Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Speer SP w/C 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% | 41,350 psi | 89% | 2625 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,073 psi | 84% | 2779 fps | 99% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,349 psi | 85% | 2720 fps | 96% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,442 psi | 61% | 1745 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,451 psi | 87% | 2740 fps | 96.5% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,711 psi | 86% | 2680 fps | 97.9% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,002 psi | 88% | 2720 fps | 96.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,002 psi | 88% | 2710 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,713 psi | 90% | 2825 fps | 97.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,760 psi | 60% | 1781 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,336 psi | 89% | 2756 fps | 98.1% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,002 psi | 88% | 2720 fps | 96.5% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,828 psi | 88% | 2687 fps | 97.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,887 psi | 90% | 2598 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,263 psi | 87% | 2644 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,450 psi | 85% | 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% | 38,450 psi | 83% | 2569 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.8 gr | 84% | 27,427 psi | 59% | 2493 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 37,246 psi | 80% | 2674 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,624 psi | 44% | 1558 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,405 psi | 78% | 2651 fps | 95.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,053 psi | 67% | 2484 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,827 psi | 84% | 2671 fps | 95.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,472 psi | 66% | 2484 fps | 98.4% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,680 psi | 79% | 2726 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,247 psi | 44% | 1594 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 14 gr | 82% | 31,995 psi | 69% | 2552 fps | 95.5% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,827 psi | 84% | 2671 fps | 95.9% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,985 psi | 82% | 2628 fps | 96.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,747 psi | 62% | 2349 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,766 psi | 77% | 2562 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13.1 gr | 80% | 24,511 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 | Speer SP w/C. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,825 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,745 fps to 2,825 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, Vihtavuori N120, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 55gr | Speer SP w/C 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.