Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .218 Bee with .224 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing bullet and 7 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, Vihtavuori N110 and SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,914 psi | 86% | 2677 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,653 psi | 85% | 2884 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,395 psi | 53% | 1745 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,031 psi | 88% | 2736 fps | 99.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,540 psi | 51% | 1785 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,040 psi | 71% | 2579 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,683 psi | 88% | 2805 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,607 psi | 77% | 2589 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | 11.4 gr | 80% | 30,226 psi | 65% | 2684 fps | 99.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,782 psi | 38% | 1565 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,621 psi | 75% | 2605 fps | 98.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,332 psi | 37% | 1608 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 9 gr | 80% | 19,812 psi | 43% | 2195 fps | 96.2% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 9.3 gr | 80% | 23,931 psi | 52% | 2402 fps | 96.6% |
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 12 powders for .218 Bee loaded with the .224 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,884 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,745 fps to 2,884 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 12 of the 12 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 51–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 4227, Lovex S053 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, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .218 Bee with the .224 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, IMR 4227, Lovex D063, Shooters World SOCOM burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.