Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 40gr | Nosler Varmageddon bullet and 9 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N110, Lovex S053 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: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,075 psi | 89% | 3100 fps | 96.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,220 psi | 89% | 3022 fps | 98.2% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,799 psi | 88% | 3205 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,889 psi | 56% | 2021 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,727 psi | 88% | 3123 fps | 98.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,976 psi | 54% | 2060 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,972 psi | 86% | 3005 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,727 psi | 88% | 3104 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,027 psi | 75% | 3035 fps | 95.7% |
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>> | 84% | 38,232 psi | 82% | 3038 fps | 95.6% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,068 psi | 69% | 2805 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,768 psi | 81% | 3143 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,753 psi | 40% | 1811 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 14.1 gr | 88% | 30,487 psi | 66% | 2871 fps | 95% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,231 psi | 39% | 1850 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 11.8 gr | 80% | 23,308 psi | 50% | 2585 fps | 98.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 12.3 gr | 80% | 28,645 psi | 62% | 2815 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 33,199 psi | 72% | 2989 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 .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 40gr | Nosler Varmageddon. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,205 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,021 fps to 3,205 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 (320 MPa), the top charges use 54–89 %, 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. Vihtavuori N110, Lovex S053, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 40gr | Nosler Varmageddon 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.