Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | CamPro FMJ SBT 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% | 40,277 psi | 87% | 2595 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,191 psi | 89% | 2808 fps | 99.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,350 psi | 89% | 2749 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,311 psi | 61% | 1736 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,292 psi | 87% | 2726 fps | 96.3% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,742 psi | 90% | 2710 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,654 psi | 88% | 2700 fps | 96.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,871 psi | 86% | 2680 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,799 psi | 88% | 2799 fps | 96.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,630 psi | 60% | 1775 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,350 psi | 87% | 2730 fps | 97.8% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,654 psi | 88% | 2700 fps | 96.3% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,856 psi | 86% | 2657 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,481 psi | 89% | 2585 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,697 psi | 86% | 2628 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,524 psi | 89% | 2772 fps | 99.8% |
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% | 38,116 psi | 82% | 2556 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.9 gr | 86% | 28,703 psi | 62% | 2523 fps | 95.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,102 psi | 84% | 2703 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,392 psi | 44% | 1545 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,478 psi | 81% | 2667 fps | 95.4% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,705 psi | 66% | 2467 fps | 95% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,537 psi | 83% | 2654 fps | 95.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,066 psi | 65% | 2464 fps | 98.2% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,723 psi | 77% | 2697 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,001 psi | 43% | 1585 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.7 gr | 82% | 31,096 psi | 67% | 2523 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,537 psi | 83% | 2654 fps | 95.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,724 psi | 81% | 2615 fps | 96.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,282 psi | 61% | 2333 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,230 psi | 76% | 2543 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 12.9 gr | 80% | 24,221 psi | 52% | 2352 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 16 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 55gr | CamPro FMJ SBT. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,808 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,736 fps to 2,808 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 | CamPro FMJ SBT 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.