Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .224 | 69gr | Nosler Custom Competition bullet and 16 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 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% | 40,524 psi | 87% | 2385 fps | 97.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,481 psi | 89% | 2490 fps | 99.9% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,967 psi | 71% | 2375 fps | 96.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,596 psi | 87% | 2497 fps | 97.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,727 psi | 88% | 2434 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,588 psi | 64% | 1529 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,755 psi | 86% | 2421 fps | 98.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,959 psi | 88% | 2388 fps | 99.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,669 psi | 90% | 2395 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,524 psi | 87% | 2487 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,066 psi | 63% | 1562 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,813 psi | 86% | 2411 fps | 99.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,017 psi | 88% | 2257 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2323 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,684 psi | 90% | 2457 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,479 psi | 85% | 2411 fps | 97.1% |
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>> | 82% | 33,359 psi | 72% | 2247 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 12 gr | 80% | 26,919 psi | 58% | 2192 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 31,125 psi | 67% | 2329 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 31,749 psi | 68% | 2323 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 82% | 30,313 psi | 65% | 2221 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,495 psi | 46% | 1362 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 86% | 29,689 psi | 64% | 2201 fps | 95% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,026 psi | 73% | 2257 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,417 psi | 72% | 2247 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200 | 13.5 gr | 86% | 29,965 psi | 65% | 2274 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,234 psi | 46% | 1398 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,590 psi | 70% | 2270 fps | 97.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,459 psi | 68% | 2100 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,581 psi | 85% | 2297 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 12 gr | 80% | 27,282 psi | 59% | 2169 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,011 psi | 71% | 2287 fps | 95.2% |
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 | 69gr | Nosler Custom Competition. Alliant Reloder-10x delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,497 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,529 fps to 2,497 fps. Alliant AR-Comp 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 63–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 69.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:10.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant AR-Comp, Alliant Reloder-10x, Hodgdon TrailBoss 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, Vihtavuori N120 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .224 | 69gr | Nosler Custom Competition 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.