Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Prvi Partizan FMJ BT 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, Vihtavuori N120 and ReloadSwiss RS 36.
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% | 40,408 psi | 87% | 2598 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,234 psi | 89% | 2808 fps | 99.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,466 psi | 89% | 2749 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,369 psi | 61% | 1736 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,668 psi | 85% | 2713 fps | 96.1% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,785 psi | 90% | 2710 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,770 psi | 88% | 2703 fps | 96.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,943 psi | 86% | 2684 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,074 psi | 86% | 2785 fps | 96.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,673 psi | 60% | 1775 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,393 psi | 87% | 2730 fps | 97.8% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,770 psi | 88% | 2703 fps | 96.3% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,943 psi | 86% | 2657 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,524 psi | 89% | 2585 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,784 psi | 86% | 2628 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,582 psi | 90% | 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% | 38,159 psi | 82% | 2556 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.8 gr | 86% | 28,195 psi | 61% | 2507 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,204 psi | 84% | 2703 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,407 psi | 44% | 1545 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,565 psi | 81% | 2667 fps | 95.4% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,763 psi | 66% | 2467 fps | 95% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,566 psi | 83% | 2654 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,139 psi | 65% | 2467 fps | 98.2% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,839 psi | 77% | 2697 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,030 psi | 43% | 1585 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.7 gr | 82% | 31,125 psi | 67% | 2523 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,566 psi | 83% | 2654 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,811 psi | 81% | 2615 fps | 96.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,340 psi | 61% | 2333 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,259 psi | 76% | 2543 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 12.9 gr | 80% | 24,236 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 | Prvi Partizan FMJ BT. 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, Vihtavuori N120, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 55gr | Prvi Partizan FMJ BT 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.