Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 52gr | Berger Varmint 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, 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>> | 84% | 41,887 psi | 90% | 2700 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,871 psi | 86% | 2858 fps | 98.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,239 psi | 61% | 1791 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,059 psi | 86% | 2749 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,191 psi | 89% | 2785 fps | 99.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,470 psi | 59% | 1831 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,408 psi | 89% | 2822 fps | 97.5% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,001 psi | 84% | 2710 fps | 96% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,885 psi | 86% | 2638 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,524 psi | 87% | 2723 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,263 psi | 87% | 2825 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% | 37,521 psi | 81% | 2615 fps | 99.3% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14.3 gr | 88% | 29,008 psi | 63% | 2598 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,421 psi | 44% | 1601 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,779 psi | 73% | 2612 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.5 gr | 80% | 28,877 psi | 62% | 2503 fps | 97.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,986 psi | 43% | 1637 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,519 psi | 74% | 2674 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,274 psi | 78% | 2651 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,296 psi | 59% | 2379 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,881 psi | 73% | 2595 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.7 gr | 84% | 26,397 psi | 57% | 2487 fps | 95.4% |
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 | Berger Varmint. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,858 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,791 fps to 2,858 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 1:11.5 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 | 52gr | Berger 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.