Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Barnes RRLP 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, Lovex S053 and IMR 4227.
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% | 40,379 psi | 87% | 2625 fps | 98.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,856 psi | 86% | 2536 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,740 psi | 83% | 2710 fps | 98.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,688 psi | 60% | 1683 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,611 psi | 88% | 2631 fps | 97.1% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,799 psi | 88% | 2651 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,963 psi | 58% | 1722 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,031 psi | 88% | 2687 fps | 97.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,204 psi | 84% | 2585 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,697 psi | 86% | 2516 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,683 psi | 88% | 2602 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,218 psi | 85% | 2677 fps | 99.1% |
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% | 37,231 psi | 80% | 2562 fps | 97.8% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,288 psi | 76% | 2444 fps | 98.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 90% | 29,095 psi | 63% | 2484 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,885 psi | 43% | 1499 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | 12.3 gr | 86% | 33,649 psi | 73% | 2484 fps | 95% |
| Lovex S053 | 11.2 gr | 80% | 27,021 psi | 58% | 2339 fps | 96.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,493 psi | 42% | 1535 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.4 gr | 88% | 34,229 psi | 74% | 2546 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,912 psi | 80% | 2539 fps | 95% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,107 psi | 56% | 2241 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,995 psi | 69% | 2434 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 26,281 psi | 57% | 2369 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 12 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 55gr | Barnes RRLP. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,710 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,683 fps to 2,710 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 58–88 %, leaving at least 12 % headroom. The 55.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:8.5 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, Lovex S053, IMR 4227 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 55gr | Barnes RRLP 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.