Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | IBEX TRD 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, 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>> | 82% | 40,712 psi | 88% | 2687 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,524 psi | 87% | 2881 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,732 psi | 62% | 1808 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,075 psi | 89% | 2782 fps | 96.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,669 psi | 90% | 2805 fps | 99.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,224 psi | 61% | 1847 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,959 psi | 90% | 2844 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,944 psi | 88% | 2671 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,814 psi | 90% | 2759 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,886 psi | 88% | 2848 fps | 99% |
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% | 37,942 psi | 82% | 2631 fps | 99% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14 gr | 88% | 30,632 psi | 66% | 2641 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,553 psi | 46% | 1624 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,796 psi | 79% | 2687 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.2 gr | 80% | 30,356 psi | 65% | 2543 fps | 97.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,263 psi | 46% | 1667 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,753 psi | 81% | 2756 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,066 psi | 63% | 2428 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,911 psi | 77% | 2644 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.4 gr | 84% | 27,992 psi | 60% | 2530 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 10 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 50gr | IBEX TRD. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,881 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,808 fps to 2,881 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 61–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.5 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, Lovex S053, Vihtavuori N120 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 50gr | IBEX TRD 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.