Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .222 Rem. with .224 | 45gr | Barnes X BT bullet and 21 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 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>> | 90% | 47,950 psi | 89% | 3196 fps | 97.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,935 psi | 89% | 3123 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 46,470 psi | 87% | 3291 fps | 99.8% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,579 psi | 70% | 3133 fps | 96.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,992 psi | 86% | 3291 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 46,166 psi | 86% | 3225 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,472 psi | 57% | 2090 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 46,151 psi | 86% | 3245 fps | 98.1% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 47,456 psi | 88% | 3219 fps | 99.3% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,863 psi | 89% | 3261 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D063 | <<locked>> | 82% | 48,254 psi | 90% | 3212 fps | 98.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,035 psi | 86% | 3182 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 46,891 psi | 87% | 3287 fps | 98.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,458 psi | 57% | 2142 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,514 psi | 87% | 3235 fps | 99.1% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,863 psi | 89% | 3261 fps | 98.2% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 48,254 psi | 90% | 3212 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 46,963 psi | 88% | 3048 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 48,240 psi | 90% | 3166 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 48,066 psi | 90% | 3268 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,511 psi | 81% | 3159 fps | 96.5% |
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% | 39,755 psi | 74% | 3028 fps | 95.5% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,831 psi | 84% | 3068 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 17.2 gr | 80% | 30,705 psi | 57% | 2917 fps | 96.7% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,244 psi | 66% | 3068 fps | 95.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,508 psi | 72% | 3127 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,332 psi | 68% | 3002 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,785 psi | 42% | 1883 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,941 psi | 69% | 3028 fps | 95.6% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,507 psi | 70% | 3002 fps | 97.5% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,353 psi | 85% | 3209 fps | 97.7% |
| Lovex D063 | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,092 psi | 84% | 3150 fps | 98.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,101 psi | 69% | 2992 fps | 99.6% |
| Norma 200 | 19.3 gr | 86% | 35,085 psi | 65% | 3022 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,452 psi | 42% | 1923 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 17.8 gr | 80% | 36,506 psi | 68% | 3012 fps | 97.1% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,353 psi | 85% | 3209 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,092 psi | 84% | 3150 fps | 98.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,853 psi | 65% | 2818 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,598 psi | 81% | 3084 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,022 psi | 54% | 2828 fps | 97.3% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,102 psi | 73% | 3064 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 21 powders for .222 Rem. loaded with the .224 | 45gr | Barnes X BT. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,291 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,090 fps to 3,291 fps. Alliant AR-Comp gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 21 of the 21 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (370 MPa), the top charges use 57–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 45.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.0 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, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for .222 Rem. with the .224 | 45gr | Barnes X BT 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.