Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Berger FB Varmint 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% | 40,785 psi | 88% | 2602 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,843 psi | 88% | 2799 fps | 99.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,089 psi | 89% | 2740 fps | 96.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,529 psi | 61% | 1739 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,045 psi | 86% | 2717 fps | 96.1% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,423 psi | 89% | 2700 fps | 98.1% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,364 psi | 87% | 2690 fps | 96.1% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,843 psi | 90% | 2717 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,509 psi | 87% | 2792 fps | 96.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,804 psi | 60% | 1775 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,045 psi | 86% | 2720 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,364 psi | 87% | 2690 fps | 96.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,306 psi | 87% | 2661 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,118 psi | 89% | 2575 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,785 psi | 90% | 2661 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2766 fps | 99.7% |
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% | 37,782 psi | 81% | 2546 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.8 gr | 86% | 28,471 psi | 61% | 2513 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,827 psi | 84% | 2694 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,537 psi | 44% | 1549 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,217 psi | 80% | 2654 fps | 95.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,895 psi | 71% | 2516 fps | 95.7% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,203 psi | 82% | 2644 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,747 psi | 64% | 2454 fps | 98.1% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,462 psi | 76% | 2687 fps | 95% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,146 psi | 43% | 1585 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.7 gr | 82% | 31,401 psi | 68% | 2526 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,203 psi | 82% | 2644 fps | 95.5% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,420 psi | 81% | 2605 fps | 96.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,963 psi | 60% | 2320 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,838 psi | 75% | 2533 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.1 gr | 82% | 25,338 psi | 55% | 2385 fps | 95.5% |
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 | 55gr | Berger FB Varmint. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,799 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,739 fps to 2,799 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 60–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 55.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.5 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 | 55gr | Berger FB Varmint 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.