Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 53gr | Norma Soft Point bullet and 16 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% | 39,943 psi | 86% | 2641 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,306 psi | 87% | 2844 fps | 98.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,538 psi | 87% | 2782 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,282 psi | 61% | 1775 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,624 psi | 85% | 2762 fps | 95.7% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,176 psi | 89% | 2753 fps | 97.8% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,335 psi | 87% | 2746 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,539 psi | 90% | 2769 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,755 psi | 86% | 2831 fps | 96.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,557 psi | 59% | 1814 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,872 psi | 90% | 2812 fps | 97.9% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,335 psi | 87% | 2746 fps | 95.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,320 psi | 85% | 2697 fps | 96.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,988 psi | 88% | 2631 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,727 psi | 90% | 2720 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,683 psi | 88% | 2812 fps | 99.6% |
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% | 37,753 psi | 81% | 2598 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 14 gr | 86% | 27,775 psi | 60% | 2543 fps | 95% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,421 psi | 83% | 2740 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,494 psi | 44% | 1585 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,565 psi | 81% | 2717 fps | 95% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,227 psi | 69% | 2552 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,203 psi | 82% | 2697 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,211 psi | 63% | 2490 fps | 97.7% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,637 psi | 81% | 2789 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,073 psi | 43% | 1624 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 14.3 gr | 84% | 32,967 psi | 71% | 2618 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,203 psi | 82% | 2697 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,217 psi | 80% | 2651 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,137 psi | 61% | 2379 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,896 psi | 75% | 2592 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.4 gr | 82% | 25,280 psi | 54% | 2431 fps | 95.2% |
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 16 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 53gr | Norma Soft Point. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,844 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,775 fps to 2,844 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 16 of the 16 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 1:12.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 4198, Norma 200 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 | 53gr | Norma 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.