Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | Barnes Varmint Grenade FB 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 Vihtavuori N120.
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% | 41,002 psi | 88% | 2766 fps | 97.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,872 psi | 88% | 2684 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,246 psi | 80% | 2808 fps | 97% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,731 psi | 58% | 1765 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,321 psi | 89% | 2776 fps | 96.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,394 psi | 89% | 2795 fps | 99.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,947 psi | 56% | 1804 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,582 psi | 87% | 2667 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,886 psi | 88% | 2746 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,811 psi | 81% | 2779 fps | 98.2% |
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>> | 80% | 35,679 psi | 77% | 2657 fps | 96.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,243 psi | 74% | 2546 fps | 97.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 33,112 psi | 71% | 2710 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,290 psi | 42% | 1578 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,637 psi | 79% | 2677 fps | 95% |
| Lovex S053 | 11.9 gr | 82% | 27,760 psi | 60% | 2480 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,855 psi | 41% | 1614 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,831 psi | 54% | 2329 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 11.1 gr | 80% | 30,995 psi | 67% | 2546 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.9 gr | 92% | 29,907 psi | 64% | 2592 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 10 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 50gr | Barnes Varmint Grenade FB. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,808 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,765 fps to 2,808 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 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:9.0 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, Vihtavuori N120 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 50gr | Barnes Varmint Grenade FB 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.