Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 45gr | Sierra SP HORNET 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, ADI AR 2207 and Vihtavuori N110.
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% | 39,697 psi | 86% | 2940 fps | 97.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,074 psi | 86% | 2867 fps | 99% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,798 psi | 84% | 3041 fps | 97.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,977 psi | 58% | 1929 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,001 psi | 86% | 2949 fps | 96% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,886 psi | 88% | 2986 fps | 99.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,789 psi | 58% | 1985 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,379 psi | 89% | 3025 fps | 96.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,074 psi | 86% | 2854 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,205 psi | 87% | 2936 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,262 psi | 85% | 3009 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% | 37,652 psi | 81% | 2894 fps | 97% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,433 psi | 76% | 2762 fps | 98.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 16 gr | 94% | 32,489 psi | 70% | 2884 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,711 psi | 42% | 1732 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 37,869 psi | 82% | 2904 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex S053 | 13.1 gr | 80% | 27,108 psi | 58% | 2638 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,218 psi | 41% | 1772 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,580 psi | 83% | 2963 fps | 95.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,846 psi | 56% | 2533 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 12.5 gr | 80% | 31,937 psi | 69% | 2759 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 90% | 29,124 psi | 63% | 2749 fps | 95.2% |
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 | Sierra SP HORNET. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,041 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,929 fps to 3,041 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 58–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. 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, ADI AR 2207, Vihtavuori N110 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 45gr | Sierra SP HORNET 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.