Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Berger Target FB 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% | 40,712 psi | 88% | 2602 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,814 psi | 88% | 2799 fps | 99.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,060 psi | 88% | 2740 fps | 96.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,500 psi | 61% | 1736 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,016 psi | 86% | 2717 fps | 96.1% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,365 psi | 89% | 2700 fps | 98.1% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,350 psi | 87% | 2690 fps | 96.1% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,829 psi | 90% | 2717 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,466 psi | 87% | 2792 fps | 96.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,818 psi | 60% | 1775 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,972 psi | 86% | 2717 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,350 psi | 87% | 2690 fps | 96.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,335 psi | 87% | 2664 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,060 psi | 88% | 2575 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,713 psi | 90% | 2657 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,162 psi | 89% | 2762 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% | 37,811 psi | 81% | 2546 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.8 gr | 86% | 28,413 psi | 61% | 2510 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,856 psi | 84% | 2694 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,508 psi | 44% | 1549 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,869 psi | 82% | 2671 fps | 95.4% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,837 psi | 71% | 2516 fps | 95.7% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,145 psi | 82% | 2641 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,747 psi | 64% | 2454 fps | 98.1% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,375 psi | 76% | 2684 fps | 95% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,117 psi | 43% | 1585 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.7 gr | 82% | 31,343 psi | 68% | 2526 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,145 psi | 82% | 2641 fps | 95.5% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,449 psi | 81% | 2605 fps | 96.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,978 psi | 60% | 2323 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,780 psi | 75% | 2533 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.1 gr | 82% | 25,353 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 Target FB. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,799 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,736 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 Target FB 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.