Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | Hornady ECX bullet and 12 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 36, Lovex S053 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% | 39,755 psi | 86% | 2782 fps | 98.1% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,001 psi | 84% | 2690 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,769 psi | 84% | 2884 fps | 97.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,282 psi | 59% | 1811 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,118 psi | 86% | 2795 fps | 96.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,190 psi | 87% | 2815 fps | 99.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,353 psi | 57% | 1847 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,553 psi | 87% | 2851 fps | 96.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,423 psi | 89% | 2799 fps | 96% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,263 psi | 89% | 2713 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,205 psi | 87% | 2772 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,218 psi | 85% | 2851 fps | 98.9% |
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% | 36,796 psi | 79% | 2723 fps | 97.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,809 psi | 75% | 2598 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,081 psi | 65% | 2674 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,406 psi | 42% | 1614 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,650 psi | 77% | 2697 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.3 gr | 80% | 26,672 psi | 57% | 2490 fps | 95.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 18,869 psi | 41% | 1650 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 15 gr | 90% | 36,129 psi | 78% | 2756 fps | 95.5% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,102 psi | 84% | 2753 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,135 psi | 54% | 2372 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 11.7 gr | 80% | 31,256 psi | 67% | 2592 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 90% | 28,950 psi | 62% | 2605 fps | 96% |
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 12 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 50gr | Hornady ECX. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,884 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,811 fps to 2,884 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 12 of the 12 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 57–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. The 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.5 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. ReloadSwiss RS 36, Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N110 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 50gr | Hornady ECX 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.