Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 5.56 x 45 NATO with .224 | 52gr | Speer Varmint Hollow Point bullet and 32 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2219, Norma 200 and ADI AR 2207.
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: 20"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 90% | 54,955 psi | 88% | 3097 fps | 99.5% |
| Accurate 2015ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 47,529 psi | 76% | 3051 fps | 97.9% |
| Accurate 2460ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 53,766 psi | 86% | 3159 fps | 96.2% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 96% | 55,492 psi | 89% | 3100 fps | 98% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 96% | 55,970 psi | 90% | 3107 fps | 96.1% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 53,330 psi | 86% | 2982 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 94% | 54,041 psi | 87% | 3166 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 96% | 53,345 psi | 86% | 3196 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,048 psi | 71% | 3077 fps | 99.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 54,128 psi | 87% | 3196 fps | 99.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 92% | 53,055 psi | 85% | 3120 fps | 99.7% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 96% | 53,824 psi | 86% | 3074 fps | 98% |
| Hodgdon H322ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 54,737 psi | 88% | 3219 fps | 97.7% |
| Hodgdon H335ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 56,188 psi | 90% | 3228 fps | 97% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 92% | 54,099 psi | 87% | 3104 fps | 97.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,459 psi | 50% | 1969 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 56,275 psi | 90% | 3192 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 53,548 psi | 86% | 3091 fps | 100% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 53,766 psi | 86% | 3140 fps | 99.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 55,317 psi | 89% | 3091 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 54,679 psi | 88% | 3186 fps | 99.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,864 psi | 49% | 2005 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 53,505 psi | 86% | 3120 fps | 100% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 53,766 psi | 86% | 3140 fps | 99.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 54,940 psi | 88% | 3097 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 55,724 psi | 89% | 2936 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 96% | 53,432 psi | 86% | 3182 fps | 96.3% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 55,738 psi | 89% | 3209 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 54,491 psi | 87% | 3005 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 54,056 psi | 87% | 3117 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 52,257 psi | 84% | 3094 fps | 99.2% |
| Vihtavuori N133ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,368 psi | 73% | 2972 fps | 97.3% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 20"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,552 psi | 63% | 2815 fps | 97.1% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,986 psi | 63% | 2881 fps | 95.7% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 98% | 49,632 psi | 80% | 3091 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 88% | 43,149 psi | 69% | 2881 fps | 95.3% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 94% | 52,591 psi | 84% | 3051 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 50,053 psi | 80% | 2933 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 19 gr | 80% | 34,824 psi | 56% | 2799 fps | 99% |
| ADI AR 2219 | 24.1 gr | 92% | 46,209 psi | 74% | 3064 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 90% | 31,763 psi | 51% | 2776 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,099 psi | 56% | 2818 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,129 psi | 58% | 2782 fps | 96.6% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,408 psi | 66% | 2851 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 94% | 44,440 psi | 71% | 3028 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,776 psi | 78% | 3104 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 86% | 44,744 psi | 72% | 2933 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,669 psi | 36% | 1752 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,140 psi | 50% | 2667 fps | 95.1% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,221 psi | 68% | 2890 fps | 99.4% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 50,531 psi | 81% | 3081 fps | 99.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,191 psi | 66% | 2854 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | 19.9 gr | 80% | 32,953 psi | 53% | 2746 fps | 95.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,771 psi | 37% | 1801 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,930 psi | 67% | 2913 fps | 99.3% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 50,531 psi | 81% | 3081 fps | 99.5% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 51,517 psi | 83% | 3045 fps | 99.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,464 psi | 62% | 2671 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 94% | 50,140 psi | 80% | 3123 fps | 95.6% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,654 psi | 65% | 2930 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 48,211 psi | 77% | 2913 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,012 psi | 56% | 2772 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,998 psi | 58% | 2776 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 94% | 37,869 psi | 61% | 2818 fps | 95.1% |
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 32 powders for 5.56 x 45 NATO loaded with the .224 | 52gr | Speer Varmint Hollow Point. Hodgdon H335 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,228 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,969 fps to 3,228 fps. Accurate 2015 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 32 of the 32 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (430 MPa), the top charges use 49–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 52.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:12.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. 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 2219, Norma 200, ADI AR 2207 rank at the top here: for 5.56 x 45 NATO with the .224 | 52gr | Speer Varmint Hollow Point 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.