Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .223 | 55gr | SUS-TAC Penmax (HPT) bullet and 15 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% | 41,684 psi | 90% | 2671 fps | 98.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,133 psi | 89% | 2582 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,611 psi | 88% | 2769 fps | 98.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,118 psi | 89% | 2710 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,963 psi | 60% | 1706 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,887 psi | 90% | 2680 fps | 97.8% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,495 psi | 89% | 2680 fps | 95.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,798 psi | 86% | 2651 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,253 psi | 59% | 1742 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,567 psi | 87% | 2703 fps | 97.4% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,495 psi | 89% | 2680 fps | 95.9% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,046 psi | 88% | 2644 fps | 96.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2556 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,987 psi | 86% | 2608 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,075 psi | 89% | 2736 fps | 99.5% |
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% | 39,334 psi | 85% | 2625 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,593 psi | 79% | 2493 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.4 gr | 88% | 28,442 psi | 61% | 2487 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 38,725 psi | 83% | 2664 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,363 psi | 44% | 1526 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 32,924 psi | 71% | 2490 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,146 psi | 84% | 2635 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex S053 | 11.7 gr | 80% | 28,384 psi | 61% | 2395 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,972 psi | 43% | 1562 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.6 gr | 86% | 33,330 psi | 72% | 2549 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,146 psi | 84% | 2635 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,781 psi | 77% | 2539 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,992 psi | 58% | 2277 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,736 psi | 73% | 2490 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 84% | 25,730 psi | 55% | 2372 fps | 95.2% |
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 15 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .223 | 55gr | SUS-TAC Penmax (HPT). ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,769 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,706 fps to 2,769 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 15 of the 15 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 55.0 gr projectile in 0.223" calls for a 1:9.0 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 .223 | 55gr | SUS-TAC Penmax (HPT) 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.