Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .22 Ackley Hornet with .224 | 50gr | Sierra SP SemiSp 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, 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>> | 90% | 38,087 psi | 88% | 2526 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,815 psi | 55% | 1526 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,869 psi | 87% | 2356 fps | 98.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,147 psi | 51% | 1545 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,429 psi | 70% | 2224 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,522 psi | 89% | 2431 fps | 99.5% |
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 | 9.3 gr | 80% | 26,614 psi | 61% | 2287 fps | 97.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,897 psi | 39% | 1355 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,749 psi | 73% | 2234 fps | 97.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,534 psi | 38% | 1394 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 7.7 gr | 84% | 20,001 psi | 46% | 1942 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 7.9 gr | 82% | 22,945 psi | 53% | 2087 fps | 95.1% |
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 | 50gr | Sierra SP SemiSp. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,526 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,526 fps to 2,526 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 51–89 %, leaving at least 11 % 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, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .22 Ackley Hornet with the .224 | 50gr | Sierra SP SemiSp 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.