Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 55gr | Speer TNT bullet and 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,872 psi | 90% | 2707 fps | 95.7% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,075 psi | 89% | 2618 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,858 psi | 90% | 2828 fps | 99.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,088 psi | 84% | 2710 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,660 psi | 62% | 1749 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,205 psi | 87% | 2730 fps | 96.4% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,436 psi | 85% | 2671 fps | 97.8% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,452 psi | 89% | 2723 fps | 96.6% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,669 psi | 88% | 2703 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,698 psi | 88% | 2802 fps | 96.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,978 psi | 60% | 1785 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,031 psi | 88% | 2749 fps | 98% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,452 psi | 89% | 2723 fps | 96.6% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,524 psi | 87% | 2677 fps | 97.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,524 psi | 89% | 2589 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,856 psi | 86% | 2635 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,204 psi | 84% | 2736 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,610 psi | 85% | 2661 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,827 psi | 84% | 2575 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.7 gr | 84% | 27,151 psi | 59% | 2484 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,970 psi | 80% | 2664 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,755 psi | 45% | 1562 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,143 psi | 78% | 2641 fps | 95% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,357 psi | 68% | 2490 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,537 psi | 83% | 2661 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,197 psi | 65% | 2474 fps | 98.3% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,318 psi | 78% | 2717 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,363 psi | 44% | 1598 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.9 gr | 82% | 31,676 psi | 68% | 2543 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,537 psi | 83% | 2661 fps | 95.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,681 psi | 81% | 2618 fps | 96.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,427 psi | 61% | 2339 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,346 psi | 76% | 2552 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 13 gr | 80% | 24,308 psi | 52% | 2359 fps | 95.1% |
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 17 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 55gr | Speer TNT. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,828 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,749 fps to 2,828 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 17 of the 17 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 1:12.0 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 | Speer TNT 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.