Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 5.56 x 45 NATO with .224 | 70gr | Berger VLD Target bullet and 55 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are SNPE Vectan SP 10, ADI AR 2219 and Hodgdon H335.
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>> | 86% | 54,839 psi | 88% | 2700 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2015ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 55,637 psi | 89% | 2782 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 96% | 54,636 psi | 88% | 2792 fps | 98.7% |
| Accurate 2495ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,656 psi | 70% | 2664 fps | 99.4% |
| Accurate 2520ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 55,332 psi | 89% | 2835 fps | 98.5% |
| Accurate 4064ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,553 psi | 65% | 2621 fps | 96.8% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 92% | 55,100 psi | 88% | 2707 fps | 99.6% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 92% | 55,593 psi | 89% | 2720 fps | 98.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 90% | 55,419 psi | 89% | 2756 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 92% | 53,606 psi | 86% | 2805 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 54,549 psi | 87% | 2792 fps | 96.8% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 52,112 psi | 84% | 2818 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 96% | 55,376 psi | 89% | 2897 fps | 96.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 96% | 56,014 psi | 90% | 2808 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 88% | 53,577 psi | 86% | 2720 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 92% | 54,172 psi | 87% | 2703 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 98% | 54,636 psi | 88% | 2753 fps | 97.4% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 52,765 psi | 85% | 2818 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 96% | 55,912 psi | 90% | 2838 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 94% | 53,258 psi | 85% | 2799 fps | 98.8% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 88% | 53,867 psi | 86% | 2710 fps | 99.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,372 psi | 52% | 1680 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,878 psi | 78% | 2792 fps | 99.5% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 94% | 53,809 psi | 86% | 2740 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 84% | 54,172 psi | 87% | 2680 fps | 100% |
| IMR 8208 XBRᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 54,549 psi | 87% | 2792 fps | 96.8% |
| Lovex D073.4 | <<locked>> | 90% | 55,680 psi | 89% | 2815 fps | 98.4% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 96% | 54,752 psi | 88% | 2792 fps | 97.7% |
| Lovex D073.6ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,559 psi | 78% | 2746 fps | 97.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 86% | 55,477 psi | 89% | 2664 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 90% | 52,968 psi | 85% | 2746 fps | 100% |
| Norma 201ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 50,082 psi | 80% | 2726 fps | 95.9% |
| Norma 202ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 49,734 psi | 80% | 2743 fps | 98.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,590 psi | 52% | 1722 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 84% | 54,027 psi | 87% | 2710 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 96% | 54,998 psi | 88% | 2802 fps | 98.2% |
| Rottweil R 901ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 53,998 psi | 87% | 2779 fps | 98.7% |
| Shooters World AR Plus | <<locked>> | 90% | 55,680 psi | 89% | 2815 fps | 98.4% |
| Shooters World Match Rifleᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,559 psi | 78% | 2746 fps | 97.4% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 92% | 52,953 psi | 85% | 2723 fps | 95.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 56,333 psi | 90% | 2523 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 92% | 54,389 psi | 87% | 2812 fps | 98.8% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 94% | 53,751 psi | 86% | 2776 fps | 99.8% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 53,316 psi | 85% | 2707 fps | 98.6% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,728 psi | 69% | 2552 fps | 97.8% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 98% | 56,420 psi | 90% | 2841 fps | 97.4% |
| Somchem S335ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 51,735 psi | 83% | 2707 fps | 99.1% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 90% | 55,405 psi | 89% | 2707 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 96% | 53,693 psi | 86% | 2720 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 52,388 psi | 84% | 2707 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N135ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,353 psi | 71% | 2667 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N140ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 47,529 psi | 76% | 2684 fps | 98.2% |
| Vihtavuori N530ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 55,912 psi | 90% | 2802 fps | 97% |
| Vihtavuori N540ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,585 psi | 73% | 2664 fps | 97.3% |
| Winchester 748ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 53,330 psi | 86% | 2835 fps | 97.5% |
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% | 44,817 psi | 72% | 2549 fps | 99.8% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,646 psi | 48% | 2306 fps | 95.5% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 86% | 38,667 psi | 62% | 2523 fps | 95.3% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,327 psi | 47% | 2365 fps | 95.8% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,640 psi | 67% | 2615 fps | 95.8% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,679 psi | 57% | 2523 fps | 95.3% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,319 psi | 61% | 2425 fps | 96.9% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,365 psi | 66% | 2484 fps | 95.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,698 psi | 65% | 2533 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | 19.4 gr | 80% | 35,781 psi | 57% | 2484 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,399 psi | 78% | 2697 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,180 psi | 44% | 2313 fps | 97.1% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 94% | 51,663 psi | 83% | 2841 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,389 psi | 55% | 2434 fps | 98.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,930 psi | 67% | 2536 fps | 99.7% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,985 psi | 59% | 2415 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 92% | 45,484 psi | 73% | 2605 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 45,876 psi | 74% | 2707 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,273 psi | 57% | 2474 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon H335 | 21.1 gr | 84% | 37,927 psi | 61% | 2530 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,192 psi | 68% | 2516 fps | 97.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,757 psi | 38% | 1499 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,662 psi | 51% | 2438 fps | 95.1% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,926 psi | 58% | 2434 fps | 99.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 47,732 psi | 77% | 2589 fps | 100% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,399 psi | 78% | 2697 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex D073.4 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,989 psi | 67% | 2592 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 90% | 44,440 psi | 71% | 2628 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,697 psi | 64% | 2592 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 47,094 psi | 76% | 2549 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,653 psi | 62% | 2510 fps | 99.5% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 98% | 47,369 psi | 76% | 2680 fps | 95.3% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,812 psi | 62% | 2549 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,091 psi | 39% | 1542 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 47,805 psi | 77% | 2618 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,511 psi | 68% | 2598 fps | 95.5% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 88% | 38,174 psi | 61% | 2500 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World AR Plus | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,989 psi | 67% | 2592 fps | 95.5% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,697 psi | 64% | 2592 fps | 95.1% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 90% | 49,429 psi | 79% | 2671 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,960 psi | 69% | 2349 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | 20.6 gr | 82% | 38,885 psi | 62% | 2543 fps | 95.6% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,693 psi | 56% | 2434 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,057 psi | 59% | 2428 fps | 95% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 92% | 33,794 psi | 54% | 2375 fps | 95.1% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 92% | 46,021 psi | 74% | 2677 fps | 95.2% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,866 psi | 54% | 2379 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,828 psi | 65% | 2497 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,808 psi | 53% | 2349 fps | 97.6% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 82% | 30,139 psi | 48% | 2293 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 86% | 28,514 psi | 46% | 2326 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,666 psi | 59% | 2480 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,588 psi | 78% | 2690 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 94% | 37,739 psi | 61% | 2513 fps | 95.1% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 94% | 43,497 psi | 70% | 2667 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 55 powders for 5.56 x 45 NATO loaded with the .224 | 70gr | Berger VLD Target. Alliant Power Pro 1200-R delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,897 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,680 fps to 2,897 fps. Accurate 2015 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 55 of the 55 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (430 MPa), the top charges use 52–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 70.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:9.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 2015, Accurate 2495, Accurate 2520 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. SNPE Vectan SP 10, ADI AR 2219, Hodgdon H335 rank at the top here: for 5.56 x 45 NATO with the .224 | 70gr | Berger VLD Target 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.