Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 5.6 x 50 R Mag. with .204 | 50gr | Barnes Varminator HP FB bullet and 27 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant AR-Comp, Hodgdon H322 and Accurate 2015.
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 2015 | <<locked>> | 94% | 43,395 psi | 88% | 3179 fps | 98.5% |
| Accurate 2495ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,031 psi | 83% | 3192 fps | 98.4% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 86% | 43,947 psi | 89% | 3107 fps | 97.3% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 84% | 43,468 psi | 88% | 3189 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 88% | 44,585 psi | 90% | 3251 fps | 97.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,018 psi | 87% | 3271 fps | 99.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 90% | 44,019 psi | 89% | 3225 fps | 99.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,206 psi | 86% | 3130 fps | 99.3% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,699 psi | 87% | 3081 fps | 97.4% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,047 psi | 85% | 3196 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 88% | 44,208 psi | 90% | 3232 fps | 96.1% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,772 psi | 87% | 3104 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,807 psi | 65% | 2123 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,539 psi | 84% | 3248 fps | 97.4% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,960 psi | 87% | 3166 fps | 99.6% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 86% | 44,208 psi | 90% | 3209 fps | 99.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,691 psi | 64% | 2172 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 82% | 43,424 psi | 88% | 2933 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 90% | 44,483 psi | 90% | 3222 fps | 98% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,669 psi | 82% | 3064 fps | 96.2% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,308 psi | 88% | 3136 fps | 96.8% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 43,178 psi | 88% | 3130 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,845 psi | 89% | 3153 fps | 99.1% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 98% | 43,004 psi | 87% | 3140 fps | 98.3% |
| Vihtavuori N135ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,713 psi | 85% | 3199 fps | 98.4% |
| Vihtavuori N140ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,918 psi | 89% | 3196 fps | 96.5% |
| Vihtavuori N540ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,077 psi | 89% | 3222 fps | 96.1% |
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 2015 | 23.4 gr | 86% | 33,402 psi | 68% | 2946 fps | 95.7% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 92% | 30,734 psi | 62% | 2936 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,608 psi | 74% | 2940 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,043 psi | 77% | 3077 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 84% | 38,725 psi | 79% | 3120 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 22.6 gr | 82% | 27,137 psi | 55% | 2835 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,894 psi | 65% | 2933 fps | 96.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,378 psi | 80% | 3064 fps | 98.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 37,130 psi | 75% | 2959 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon H322 | 24.9 gr | 90% | 39,653 psi | 80% | 3140 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,799 psi | 83% | 3156 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,929 psi | 81% | 3038 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,409 psi | 47% | 1909 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,883 psi | 75% | 3133 fps | 95.9% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,533 psi | 68% | 2940 fps | 97.8% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,216 psi | 73% | 3031 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,076 psi | 47% | 1946 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,944 psi | 83% | 2890 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,621 psi | 70% | 2992 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 98% | 38,377 psi | 78% | 3015 fps | 95.5% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,261 psi | 78% | 3025 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,636 psi | 72% | 2976 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,153 psi | 61% | 2822 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,055 psi | 69% | 2933 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 92% | 32,358 psi | 66% | 2972 fps | 95.6% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,437 psi | 84% | 3140 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,162 psi | 83% | 3156 fps | 95.2% |
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 27 powders for 5.6 x 50 R Mag. loaded with the .204 | 50gr | Barnes Varminator HP FB. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,271 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,123 fps to 3,271 fps. Accurate 2495 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 27 of the 27 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (340 MPa), the top charges use 64–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 50.0 gr projectile in 0.224" calls for a 1:11.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 2495, Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 3031 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. Alliant AR-Comp, Hodgdon H322, Accurate 2015 rank at the top here: for 5.6 x 50 R Mag. with the .204 | 50gr | Barnes Varminator HP FB 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.