Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .30-30 Ackley Improved with .308 | 85gr | MAKER Tipped expanding bullet and 16 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2207, ReloadSwiss RS 36 and Lovex S053.
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: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,118 psi | 89% | 2861 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,581 psi | 85% | 3015 fps | 98.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,731 psi | 60% | 1962 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,915 psi | 88% | 2976 fps | 96.2% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,726 psi | 86% | 2920 fps | 97.4% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,321 psi | 89% | 2972 fps | 96% |
| Lovex D063 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,872 psi | 88% | 2920 fps | 96.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,495 psi | 87% | 2943 fps | 99.7% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,930 psi | 90% | 3051 fps | 96.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,180 psi | 59% | 2008 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,191 psi | 89% | 2986 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,321 psi | 89% | 2972 fps | 96% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,872 psi | 88% | 2920 fps | 96.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,698 psi | 90% | 2838 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,001 psi | 86% | 2907 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,742 psi | 90% | 3012 fps | 99.7% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,290 psi | 83% | 2808 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 30.4 gr | 86% | 28,689 psi | 62% | 2753 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,117 psi | 43% | 1765 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 38,522 psi | 83% | 2927 fps | 95.4% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,054 psi | 71% | 2766 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,870 psi | 84% | 2920 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex D063 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,101 psi | 82% | 2861 fps | 96.1% |
| Lovex S053 | 27.1 gr | 80% | 29,747 psi | 64% | 2697 fps | 97.7% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,593 psi | 79% | 2940 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,580 psi | 42% | 1801 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 30.9 gr | 84% | 33,852 psi | 73% | 2825 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,870 psi | 84% | 2920 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,101 psi | 82% | 2861 fps | 96.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,123 psi | 61% | 2569 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,273 psi | 76% | 2815 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 84% | 25,411 psi | 55% | 2612 fps | 95% |
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 16 powders for .30-30 Ackley Improved loaded with the .308 | 85gr | MAKER Tipped expanding. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,051 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,962 fps to 3,051 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 16 of the 16 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 59–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 4198, Norma 200 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, ReloadSwiss RS 36, Lovex S053 rank at the top here: for .30-30 Ackley Improved with the .308 | 85gr | MAKER Tipped expanding 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.