Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .22 Ackley Hornet with .224 | 50gr | Speer TNT 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% | 37,115 psi | 85% | 2534 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,018 psi | 55% | 1526 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,189 psi | 90% | 2397 fps | 99.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,076 psi | 53% | 1564 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,414 psi | 70% | 2228 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,595 psi | 89% | 2447 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 | 9.1 gr | 80% | 25,889 psi | 60% | 2291 fps | 97.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 17,202 psi | 40% | 1374 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,748 psi | 71% | 2231 fps | 97.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,114 psi | 37% | 1390 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 7.6 gr | 84% | 19,943 psi | 46% | 1961 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 7.6 gr | 82% | 22,075 psi | 51% | 2091 fps | 95% |
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 9 powders for .22 Ackley Hornet loaded with the .224 | 50gr | Speer TNT. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,534 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,526 fps to 2,534 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 9 of the 9 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (300 MPa), the top charges use 53–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:12.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, Lovex S053, 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 | 50gr | Speer TNT they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate No. 11 FS, Lovex S053 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.