Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 40gr | Rhino Penetrator bullet and 9 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Lovex S053, 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: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,160 psi | 84% | 3071 fps | 96% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,394 psi | 89% | 3035 fps | 98.3% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,205 psi | 89% | 3219 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,049 psi | 56% | 2031 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,684 psi | 90% | 3156 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,759 psi | 56% | 2087 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,277 psi | 87% | 3018 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,147 psi | 89% | 3120 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,824 psi | 77% | 3064 fps | 96.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,463 psi | 79% | 3005 fps | 95.2% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,938 psi | 71% | 2838 fps | 96.1% |
| Hodgdon LilGun | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,145 psi | 82% | 3159 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,971 psi | 41% | 1824 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 14.4 gr | 88% | 31,357 psi | 68% | 2904 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,434 psi | 40% | 1864 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 12 gr | 80% | 23,699 psi | 51% | 2605 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 12.5 gr | 80% | 29,080 psi | 63% | 2835 fps | 99.1% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 33,953 psi | 73% | 3018 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 9 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 40gr | Rhino Penetrator. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,219 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,031 fps to 3,219 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 56–90 %, leaving at least 10 % 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. Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 40gr | Rhino Penetrator 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.