Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .223 Rem. with .224 | 40gr | Berger FB Varmint 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.
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% | 48,182 psi | 88% | 3435 fps | 97.8% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,384 psi | 86% | 3353 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 49,124 psi | 89% | 3576 fps | 100% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,376 psi | 68% | 3360 fps | 96.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 46,122 psi | 84% | 3527 fps | 97.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 48,602 psi | 88% | 3510 fps | 98.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,849 psi | 54% | 2287 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,762 psi | 89% | 3537 fps | 98.8% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 47,282 psi | 86% | 3458 fps | 99.4% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,805 psi | 87% | 3510 fps | 98.3% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 48,124 psi | 87% | 3465 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 49,516 psi | 90% | 3576 fps | 98.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,066 psi | 53% | 2329 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,441 psi | 84% | 3474 fps | 99.2% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,805 psi | 87% | 3510 fps | 98.3% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 48,370 psi | 88% | 3455 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 49,255 psi | 90% | 3317 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 47,747 psi | 87% | 3530 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 47,224 psi | 86% | 3389 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 49,211 psi | 89% | 3524 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,005 psi | 82% | 3415 fps | 97.1% |
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% | 39,508 psi | 72% | 3251 fps | 95.7% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,556 psi | 81% | 3301 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 19.7 gr | 80% | 29,399 psi | 53% | 3100 fps | 96.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,070 psi | 64% | 3294 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 94% | 37,971 psi | 69% | 3340 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,563 psi | 65% | 3212 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,654 psi | 39% | 2054 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,216 psi | 66% | 3245 fps | 95.6% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,941 psi | 67% | 3225 fps | 97.4% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,947 psi | 82% | 3448 fps | 97.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,955 psi | 65% | 3202 fps | 99.5% |
| Norma 200 | 22.7 gr | 88% | 36,013 psi | 65% | 3278 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,161 psi | 38% | 2093 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 20.5 gr | 80% | 36,085 psi | 66% | 3235 fps | 97.1% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,947 psi | 82% | 3448 fps | 97.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,455 psi | 83% | 3396 fps | 98.6% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,605 psi | 61% | 3022 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 98% | 44,802 psi | 81% | 3468 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,843 psi | 76% | 3287 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,631 psi | 54% | 3077 fps | 97.6% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,610 psi | 72% | 3297 fps | 95.6% |
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 36 powders for .223 Rem. loaded with the .224 | 40gr | Berger FB Varmint. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,576 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,287 fps to 3,576 fps. Accurate 2015 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 36 of the 36 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (379 MPa), the top charges use 53–90 %, 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. Norma 200, ADI AR 2207, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for .223 Rem. with the .224 | 40gr | Berger FB Varmint they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 2015, Accurate 2460, Accurate LT-32 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.