Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | Nosler CT Ballistic Silvertip 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% | 39,827 psi | 86% | 2766 fps | 97.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,740 psi | 86% | 2684 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,044 psi | 84% | 2867 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,021 psi | 58% | 1788 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,089 psi | 86% | 2776 fps | 96.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,321 psi | 87% | 2795 fps | 99.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,905 psi | 58% | 1844 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,741 psi | 88% | 2835 fps | 96.6% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,510 psi | 89% | 2779 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,653 psi | 85% | 2671 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,089 psi | 86% | 2753 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,508 psi | 85% | 2838 fps | 98.8% |
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% | 36,912 psi | 80% | 2703 fps | 97.2% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,462 psi | 76% | 2595 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 32,198 psi | 69% | 2710 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,754 psi | 43% | 1604 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,723 psi | 77% | 2680 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex S053 | 12 gr | 80% | 26,803 psi | 58% | 2470 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,334 psi | 42% | 1640 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,332 psi | 78% | 2743 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,233 psi | 85% | 2733 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,715 psi | 55% | 2369 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | 11.5 gr | 80% | 31,966 psi | 69% | 2585 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.8 gr | 88% | 27,659 psi | 60% | 2546 fps | 95% |
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 CT Ballistic Silvertip. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,867 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,788 fps to 2,867 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 58–89 %, leaving at least 11 % 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 CT Ballistic Silvertip 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.