Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .22 Ackley Hornet with .224 | 45gr | Hornady HP BEE bullet and 12 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: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,233 psi | 90% | 2700 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 90% | 38,087 psi | 88% | 2700 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,351 psi | 54% | 1631 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,931 psi | 55% | 1660 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 38,363 psi | 88% | 2510 fps | 98.4% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,492 psi | 86% | 2520 fps | 98.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,698 psi | 50% | 1647 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,278 psi | 51% | 1680 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,573 psi | 68% | 2339 fps | 98.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,501 psi | 70% | 2385 fps | 99.1% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,130 psi | 85% | 2556 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 98% | 36,187 psi | 83% | 2562 fps | 99.1% |
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 | 10.2 gr | 80% | 25,643 psi | 59% | 2395 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | 10.2 gr | 80% | 26,760 psi | 62% | 2448 fps | 97.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,839 psi | 39% | 1460 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,853 psi | 39% | 1473 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,589 psi | 70% | 2343 fps | 96.3% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,865 psi | 73% | 2398 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,737 psi | 36% | 1473 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,447 psi | 38% | 1509 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 8.9 gr | 88% | 21,509 psi | 49% | 2113 fps | 95.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 8.5 gr | 84% | 20,247 psi | 47% | 2093 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 9.1 gr | 86% | 24,642 psi | 57% | 2267 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 8.9 gr | 84% | 24,468 psi | 56% | 2283 fps | 95.4% |
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 .22 Ackley Hornet loaded with the .224 | 45gr | Hornady HP BEE. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,700 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,631 fps to 2,700 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 (300 MPa), the top charges use 50–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 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 .22 Ackley Hornet with the .224 | 45gr | Hornady HP BEE 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.