 2904 fps | 97% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | 11.7 gr | 86% | 28,311 psi | 61% | 2881 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,780 psi | 34% | 1693 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 9.8 gr | 84% | 31,894 psi | 69% | 2772 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 3.6 gr | 80% | 15,273 psi | 33% | 1736 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 24,308 psi | 52% | 2569 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 96% | 29,254 psi | 63% | 2795 fps | 95.5% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 6 powders for .218 Bee loaded with the .224 | 36gr | Barnes Varmint Grenade FB. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,159 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,896 fps to 3,159 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 6 of the 6 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 45–86 %, leaving at least 14 % headroom. The 36.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 reach 100 % fill or more at maximum charge, so these are compressed loads: they need a long drop tube to seat cleanly and react sensitively to the case capacity of your own brass lot. Hodgdon LilGun, Lovex S040, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .218 Bee with the .224 | 36gr | Barnes Varmint Grenade FB they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.