Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | Hornady Varmint bullet and 11 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2207, Lovex S053 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,698 psi | 90% | 2759 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,247 psi | 85% | 2910 fps | 98.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,659 psi | 60% | 1831 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,553 psi | 87% | 2825 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,886 psi | 88% | 2844 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,543 psi | 59% | 1883 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,640 psi | 90% | 2894 fps | 97.4% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,466 psi | 89% | 2825 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,989 psi | 90% | 2740 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,553 psi | 87% | 2789 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,639 psi | 85% | 2877 fps | 99.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,449 psi | 81% | 2677 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14.8 gr | 88% | 29,312 psi | 63% | 2667 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,131 psi | 43% | 1637 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,707 psi | 73% | 2671 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.9 gr | 80% | 28,979 psi | 62% | 2566 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,696 psi | 42% | 1677 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,185 psi | 74% | 2730 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,622 psi | 79% | 2720 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,514 psi | 59% | 2444 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,040 psi | 73% | 2661 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 14.1 gr | 84% | 26,295 psi | 57% | 2539 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 11 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 50gr | Hornady Varmint. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,910 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,831 fps to 2,910 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss 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 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. 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, Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N120 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 50gr | Hornady Varmint 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.