Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .22 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, Lovex S040 and Vihtavuori N110.
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: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,754 psi | 89% | 2664 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,566 psi | 89% | 2687 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,321 psi | 51% | 1578 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 23,003 psi | 53% | 1611 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 90% | 38,885 psi | 89% | 2487 fps | 98.5% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 88% | 38,986 psi | 90% | 2516 fps | 98.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,582 psi | 50% | 1617 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 22,220 psi | 51% | 1650 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,601 psi | 63% | 2264 fps | 98.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,370 psi | 68% | 2333 fps | 99% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,664 psi | 80% | 2480 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,072 psi | 85% | 2552 fps | 99.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | 9.4 gr | 80% | 23,815 psi | 55% | 2316 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | 9.4 gr | 80% | 25,585 psi | 59% | 2395 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,302 psi | 37% | 1417 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 16,317 psi | 38% | 1430 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 8.1 gr | 80% | 29,501 psi | 68% | 2287 fps | 95.9% |
| Lovex S040 | 8.1 gr | 80% | 30,821 psi | 71% | 2349 fps | 96.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,954 psi | 37% | 1457 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,954 psi | 37% | 1473 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 21,335 psi | 49% | 2087 fps | 95.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 86% | 20,581 psi | 47% | 2083 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 8.5 gr | 88% | 24,482 psi | 56% | 2241 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 8.3 gr | 86% | 24,221 psi | 56% | 2257 fps | 95.5% |
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 Hornet loaded with the .224 | 45gr | Hornady HP BEE. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,687 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,578 fps to 2,687 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, Lovex S040, Vihtavuori N110 rank at the top here: for .22 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.