Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .221 Rem. Fireball with .227 | 68gr | Reichenberg HDB Universal bullet and 18 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 Alliant Reloder-7.
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>> | 90% | 40,277 psi | 87% | 2388 fps | 97% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,741 psi | 88% | 2493 fps | 99.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,420 psi | 81% | 2454 fps | 96.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,915 psi | 88% | 2448 fps | 97.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,080 psi | 63% | 1529 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,916 psi | 90% | 2467 fps | 98.3% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,538 psi | 87% | 2392 fps | 99.1% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,959 psi | 90% | 2428 fps | 98.1% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,872 psi | 90% | 2411 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,392 psi | 85% | 2480 fps | 97.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,413 psi | 61% | 1562 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,756 psi | 90% | 2454 fps | 99.2% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,959 psi | 90% | 2428 fps | 98.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,611 psi | 90% | 2398 fps | 98.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,249 psi | 89% | 2277 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,321 psi | 89% | 2343 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,075 psi | 89% | 2461 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 36,579 psi | 79% | 2369 fps | 95.9% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,460 psi | 72% | 2260 fps | 95% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 11.7 gr | 80% | 24,816 psi | 53% | 2149 fps | 96.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 96% | 32,895 psi | 71% | 2362 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | 13 gr | 86% | 31,908 psi | 69% | 2274 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,798 psi | 45% | 1358 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 31,531 psi | 68% | 2257 fps | 95.3% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,966 psi | 69% | 2224 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,219 psi | 87% | 2395 fps | 97.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,183 psi | 67% | 2215 fps | 99.5% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 90% | 30,574 psi | 66% | 2303 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,421 psi | 44% | 1391 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,472 psi | 66% | 2234 fps | 96.7% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,219 psi | 87% | 2395 fps | 97.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,131 psi | 84% | 2356 fps | 98.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,254 psi | 63% | 2077 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,912 psi | 80% | 2274 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 11.7 gr | 80% | 25,251 psi | 54% | 2133 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 98% | 34,360 psi | 74% | 2326 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 18 powders for .221 Rem. Fireball loaded with the .227 | 68gr | Reichenberg HDB Universal. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,493 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,529 fps to 2,493 fps. Alliant Reloder-10x gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 18 of the 18 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 68.0 gr projectile in 0.227" calls for a 1:9.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant Reloder-10x, Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 4198 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, Alliant Reloder-7 rank at the top here: for .221 Rem. Fireball with the .227 | 68gr | Reichenberg HDB Universal 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.