Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 5.6 x 50 R Mag. with .223 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing bullet and 22 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant AR-Comp, Alliant Reloder-10x 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 1680 | <<locked>> | 82% | 44,237 psi | 90% | 3261 fps | 98.8% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,669 psi | 85% | 3281 fps | 97.5% |
| Accurate 2495ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,653 psi | 78% | 3274 fps | 97.2% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,467 psi | 86% | 3212 fps | 96.1% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 86% | 44,367 psi | 90% | 3360 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,902 psi | 87% | 3353 fps | 95.9% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 44,077 psi | 89% | 3435 fps | 99.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,047 psi | 85% | 3330 fps | 98.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 43,584 psi | 88% | 3304 fps | 99% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 88% | 43,859 psi | 89% | 3238 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 92% | 44,367 psi | 90% | 3386 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,241 psi | 63% | 2238 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 44,527 psi | 90% | 3451 fps | 97.4% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,918 psi | 89% | 3337 fps | 99.4% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,235 psi | 86% | 3314 fps | 99% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,053 psi | 63% | 2287 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 44,135 psi | 90% | 3100 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,004 psi | 87% | 3337 fps | 96.9% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 44,469 psi | 90% | 3310 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,453 psi | 88% | 3284 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,670 psi | 87% | 3264 fps | 97.6% |
| Vihtavuori N135ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,190 psi | 82% | 3301 fps | 97.4% |
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% | 41,379 psi | 84% | 3199 fps | 98.3% |
| Accurate 2015 | 24.8 gr | 88% | 34,200 psi | 69% | 3097 fps | 95.1% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 96% | 33,750 psi | 68% | 3150 fps | 95.5% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,147 psi | 81% | 3159 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,361 psi | 74% | 3179 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,074 psi | 81% | 3287 fps | 95% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 24.5 gr | 86% | 29,486 psi | 60% | 3041 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | 22.8 gr | 82% | 32,547 psi | 66% | 3087 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,101 psi | 77% | 3176 fps | 97.9% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 84% | 38,667 psi | 78% | 3123 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,437 psi | 84% | 3317 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,814 psi | 46% | 2008 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,218 psi | 80% | 3323 fps | 95.8% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,648 psi | 66% | 3051 fps | 96.6% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,795 psi | 71% | 3133 fps | 97.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,800 psi | 46% | 2057 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,827 psi | 81% | 3022 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 86% | 37,913 psi | 77% | 3215 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,463 psi | 74% | 3143 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 82% | 31,618 psi | 64% | 2989 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,201 psi | 71% | 3087 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,346 psi | 72% | 3179 fps | 95.8% |
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 22 powders for 5.6 x 50 R Mag. loaded with the .223 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing. IMR 3031 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,451 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,238 fps to 3,451 fps. Accurate 2495 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 22 of the 22 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (340 MPa), the top charges use 63–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. 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, Alliant Reloder-10x, Accurate 2015 rank at the top here: for 5.6 x 50 R Mag. with the .223 | 45gr | Sierra VarmintKing 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.