Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .22 Ackley Hornet with .224 | 40gr | Nosler Varmageddon HPFB 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: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 94% | 37,347 psi | 86% | 2808 fps | 98.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,060 psi | 51% | 1716 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 90% | 37,768 psi | 87% | 2635 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,190 psi | 49% | 1752 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,614 psi | 61% | 2388 fps | 96.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,823 psi | 78% | 2628 fps | 97.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | 10.4 gr | 84% | 26,760 psi | 62% | 2552 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,925 psi | 37% | 1535 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 8.9 gr | 84% | 31,923 psi | 73% | 2507 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 3.3 gr | 80% | 15,461 psi | 36% | 1575 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 24,642 psi | 57% | 2333 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 94% | 28,427 psi | 65% | 2500 fps | 95.3% |
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 .22 Ackley Hornet loaded with the .224 | 40gr | Nosler Varmageddon HPFB. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,808 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,716 fps to 2,808 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 (300 MPa), the top charges use 49–87 %, leaving at least 13 % headroom. 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 .22 Ackley Hornet with the .224 | 40gr | Nosler Varmageddon HPFB 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.