Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Reichenberg HDB Universal 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% | 39,929 psi | 86% | 2582 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,001 psi | 86% | 2779 fps | 98.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,350 psi | 87% | 2720 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,137 psi | 61% | 1726 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,320 psi | 85% | 2694 fps | 95.8% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,350 psi | 89% | 2694 fps | 98% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,277 psi | 87% | 2684 fps | 96% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,756 psi | 90% | 2710 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,726 psi | 86% | 2772 fps | 96.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,412 psi | 59% | 1762 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,218 psi | 85% | 2697 fps | 97.4% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,277 psi | 87% | 2684 fps | 96% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,537 psi | 85% | 2641 fps | 96.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,959 psi | 88% | 2569 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,568 psi | 90% | 2651 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,393 psi | 87% | 2743 fps | 99.6% |
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% | 37,739 psi | 81% | 2539 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.6 gr | 86% | 27,804 psi | 60% | 2487 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,087 psi | 82% | 2674 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,740 psi | 45% | 1549 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,231 psi | 80% | 2651 fps | 95.1% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,082 psi | 69% | 2493 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,058 psi | 82% | 2635 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,602 psi | 64% | 2448 fps | 97.9% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,492 psi | 81% | 2726 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,334 psi | 44% | 1588 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.9 gr | 84% | 33,127 psi | 71% | 2566 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,058 psi | 82% | 2635 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,376 psi | 81% | 2598 fps | 96% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,789 psi | 60% | 2313 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,606 psi | 75% | 2526 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13 gr | 82% | 25,222 psi | 54% | 2379 fps | 95.4% |
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 | Reichenberg HDB Universal. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,779 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,726 fps to 2,779 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 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 55.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.5 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 | Reichenberg HDB Universal 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.