Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 53gr | Peregrine VLR-5 bullet and 12 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% | 40,321 psi | 87% | 2697 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,770 psi | 88% | 2625 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,871 psi | 86% | 2808 fps | 98.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,209 psi | 59% | 1732 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,365 psi | 89% | 2723 fps | 97.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,597 psi | 90% | 2740 fps | 99.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,166 psi | 59% | 1785 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,088 psi | 84% | 2726 fps | 96.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,711 psi | 86% | 2671 fps | 95.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,828 psi | 88% | 2605 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,234 psi | 89% | 2687 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,350 psi | 87% | 2776 fps | 99.3% |
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% | 38,058 psi | 82% | 2651 fps | 98% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,607 psi | 77% | 2523 fps | 98.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.9 gr | 90% | 29,631 psi | 64% | 2569 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,769 psi | 43% | 1549 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,577 psi | 75% | 2579 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex S053 | 11.8 gr | 80% | 27,456 psi | 59% | 2418 fps | 96.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,363 psi | 42% | 1585 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 14.1 gr | 88% | 34,809 psi | 75% | 2631 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 37,463 psi | 81% | 2625 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,223 psi | 56% | 2310 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,706 psi | 70% | 2523 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 26,382 psi | 57% | 2441 fps | 95.1% |
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 12 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 53gr | Peregrine VLR-5. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,808 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,732 fps to 2,808 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 12 of the 12 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 1:9.5 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 | 53gr | Peregrine VLR-5 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.