Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Nosler Varmageddon HP 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% | 41,162 psi | 89% | 2621 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,974 psi | 90% | 2835 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,900 psi | 86% | 2730 fps | 96.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,369 psi | 61% | 1745 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,959 psi | 88% | 2753 fps | 96.7% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,335 psi | 87% | 2694 fps | 98% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,611 psi | 90% | 2733 fps | 96.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,814 psi | 88% | 2710 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,466 psi | 89% | 2825 fps | 97% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,673 psi | 60% | 1781 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,133 psi | 89% | 2756 fps | 98.1% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,611 psi | 90% | 2733 fps | 96.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,625 psi | 88% | 2684 fps | 97.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,161 psi | 87% | 2572 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,089 psi | 86% | 2641 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,987 psi | 86% | 2756 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% | 38,986 psi | 84% | 2582 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.8 gr | 84% | 27,311 psi | 59% | 2490 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 37,130 psi | 80% | 2674 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,566 psi | 44% | 1558 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,230 psi | 78% | 2651 fps | 95.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,546 psi | 68% | 2497 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,682 psi | 83% | 2671 fps | 95.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,371 psi | 65% | 2484 fps | 98.4% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,461 psi | 74% | 2677 fps | 95% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,175 psi | 43% | 1594 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 14 gr | 82% | 31,850 psi | 69% | 2552 fps | 95.5% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,682 psi | 83% | 2671 fps | 95.9% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,464 psi | 83% | 2641 fps | 96.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,631 psi | 62% | 2346 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,607 psi | 77% | 2559 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.1 gr | 80% | 24,410 psi | 53% | 2369 fps | 95.3% |
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 | Nosler Varmageddon HP. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,835 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,745 fps to 2,835 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 1:12.5 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 | Nosler Varmageddon HP 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.