Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 60gr | Berger FBHP bullet and 15 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 Alliant Reloder-7.
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>> | 90% | 39,987 psi | 86% | 2549 fps | 95.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,901 psi | 90% | 2503 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,798 psi | 86% | 2657 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,045 psi | 86% | 2602 fps | 96.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,674 psi | 62% | 1647 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,017 psi | 88% | 2621 fps | 97.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,480 psi | 87% | 2562 fps | 98.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,973 psi | 88% | 2575 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,871 psi | 86% | 2661 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,036 psi | 60% | 1686 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,800 psi | 90% | 2631 fps | 98.6% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,858 psi | 90% | 2575 fps | 98% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,756 psi | 88% | 2448 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,278 psi | 89% | 2523 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,103 psi | 86% | 2621 fps | 99.9% |
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>> | 88% | 37,782 psi | 81% | 2507 fps | 95.3% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,552 psi | 85% | 2461 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 12.8 gr | 82% | 26,382 psi | 57% | 2343 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | 14.5 gr | 90% | 35,723 psi | 77% | 2516 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,060 psi | 45% | 1476 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,708 psi | 75% | 2487 fps | 95.3% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,865 psi | 69% | 2382 fps | 96.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,618 psi | 66% | 2362 fps | 98.9% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 92% | 32,851 psi | 71% | 2513 fps | 95% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,697 psi | 45% | 1512 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,763 psi | 66% | 2398 fps | 95.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,841 psi | 84% | 2520 fps | 97.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,167 psi | 63% | 2234 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,434 psi | 79% | 2441 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 12.5 gr | 80% | 25,251 psi | 54% | 2280 fps | 96.5% |
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 15 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 60gr | Berger FBHP. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,661 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,647 fps to 2,661 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 15 of the 15 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 60.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 4198, ReloadSwiss RS 14 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, Alliant Reloder-7 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 60gr | Berger FBHP 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.