Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 52gr | Barnes Match Burner BT 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, ReloadSwiss RS 36 and Lovex S053.
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% | 39,842 psi | 86% | 2664 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,958 psi | 86% | 2867 fps | 98.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,978 psi | 60% | 1791 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,988 psi | 88% | 2776 fps | 97.6% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,423 psi | 89% | 2792 fps | 99.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,238 psi | 59% | 1827 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,611 psi | 90% | 2831 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,117 psi | 84% | 2717 fps | 96.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,132 psi | 86% | 2644 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,799 psi | 88% | 2730 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,437 psi | 87% | 2835 fps | 99.5% |
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% | 37,681 psi | 81% | 2621 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14.4 gr | 88% | 29,182 psi | 63% | 2608 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,262 psi | 44% | 1598 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,982 psi | 73% | 2621 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.6 gr | 80% | 29,095 psi | 63% | 2513 fps | 97.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,827 psi | 43% | 1637 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 14.7 gr | 86% | 34,664 psi | 75% | 2684 fps | 95.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,043 psi | 80% | 2674 fps | 95.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,528 psi | 59% | 2388 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,185 psi | 74% | 2605 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 84% | 26,585 psi | 57% | 2497 fps | 95.6% |
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 | 52gr | Barnes Match Burner BT. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,867 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,791 fps to 2,867 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. The 52.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:12.0 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, ReloadSwiss RS 36, Lovex S053 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 52gr | Barnes Match Burner BT 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.