Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .30 Carbine with .308 | 125gr | Sierra Pro-Hunter bullet and 6 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LilGun, Lovex S040 and ReloadSwiss RS 14.
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: 20"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGunᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,653 psi | 83% | 1952 fps | 99.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 21,190 psi | 46% | 1096 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,611 psi | 88% | 1821 fps | 98.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 20,262 psi | 44% | 1122 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,453 psi | 53% | 1581 fps | 96% |
| Vihtavuori N110ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,109 psi | 63% | 1719 fps | 96.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 20"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodgdon LilGun | 12 gr | 88% | 26,353 psi | 57% | 1745 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 15,243 psi | 33% | 974 fps | 100% |
| Lovex S040 | 10.1 gr | 86% | 30,951 psi | 67% | 1680 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 3.6 gr | 80% | 14,750 psi | 32% | 1001 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 98% | 22,843 psi | 49% | 1545 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 96% | 26,368 psi | 57% | 1667 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 6 powders for .30 Carbine loaded with the .308 | 125gr | Sierra Pro-Hunter. Hodgdon LilGun delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,952 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,096 fps to 1,952 fps. Hodgdon LilGun gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 6 of the 6 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 44–88 %, leaving at least 12 % headroom. Hodgdon LilGun, Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 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. Hodgdon LilGun, Lovex S040, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .30 Carbine with the .308 | 125gr | Sierra Pro-Hunter they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.