Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .204 | 50gr | Barnes Varminator HP FB bullet and 12 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 36, ADI AR 2207 and Lovex S053.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,307 psi | 89% | 2822 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,191 psi | 89% | 2736 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,060 psi | 88% | 2936 fps | 98.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,746 psi | 60% | 1824 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,582 psi | 90% | 2831 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,610 psi | 85% | 2805 fps | 99.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,992 psi | 58% | 1860 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,495 psi | 87% | 2854 fps | 97% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,451 psi | 87% | 2785 fps | 96% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,408 psi | 89% | 2717 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,784 psi | 86% | 2766 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,452 psi | 89% | 2900 fps | 99.3% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,117 psi | 84% | 2776 fps | 98.1% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,274 psi | 78% | 2638 fps | 98.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14.7 gr | 90% | 29,936 psi | 65% | 2671 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,044 psi | 43% | 1627 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,114 psi | 76% | 2690 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.6 gr | 80% | 28,369 psi | 61% | 2536 fps | 96.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,624 psi | 42% | 1667 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 15 gr | 88% | 35,650 psi | 77% | 2749 fps | 95.5% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 38,261 psi | 82% | 2743 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,861 psi | 58% | 2415 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,243 psi | 72% | 2635 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 27,267 psi | 59% | 2559 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 .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .204 | 50gr | Barnes Varminator HP FB. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,936 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,824 fps to 2,936 fps. ADI AR 2207 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 (320 MPa), the top charges use 58–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. ADI AR 2207, 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. ReloadSwiss RS 36, ADI AR 2207, Lovex S053 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .204 | 50gr | Barnes Varminator HP FB 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.