Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint bullet and 12 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>> | 82% | 40,016 psi | 86% | 2769 fps | 98% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,914 psi | 86% | 2687 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,537 psi | 83% | 2858 fps | 97.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,093 psi | 58% | 1788 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,277 psi | 87% | 2776 fps | 96.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,451 psi | 87% | 2799 fps | 99.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,324 psi | 57% | 1827 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,944 psi | 88% | 2838 fps | 96.6% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,771 psi | 90% | 2785 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,350 psi | 89% | 2697 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,263 psi | 87% | 2753 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,957 psi | 84% | 2825 fps | 98.7% |
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% | 37,028 psi | 80% | 2707 fps | 97.2% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,969 psi | 75% | 2582 fps | 98.3% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,501 psi | 66% | 2664 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,812 psi | 43% | 1604 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,882 psi | 77% | 2680 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex S053 | 12 gr | 80% | 26,919 psi | 58% | 2474 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,392 psi | 42% | 1644 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,795 psi | 77% | 2730 fps | 95.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,421 psi | 85% | 2736 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,817 psi | 56% | 2369 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 11.5 gr | 80% | 32,111 psi | 69% | 2589 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 14.1 gr | 90% | 29,356 psi | 63% | 2595 fps | 95.8% |
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 | Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,858 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,788 fps to 2,858 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 57–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.0 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 | Nosler Ballistic Tip 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.