Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 53gr | Hornady V-MAX bullet and 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,989 psi | 90% | 2740 fps | 98.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,669 psi | 90% | 2654 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,510 psi | 89% | 2848 fps | 98.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,829 psi | 90% | 2789 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,036 psi | 60% | 1755 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,827 psi | 86% | 2703 fps | 97.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2743 fps | 95.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,205 psi | 87% | 2723 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,282 psi | 59% | 1795 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,669 psi | 88% | 2769 fps | 97.3% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2743 fps | 95.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,234 psi | 89% | 2713 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,800 psi | 90% | 2631 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,972 psi | 86% | 2671 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,901 psi | 90% | 2815 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate No. 11 FS | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,957 psi | 84% | 2680 fps | 98.3% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,477 psi | 79% | 2552 fps | 99.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.9 gr | 88% | 28,776 psi | 62% | 2552 fps | 95.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,523 psi | 85% | 2743 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,030 psi | 43% | 1562 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,446 psi | 72% | 2566 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,001 psi | 84% | 2694 fps | 95% |
| Lovex S053 | 12.1 gr | 80% | 28,427 psi | 61% | 2454 fps | 97.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,624 psi | 42% | 1598 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 14.1 gr | 86% | 33,663 psi | 73% | 2615 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,001 psi | 84% | 2694 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,143 psi | 78% | 2608 fps | 95% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,209 psi | 59% | 2343 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,185 psi | 72% | 2539 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 27,137 psi | 58% | 2470 fps | 95.7% |
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 15 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 53gr | Hornady V-MAX. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,848 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,755 fps to 2,848 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 15 of the 15 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 53.0 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. ReloadSwiss RS 36, ADI AR 2207, Lovex S053 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 53gr | Hornady V-MAX 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.