Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 45gr | Impala RNFP KO 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 N120 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>> | 82% | 41,394 psi | 89% | 2930 fps | 97.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,365 psi | 89% | 2851 fps | 99% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,857 psi | 88% | 3041 fps | 97.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,166 psi | 61% | 1916 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,524 psi | 87% | 2936 fps | 98.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,181 psi | 61% | 1972 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,510 psi | 89% | 2841 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,306 psi | 87% | 2894 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,234 psi | 89% | 3005 fps | 98.5% |
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% | 39,349 psi | 85% | 2887 fps | 97% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,767 psi | 79% | 2749 fps | 98.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,461 psi | 74% | 2887 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,321 psi | 46% | 1732 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.7 gr | 80% | 29,240 psi | 63% | 2651 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,002 psi | 45% | 1772 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 11.6 gr | 80% | 27,789 psi | 60% | 2536 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,214 psi | 74% | 2762 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 14.9 gr | 90% | 31,546 psi | 68% | 2772 fps | 95.7% |
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 | 45gr | Impala RNFP KO. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,041 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,916 fps to 3,041 fps. ADI AR 2207 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 61–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. The 45.0 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. Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N120, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 45gr | Impala RNFP KO 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.