Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos bullet and 15 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% | 41,901 psi | 90% | 2674 fps | 98.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,336 psi | 89% | 2582 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,857 psi | 88% | 2772 fps | 98.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,278 psi | 89% | 2713 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,050 psi | 60% | 1706 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,624 psi | 85% | 2635 fps | 97.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,684 psi | 90% | 2684 fps | 96% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,943 psi | 86% | 2654 fps | 99.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,325 psi | 59% | 1742 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,972 psi | 86% | 2687 fps | 97.2% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,684 psi | 90% | 2684 fps | 96% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,408 psi | 87% | 2631 fps | 96.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,423 psi | 89% | 2559 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,858 psi | 90% | 2638 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,321 psi | 89% | 2740 fps | 99.5% |
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% | 38,754 psi | 84% | 2612 fps | 98.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,767 psi | 79% | 2497 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.4 gr | 88% | 28,616 psi | 62% | 2490 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 38,972 psi | 84% | 2667 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,407 psi | 44% | 1526 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,083 psi | 71% | 2493 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 38,580 psi | 83% | 2618 fps | 95% |
| Lovex S053 | 11.6 gr | 80% | 27,934 psi | 60% | 2382 fps | 97.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,015 psi | 43% | 1562 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.6 gr | 86% | 33,475 psi | 72% | 2549 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 38,580 psi | 83% | 2618 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,969 psi | 78% | 2543 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,108 psi | 58% | 2280 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,170 psi | 71% | 2477 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 84% | 25,875 psi | 56% | 2375 fps | 95.2% |
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 15 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 55gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,772 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,706 fps to 2,772 fps. ADI AR 2207 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 15 of the 15 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 55.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:9.0 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 | 55gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos 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.