Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 64gr | Nosler Bonded Performance 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, Norma 200 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% | 39,653 psi | 85% | 2474 fps | 96.7% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,769 psi | 86% | 2575 fps | 99.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,363 psi | 85% | 2585 fps | 97% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,929 psi | 86% | 2526 fps | 97.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,153 psi | 63% | 1601 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,596 psi | 87% | 2543 fps | 97.9% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,972 psi | 86% | 2480 fps | 98.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,452 psi | 89% | 2503 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,059 psi | 86% | 2585 fps | 97.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,572 psi | 62% | 1637 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,553 psi | 90% | 2552 fps | 99.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,306 psi | 87% | 2359 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,698 psi | 88% | 2428 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,059 psi | 86% | 2543 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,102 psi | 84% | 2510 fps | 96.4% |
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>> | 84% | 34,737 psi | 75% | 2375 fps | 95.2% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 12.5 gr | 80% | 26,266 psi | 57% | 2270 fps | 96.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 94% | 32,953 psi | 71% | 2454 fps | 95% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,678 psi | 73% | 2398 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,422 psi | 46% | 1434 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 88% | 31,314 psi | 67% | 2339 fps | 95% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,446 psi | 72% | 2349 fps | 97.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,837 psi | 71% | 2339 fps | 99.6% |
| Norma 200 | 14.3 gr | 88% | 30,560 psi | 66% | 2385 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,132 psi | 46% | 1470 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 13 gr | 80% | 32,387 psi | 70% | 2369 fps | 97.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,545 psi | 66% | 2185 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,261 psi | 82% | 2388 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,643 psi | 57% | 2251 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 98% | 36,187 psi | 78% | 2454 fps | 95.6% |
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 | 64gr | Nosler Bonded Performance. Alliant Reloder-10x delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,585 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,601 fps to 2,585 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 62–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 64.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.0 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. ADI AR 2207, Norma 200, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 64gr | Nosler Bonded Performance 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.