Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 65gr | Sierra GameKing 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 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>> | 88% | 39,842 psi | 86% | 2451 fps | 96.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,871 psi | 86% | 2552 fps | 99.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,581 psi | 85% | 2562 fps | 97.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,089 psi | 86% | 2503 fps | 97.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,051 psi | 63% | 1578 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,741 psi | 88% | 2520 fps | 98% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,943 psi | 86% | 2454 fps | 99% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,611 psi | 88% | 2464 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,930 psi | 90% | 2595 fps | 98.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,500 psi | 61% | 1614 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,930 psi | 88% | 2513 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,176 psi | 87% | 2329 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,524 psi | 87% | 2398 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,205 psi | 87% | 2516 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,580 psi | 83% | 2474 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% | 34,867 psi | 75% | 2356 fps | 95.3% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 12.3 gr | 80% | 26,194 psi | 56% | 2247 fps | 96.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 96% | 34,476 psi | 74% | 2461 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,069 psi | 71% | 2362 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,248 psi | 46% | 1411 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 32,474 psi | 70% | 2346 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,315 psi | 72% | 2320 fps | 97.6% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,721 psi | 71% | 2310 fps | 99.6% |
| Norma 200 | 14.1 gr | 88% | 30,589 psi | 66% | 2365 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,958 psi | 45% | 1447 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,343 psi | 70% | 2343 fps | 97.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,966 psi | 67% | 2172 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,029 psi | 82% | 2359 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 12.3 gr | 80% | 26,585 psi | 57% | 2228 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 96% | 34,345 psi | 74% | 2388 fps | 95% |
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 | 65gr | Sierra GameKing. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,595 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,578 fps to 2,595 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 65.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.0 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, Vihtavuori N120 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 65gr | Sierra GameKing 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.