I have a couple pounds of Benchmark that I had bought for my 22.250 that did not work too well, and ended up using Varget. I have a .221 FB that I would like to try some Benchmark with. I have not been able to find any load data for .221 w/Benchmark. I looked around the net last weekend and did not come up with anything. None of my books list Benchmark for 221. I called Hodgdon, and the guy I talked to was not able to give me any load data either. Hodgdon list 335 for the .221 and the guy from Hodgdon said 335 was slower burning than Benchmark while all the other powders listed were faster burning than Benchmark. I don't have any other loads that use Benchmark, I'm just trying to find a use for it since I got it. A couple pounds of powder would go a long way in a .221. OK, the following will prob sound a little crazy.... Compairing loads from seven other small calibers that list Benchmark, H322 and H335 I tried to come up with a percentage ratio of Benchmark to H322/H335. It looks like 19.3gn of Benchmark would be a safe starting load. Any help or constructive suggestion would be much appriciated. Thank you very much. Billy

i think you'll find it to slow for the 221. the case only holds about 19 grains

you should find it accurate, but with reduced velocity potential.

RL 7 is a great powder for the Fireball as is 2400, and IMR 4227 or H 4227...

I got a Fireball and a few pounds of Benchmark but havent tried any experimenting. It no doubt will be too slow burning to make good speeds, and it will use larger charge weights than something like 4198 or LilGun, so you will load more powder to get less speed. Doesnt make sense to me.

Im saving my benchmark for my next 223

Thanks guy's. I guess I'll just go get some other powder. I've seen where alot of guy's like lilgun. Maybe I'll find a use for the Benchmark someday........

I too think the reason you see no data on Benchmark in the .221 is it's too slow. I also feel Lil'Gun is a little fast even though I know a lotta guy's use it. My personal recommendation would be AA1680. My rifle responds amazingly with AA1680 and 40 grain V-Max's using 7 1/2BR primers. My rifle is a CZ American. The max load in the book is 20.5 grains, I worked up to 20.2 and it shoots right at a half inch at 3,580ish, amazing performance IMO.

Billy: Benchmark may be a reasonable choice for the 221 if you wanted to launch a 50gr pill. It's burn rate being similar to H322 and AA2015, those powders have worked well in my Fireballs when tested with heavier bullets.

But I'm with Montdoug, AA1680 behind the 40's has been a great recipe in my rifles, and I prefer that bullet weight.
AA has Fireball data on their site.

what i find as the most standard load guys are using is 19 gr of RL7 and a 40 gr bullet. The new barnes varmit grenade has 221 written all over it

Funny you should mention the Barnes Varmint Grenade Butchloc. Yesterday at the range my buddy had some loaded up for his CZ 527 .221. He had both the 40 Barnes and 40 V-Max loaded up in loads that were identical except for bullet to use as a comparison.
First, at least in his rifle the 40 V-Max was much more accurate which could of course be a barrel preference deal.
Second he had two heavy plastic bottles with water in them and screw on caps on em that he set at 100 yards. I spotted while he shot both bottles dead center at about 3550ish fps, one with each bullet. The Barnes bullet tore open the bottle and ripped a 1/2 inch wide 3 inch long tear in the back spilling the water. The V-Max sprayed water four feet into the air tearing about a two inch wide section of the plastic bottle all the way out and knocked the bottle about 6 or 8 feet left. The difference was dramatic!
The accuracy disparity can be explained in the old rifle didn't like em column but the with both bullets hitting the same place in the same medium with such vastly different terminal performance there's only one explanation, we both walked away even more committed to the Hornady V-Max's then we were before.
As to RL7 my old stand-by in my XP100 it was one in my CZ .221 that was nicely accurate but quite slow compared to AA1680 which gave slightly better accuracy and a lot more velocity at what appears to be the same sort of pressure levels. That might well be one of those lot to lot or rifle to rifle variances but in my rifle with the lot of 1680 I have the difference in quite markedly in favor of the 1680.
Sure is a great round huh?

I use lil gun and 4198 with 40gr. vmax's.

I did a search on the internet and came across a reloading board where a load was posted over 4000fps. with 30gr. Bergers out of a 221 F.B.

I played around just a little with the Benchmark. I tried 19gr, 19.5gr, 20gr all with Rem. case, CCI 450 Magnum primers, 40gr V-Max. 19gr=Ave. 2507 fps 0.989" group. 19.5gr=Ave. 2622 fps 0.709" group. 20gr=Ave. 2750 fps 0.928" group, minus flyer= 0.267". Any more than 20gr of Benchmark the powder will start to compress. 20gr is the most I tried and there were no signs of excessive pressure. I've about made up my mind to use H4198 since I bought a can of it before playing with the Benchmark. The H4198 load that works best in my gun is 18gr H4198, Rem. case, CCI 450 Magnum primers, 40gr V-Max=Ave. 2909 fps with 100yd groups of 0.426" to 0.264". For whatever reason this load likes the Magnum primers over the Benchrest primers. It's not a big difference but the Magnum primed groups were always tighter. Well,.... The Benchmark does work, has tight groups with the right load, but is slower and uses more powder. Now if someone else has the same question maybe they'll find this post.