Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 60gr | Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint 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% | 40,582 psi | 87% | 2464 fps | 99.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,944 psi | 88% | 2664 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,972 psi | 84% | 2569 fps | 96.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,834 psi | 62% | 1640 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,958 psi | 86% | 2585 fps | 96.7% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,943 psi | 86% | 2539 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,872 psi | 88% | 2566 fps | 96.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,495 psi | 87% | 2552 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,133 psi | 89% | 2667 fps | 97.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,166 psi | 61% | 1677 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,654 psi | 88% | 2598 fps | 98.3% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,872 psi | 88% | 2566 fps | 96.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,756 psi | 88% | 2539 fps | 97.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,727 psi | 90% | 2451 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,422 psi | 87% | 2497 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,307 psi | 89% | 2628 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,290 psi | 83% | 2425 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 12.7 gr | 84% | 26,890 psi | 58% | 2346 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,709 psi | 79% | 2523 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,016 psi | 45% | 1467 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,347 psi | 78% | 2510 fps | 95.6% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,270 psi | 67% | 2356 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,595 psi | 83% | 2520 fps | 96.2% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,008 psi | 65% | 2336 fps | 98.6% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,692 psi | 73% | 2520 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,653 psi | 45% | 1503 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 12.6 gr | 80% | 29,617 psi | 64% | 2359 fps | 95% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,595 psi | 83% | 2520 fps | 96.2% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,652 psi | 81% | 2480 fps | 96.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,398 psi | 61% | 2208 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,607 psi | 77% | 2411 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 12.1 gr | 80% | 24,294 psi | 52% | 2234 fps | 95.7% |
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 | 60gr | Nosler Ballistic Tip Varmint. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,667 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,640 fps to 2,667 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 61–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 60.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.0 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, Vihtavuori N120, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 60gr | Nosler Ballistic Tip 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.