Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .22 Ackley Hornet with .224 | 40gr | Sierra VarmintKing 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>> | 92% | 37,608 psi | 86% | 2844 fps | 99.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,437 psi | 52% | 1742 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,318 psi | 86% | 2657 fps | 97.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,538 psi | 50% | 1781 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,558 psi | 66% | 2470 fps | 97.8% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,331 psi | 81% | 2690 fps | 98% |
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 | 10.7 gr | 82% | 26,600 psi | 61% | 2579 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,462 psi | 38% | 1572 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 9.2 gr | 82% | 31,821 psi | 73% | 2533 fps | 95.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 3.4 gr | 80% | 15,389 psi | 35% | 1588 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 23,380 psi | 54% | 2320 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 90% | 26,890 psi | 62% | 2487 fps | 95.2% |
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 | Sierra VarmintKing. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,844 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,742 fps to 2,844 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 50–86 %, leaving at least 14 % 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 | Sierra VarmintKing 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.