Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 45gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos bullet and 10 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% | 41,133 psi | 89% | 2946 fps | 97.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,669 psi | 88% | 2854 fps | 98.9% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,463 psi | 81% | 2986 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,876 psi | 58% | 1909 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,495 psi | 89% | 2956 fps | 96% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,510 psi | 89% | 2979 fps | 99% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,034 psi | 56% | 1949 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,495 psi | 87% | 2844 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2936 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,956 psi | 82% | 2956 fps | 97.8% |
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% | 36,100 psi | 78% | 2835 fps | 96.2% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,910 psi | 73% | 2707 fps | 97.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 32,967 psi | 71% | 2874 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,377 psi | 42% | 1706 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,508 psi | 83% | 2890 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.9 gr | 82% | 27,615 psi | 60% | 2635 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,898 psi | 41% | 1745 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | 11.5 gr | 80% | 24,787 psi | 53% | 2484 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 12 gr | 80% | 30,574 psi | 66% | 2707 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,037 psi | 65% | 2756 fps | 95.1% |
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 10 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 45gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,986 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,909 fps to 2,986 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 10 of the 10 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 56–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. The 45.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.0 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. Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N110, SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 45gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos 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.