Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 45gr | Frontier BTSP bullet and 11 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% | 41,321 psi | 89% | 2949 fps | 97.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,930 psi | 88% | 2858 fps | 98.9% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,014 psi | 80% | 2976 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,963 psi | 58% | 1909 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,886 psi | 88% | 2943 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,944 psi | 88% | 2966 fps | 98.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,107 psi | 56% | 1949 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,698 psi | 90% | 3005 fps | 95.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,871 psi | 86% | 2835 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,423 psi | 89% | 2940 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,478 psi | 81% | 2946 fps | 97.7% |
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>> | 80% | 35,621 psi | 77% | 2825 fps | 96% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,040 psi | 73% | 2707 fps | 97.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 33,141 psi | 71% | 2877 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,421 psi | 42% | 1706 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,682 psi | 83% | 2894 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S053 | 13.2 gr | 84% | 29,356 psi | 63% | 2687 fps | 95.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,927 psi | 41% | 1745 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,465 psi | 85% | 2959 fps | 95.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 11.5 gr | 80% | 24,801 psi | 53% | 2484 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 12 gr | 80% | 30,705 psi | 66% | 2710 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 31,285 psi | 67% | 2789 fps | 95.6% |
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 11 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 45gr | Frontier BTSP. ReloadSwiss RS 36 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,005 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,909 fps to 3,005 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 11 of the 11 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. The 45.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.5 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. Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 45gr | Frontier BTSP 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.