Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 5.45 x 39 mm with .224 | 40gr | Impala LW CFN 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.
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Max Load - Barrel Length: 26.3"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 90% | 47,514 psi | 86% | 3360 fps | 97.6% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,369 psi | 86% | 3284 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,631 psi | 88% | 3510 fps | 100% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 37,217 psi | 68% | 3294 fps | 96.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,556 psi | 83% | 3458 fps | 97.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 48,776 psi | 89% | 3448 fps | 98.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,501 psi | 55% | 2218 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 48,196 psi | 87% | 3461 fps | 98.6% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 49,617 psi | 90% | 3432 fps | 99.6% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,340 psi | 86% | 3432 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 48,022 psi | 87% | 3392 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 49,763 psi | 90% | 3517 fps | 98.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,921 psi | 54% | 2260 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 49,197 psi | 89% | 3461 fps | 99.5% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,340 psi | 86% | 3432 fps | 98.2% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 47,688 psi | 87% | 3373 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 48,936 psi | 89% | 3245 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 47,572 psi | 86% | 3317 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,646 psi | 88% | 3451 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,469 psi | 81% | 3343 fps | 96.8% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 26.3"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,407 psi | 72% | 3186 fps | 95.6% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,889 psi | 81% | 3238 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 17.1 gr | 80% | 30,240 psi | 55% | 3071 fps | 96.8% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 35,317 psi | 64% | 3238 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 94% | 38,537 psi | 70% | 3301 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | 18.6 gr | 84% | 36,332 psi | 66% | 3169 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,756 psi | 41% | 2001 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,477 psi | 66% | 3186 fps | 95.7% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,014 psi | 67% | 3159 fps | 97.5% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,875 psi | 81% | 3376 fps | 97.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,564 psi | 66% | 3150 fps | 99.6% |
| Norma 200 | 19.2 gr | 86% | 34,563 psi | 63% | 3176 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,437 psi | 41% | 2044 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,535 psi | 66% | 3182 fps | 97.2% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 44,875 psi | 81% | 3376 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 45,194 psi | 82% | 3323 fps | 98.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,287 psi | 62% | 2966 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,366 psi | 77% | 3222 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,429 psi | 55% | 3038 fps | 98% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,436 psi | 72% | 3235 fps | 95.5% |
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 20 powders for 5.45 x 39 mm loaded with the .224 | 40gr | Impala LW CFN. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,517 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,218 fps to 3,517 fps. Alliant AR-Comp gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 20 of the 20 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (380 MPa), the top charges use 54–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Alliant AR-Comp, Alliant Reloder-10x, Hodgdon TrailBoss 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 5.45 x 39 mm with the .224 | 40gr | Impala LW CFN 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.