Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 50gr | Speer Varmint Soft Point bullet and 12 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2207, ReloadSwiss RS 36 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% | 39,900 psi | 86% | 2733 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,306 psi | 87% | 2940 fps | 98.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,833 psi | 60% | 1841 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,901 psi | 88% | 2841 fps | 97.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,292 psi | 89% | 2858 fps | 99.7% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,407 psi | 85% | 2917 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,717 psi | 60% | 1893 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,827 psi | 86% | 2864 fps | 97.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,653 psi | 85% | 2795 fps | 96.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,017 psi | 88% | 2726 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,133 psi | 89% | 2808 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,669 psi | 88% | 2907 fps | 99.4% |
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% | 37,884 psi | 82% | 2694 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 15 gr | 88% | 29,675 psi | 64% | 2684 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,392 psi | 44% | 1650 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,069 psi | 73% | 2690 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,443 psi | 63% | 2585 fps | 97.4% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,333 psi | 80% | 2871 fps | 95% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,943 psi | 43% | 1690 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 15.2 gr | 86% | 34,577 psi | 75% | 2746 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,927 psi | 80% | 2736 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,978 psi | 60% | 2461 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,635 psi | 75% | 2680 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 14.3 gr | 84% | 26,614 psi | 57% | 2559 fps | 95.5% |
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 | Speer Varmint Soft Point. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,940 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,841 fps to 2,940 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss 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 60–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, Norma 200, 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, ReloadSwiss RS 36, Vihtavuori N120 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 50gr | Speer Varmint Soft Point 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.