Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .223 Rem. with .224 | 63gr | Sierra VarmintKing bullet and 50 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon H322, Accurate 2520 and SNPE Vectan SP 10.
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>> | 82% | 47,369 psi | 86% | 2838 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,428 psi | 88% | 2936 fps | 99.8% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 92% | 46,557 psi | 85% | 2923 fps | 97.8% |
| Accurate 2495ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,931 psi | 78% | 2907 fps | 99.6% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 96% | 47,036 psi | 86% | 2969 fps | 97.6% |
| Accurate 4064ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,929 psi | 73% | 2864 fps | 97.2% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 88% | 48,356 psi | 88% | 2854 fps | 99.1% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 88% | 48,791 psi | 89% | 2864 fps | 97.7% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 86% | 48,051 psi | 87% | 2907 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 90% | 49,226 psi | 90% | 2999 fps | 99.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 47,485 psi | 86% | 3009 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 48,704 psi | 89% | 2963 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 86% | 49,647 psi | 90% | 2917 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,949 psi | 85% | 2841 fps | 99.2% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 94% | 47,326 psi | 86% | 2887 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 48,037 psi | 87% | 3005 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 92% | 47,964 psi | 87% | 2979 fps | 99.1% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 92% | 49,226 psi | 90% | 2999 fps | 98.5% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 84% | 46,949 psi | 85% | 2851 fps | 98.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,184 psi | 59% | 1844 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,399 psi | 88% | 3048 fps | 99.6% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 47,369 psi | 86% | 2897 fps | 100% |
| Lovex D073.4 | <<locked>> | 86% | 46,978 psi | 85% | 2940 fps | 97.3% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 92% | 47,036 psi | 86% | 2927 fps | 96.7% |
| Lovex D073.6ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,080 psi | 87% | 2999 fps | 97.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 82% | 49,008 psi | 89% | 2825 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 48,660 psi | 88% | 2943 fps | 100% |
| Norma 201ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 49,545 psi | 90% | 2972 fps | 96.3% |
| Norma 202ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 49,182 psi | 89% | 2995 fps | 98.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,285 psi | 59% | 1893 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 82% | 49,734 psi | 90% | 2904 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 92% | 47,239 psi | 86% | 2940 fps | 97.2% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 96% | 47,384 psi | 86% | 2930 fps | 98% |
| Shooters World AR Plus | <<locked>> | 86% | 46,978 psi | 85% | 2940 fps | 97.3% |
| Shooters World Match Rifleᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,080 psi | 87% | 2999 fps | 97.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 86% | 49,545 psi | 90% | 2674 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 88% | 46,804 psi | 85% | 2949 fps | 98% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 92% | 49,255 psi | 90% | 2966 fps | 99.6% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 98% | 49,734 psi | 90% | 2907 fps | 98.4% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,018 psi | 76% | 2782 fps | 98% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 94% | 48,385 psi | 88% | 2972 fps | 96.3% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 98% | 48,153 psi | 88% | 2900 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 48,109 psi | 87% | 2858 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 94% | 49,240 psi | 90% | 2907 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 98% | 48,878 psi | 89% | 2907 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N135ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,468 psi | 79% | 2904 fps | 99.6% |
| Vihtavuori N140ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 46,282 psi | 84% | 2913 fps | 98.3% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,167 psi | 88% | 2940 fps | 95.9% |
| Vihtavuori N540ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,730 psi | 81% | 2900 fps | 97.6% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 98% | 48,805 psi | 89% | 3022 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>> | 80% | 44,483 psi | 81% | 2789 fps | 99.9% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,834 psi | 52% | 2520 fps | 95.7% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 86% | 38,247 psi | 70% | 2759 fps | 95.8% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 86% | 26,324 psi | 48% | 2523 fps | 95.1% |
| Accurate 2520 | 23.7 gr | 90% | 37,927 psi | 69% | 2792 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 96% | 34,824 psi | 63% | 2756 fps | 95.7% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,927 psi | 69% | 2657 fps | 97.2% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,305 psi | 70% | 2661 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,813 psi | 72% | 2766 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,404 psi | 64% | 2723 fps | 96.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,426 psi | 48% | 2526 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,562 psi | 61% | 2661 fps | 98.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,886 psi | 74% | 2762 fps | 99.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,998 psi | 65% | 2628 fps | 97% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,337 psi | 77% | 2792 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 96% | 44,918 psi | 82% | 2946 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon H322 | 20 gr | 80% | 32,285 psi | 59% | 2641 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 84% | 37,057 psi | 67% | 2759 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,829 psi | 76% | 2753 fps | 97.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,598 psi | 43% | 1650 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,821 psi | 56% | 2661 fps | 95.4% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,911 psi | 63% | 2654 fps | 99.3% |
| Lovex D073.4 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,046 psi | 75% | 2828 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,727 psi | 74% | 2808 fps | 95% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,682 psi | 70% | 2822 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,876 psi | 83% | 2776 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,014 psi | 69% | 2746 fps | 99.6% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 98% | 46,383 psi | 84% | 2920 fps | 95.6% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,433 psi | 64% | 2723 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,830 psi | 43% | 1696 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 47,210 psi | 86% | 2861 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 86% | 38,957 psi | 71% | 2772 fps | 95% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,231 psi | 68% | 2726 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World AR Plus | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,046 psi | 75% | 2828 fps | 95.8% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,682 psi | 70% | 2822 fps | 95.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,409 psi | 77% | 2569 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | 21.4 gr | 80% | 35,824 psi | 65% | 2720 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,852 psi | 62% | 2657 fps | 96.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,216 psi | 66% | 2648 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 92% | 32,764 psi | 60% | 2582 fps | 95.3% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 92% | 44,860 psi | 82% | 2910 fps | 95.5% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 86% | 32,982 psi | 60% | 2595 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,958 psi | 73% | 2726 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,068 psi | 58% | 2566 fps | 97.8% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,876 psi | 51% | 2461 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 86% | 27,847 psi | 51% | 2543 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,953 psi | 62% | 2661 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 94% | 45,063 psi | 82% | 2884 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,912 psi | 67% | 2743 fps | 95.5% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,931 psi | 78% | 2910 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 86 powders for .223 Rem. loaded with the .224 | 63gr | Sierra VarmintKing. IMR 3031 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,048 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,844 fps to 3,048 fps. Accurate 2495 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 86 of the 86 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (379 MPa), the top charges use 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 63.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:12.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 2495, Accurate 4064, ADI AR 2208 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. Hodgdon H322, Accurate 2520, SNPE Vectan SP 10 rank at the top here: for .223 Rem. with the .224 | 63gr | Sierra VarmintKing they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 2200, Accurate 2230, ADI AR 2206H 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.