Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | Barnes XLC S bullet and 10 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2207, Vihtavuori N120 and Lovex S053.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,031 psi | 88% | 2697 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,799 psi | 88% | 2894 fps | 98.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,225 psi | 63% | 1821 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,307 psi | 89% | 2789 fps | 96.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,900 psi | 86% | 2772 fps | 99.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,689 psi | 62% | 1860 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,045 psi | 86% | 2808 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2680 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,914 psi | 86% | 2726 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,147 psi | 89% | 2858 fps | 99.1% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,218 psi | 82% | 2641 fps | 99% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14.1 gr | 88% | 30,879 psi | 67% | 2654 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,422 psi | 46% | 1624 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,201 psi | 76% | 2651 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.3 gr | 80% | 30,618 psi | 66% | 2552 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,132 psi | 46% | 1663 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,505 psi | 77% | 2707 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,819 psi | 62% | 2421 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,636 psi | 77% | 2641 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.4 gr | 84% | 27,731 psi | 60% | 2523 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 | 50gr | Barnes XLC S. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,894 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,821 fps to 2,894 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss 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 62–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. The 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. 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. ADI AR 2207, Vihtavuori N120, Lovex S053 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 50gr | Barnes XLC S 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.