Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .222 Rem. with .224 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing bullet and 20 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 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.
A valid access license is required to use the Personalized Load Calculator.
You can find more information in our FAQ: How can I use the Personalized Load Calculator?
Max Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 90% | 46,470 psi | 87% | 3205 fps | 97.6% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,180 psi | 86% | 3127 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 47,181 psi | 88% | 3337 fps | 99.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,193 psi | 82% | 3291 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 46,963 psi | 88% | 3278 fps | 98.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,776 psi | 55% | 2110 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 47,137 psi | 88% | 3297 fps | 98.6% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 45,571 psi | 85% | 3215 fps | 99.2% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,383 psi | 86% | 3264 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D063 | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,818 psi | 87% | 3219 fps | 98.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 47,065 psi | 88% | 3235 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 47,659 psi | 89% | 3343 fps | 98.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,022 psi | 54% | 2149 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 47,993 psi | 89% | 3297 fps | 99.5% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,383 psi | 86% | 3264 fps | 98.2% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,818 psi | 87% | 3219 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 47,732 psi | 89% | 3091 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 46,122 psi | 86% | 3169 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 46,804 psi | 87% | 3278 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,945 psi | 78% | 3166 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% | 37,884 psi | 71% | 3022 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,671 psi | 81% | 3081 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 17.7 gr | 80% | 28,413 psi | 53% | 2890 fps | 96.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,738 psi | 68% | 3123 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | 19.7 gr | 86% | 36,680 psi | 68% | 3054 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,712 psi | 40% | 1893 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,433 psi | 66% | 3031 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,752 psi | 67% | 2999 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,888 psi | 82% | 3212 fps | 97.7% |
| Lovex D063 | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,700 psi | 81% | 3156 fps | 98.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,056 psi | 65% | 2986 fps | 99.5% |
| Norma 200 | 20.4 gr | 88% | 34,534 psi | 64% | 3054 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,234 psi | 40% | 1932 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,853 psi | 65% | 3012 fps | 96.9% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,888 psi | 82% | 3212 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,700 psi | 81% | 3156 fps | 98.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,619 psi | 61% | 2805 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,959 psi | 76% | 3074 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,847 psi | 50% | 2802 fps | 96.8% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,653 psi | 74% | 3117 fps | 95.8% |
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 35 powders for .222 Rem. loaded with the .224 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,343 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,110 fps to 3,343 fps. Accurate 2015 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 35 of the 35 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (370 MPa), the top charges use 54–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Accurate 2015, Accurate 2460, Alliant AR-Comp 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, Alliant Reloder-7 rank at the top here: for .222 Rem. with the .224 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 2015, Accurate 2460, Accurate LT-30 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.