Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 60gr | Hornady Varmint bullet and 15 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Norma 200, ADI AR 2207 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,479 psi | 85% | 2569 fps | 96.3% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,856 psi | 86% | 2684 fps | 99.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,726 psi | 86% | 2697 fps | 96.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,943 psi | 86% | 2631 fps | 97.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,037 psi | 63% | 1677 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,394 psi | 89% | 2664 fps | 97.8% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,856 psi | 86% | 2582 fps | 98.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,263 psi | 89% | 2608 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,711 psi | 86% | 2684 fps | 97.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,413 psi | 61% | 1713 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,771 psi | 90% | 2661 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,451 psi | 87% | 2464 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,350 psi | 87% | 2530 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,103 psi | 86% | 2648 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,754 psi | 84% | 2602 fps | 96% |
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>> | 86% | 37,420 psi | 81% | 2530 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 13.1 gr | 80% | 25,817 psi | 56% | 2352 fps | 96% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 96% | 34,911 psi | 75% | 2595 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,286 psi | 72% | 2490 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,103 psi | 45% | 1496 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 32,866 psi | 71% | 2477 fps | 95.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,634 psi | 72% | 2451 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,474 psi | 70% | 2431 fps | 99.4% |
| Norma 200 | 15.5 gr | 90% | 33,025 psi | 71% | 2543 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,755 psi | 45% | 1532 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13.7 gr | 80% | 32,329 psi | 70% | 2464 fps | 96.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,530 psi | 66% | 2283 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,043 psi | 82% | 2490 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,208 psi | 56% | 2333 fps | 97.4% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 98% | 36,680 psi | 79% | 2562 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 15 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .224 | 60gr | Hornady Varmint. Alliant Reloder-10x delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,697 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,677 fps to 2,697 fps. Alliant Reloder-10x 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 61–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 60.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:13.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant Reloder-10x, Hodgdon TrailBoss, 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. Norma 200, ADI AR 2207, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 60gr | Hornady Varmint 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.