Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 52gr | Frontier PH HPBT bullet and 13 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ReloadSwiss RS 36, ADI AR 2207 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>> | 84% | 41,829 psi | 90% | 2694 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,307 psi | 89% | 2884 fps | 98.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,862 psi | 60% | 1781 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,001 psi | 86% | 2743 fps | 97.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,437 psi | 89% | 2785 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,350 psi | 87% | 2762 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,093 psi | 58% | 1818 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,683 psi | 88% | 2805 fps | 97.3% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,437 psi | 89% | 2785 fps | 95.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,191 psi | 89% | 2749 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,755 psi | 86% | 2631 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,321 psi | 87% | 2717 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,756 psi | 90% | 2848 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% | 36,738 psi | 79% | 2592 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14.2 gr | 88% | 28,921 psi | 62% | 2592 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,030 psi | 43% | 1585 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,663 psi | 73% | 2605 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,247 psi | 85% | 2736 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.4 gr | 80% | 28,776 psi | 62% | 2497 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,609 psi | 42% | 1624 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 14.4 gr | 86% | 33,750 psi | 73% | 2654 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,247 psi | 85% | 2736 fps | 95.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,172 psi | 78% | 2644 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,122 psi | 58% | 2372 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,678 psi | 73% | 2585 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 84% | 25,846 psi | 56% | 2464 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 13 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 52gr | Frontier PH HPBT. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,884 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,781 fps to 2,884 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 13 of the 13 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 58–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 52.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.5 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. ReloadSwiss RS 36, ADI AR 2207, Lovex S053 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 52gr | Frontier PH HPBT 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.