Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 5.6 x 50 Mag. with .224 | 40gr | Barnes VLC bullet and 23 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are SNPE Vectan SP 3, Alliant Reloder-10x and IMR 4198.
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: 23.62"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 86% | 47,050 psi | 85% | 3455 fps | 98.4% |
| Accurate 2015ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,788 psi | 83% | 3507 fps | 97.3% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 92% | 47,776 psi | 87% | 3458 fps | 96.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 92% | 49,124 psi | 89% | 3606 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 94% | 47,979 psi | 87% | 3596 fps | 96% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,264 psi | 77% | 3530 fps | 98.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 98% | 49,690 psi | 90% | 3632 fps | 98.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 90% | 48,211 psi | 87% | 3540 fps | 99% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 94% | 49,313 psi | 89% | 3474 fps | 97% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 98% | 49,690 psi | 90% | 3632 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,719 psi | 56% | 2352 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 96% | 48,225 psi | 88% | 3570 fps | 99.3% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 86% | 49,298 psi | 89% | 3537 fps | 99.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 86% | 47,558 psi | 86% | 3488 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 94% | 49,617 psi | 90% | 3612 fps | 99.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,429 psi | 55% | 2402 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 86% | 48,805 psi | 89% | 3556 fps | 99.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 48,283 psi | 88% | 3333 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 96% | 47,543 psi | 86% | 3570 fps | 96.8% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 82% | 49,429 psi | 90% | 3455 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 92% | 49,197 psi | 89% | 3553 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 98% | 47,485 psi | 86% | 3504 fps | 98.4% |
| Vihtavuori N133ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,976 psi | 80% | 3422 fps | 96.7% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 23.62"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,450 psi | 70% | 3264 fps | 96.4% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,234 psi | 73% | 3383 fps | 95.8% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 90% | 44,672 psi | 81% | 3392 fps | 95.3% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,156 psi | 60% | 3241 fps | 98.3% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 92% | 44,788 psi | 81% | 3524 fps | 95% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 92% | 32,779 psi | 59% | 3268 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | 24.3 gr | 88% | 35,810 psi | 65% | 3317 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,070 psi | 64% | 3235 fps | 95.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,410 psi | 79% | 3353 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 96% | 46,354 psi | 84% | 3560 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,336 psi | 41% | 2116 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | 22.1 gr | 84% | 33,910 psi | 62% | 3219 fps | 95.7% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,422 psi | 73% | 3350 fps | 98.9% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,610 psi | 72% | 3323 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,562 psi | 61% | 3238 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,886 psi | 40% | 2156 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,176 psi | 73% | 3373 fps | 98.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,651 psi | 67% | 3117 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | 25.5 gr | 92% | 41,814 psi | 76% | 3445 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 46,528 psi | 84% | 3409 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,344 psi | 61% | 3212 fps | 99.2% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,912 psi | 67% | 3268 fps | 95.7% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 96% | 38,827 psi | 70% | 3304 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 23 powders for 5.6 x 50 Mag. loaded with the .224 | 40gr | Barnes VLC. Alliant Reloder-10x delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,632 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,352 fps to 3,632 fps. Accurate 2015 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 23 of the 23 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (380 MPa), the top charges use 55–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Accurate 2015, Alliant AR-Comp, 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. SNPE Vectan SP 3, Alliant Reloder-10x, IMR 4198 rank at the top here: for 5.6 x 50 Mag. with the .224 | 40gr | Barnes VLC 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.