Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .30 Picra with .308 | 146gr | MEN FMJ BT Mdly bullet and 21 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star, ReloadSwiss RS 14 and Hodgdon TrailBoss.
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 ≥ 60% and propellant combustion ≥ 80%. 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: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 4100*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 34,345 psi | 85% | 1299 fps | 87.9% |
| ADI AP 100² | <<locked>> | 72% | 34,954 psi | 86% | 1243 fps | 100% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 64% | 36,680 psi | 90% | 1050 fps | 100% |
| Alliant 2400*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 33,910 psi | 84% | 1296 fps | 90.7% |
| Alliant BLUE DOT² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,404 psi | 87% | 1296 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,781 psi | 88% | 1178 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 72% | 33,431 psi | 82% | 1063 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 68% | 34,011 psi | 84% | 1017 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon LilGun*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 33,011 psi | 81% | 1329 fps | 90% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,629 psi | 66% | 942 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 64% | 35,636 psi | 88% | 1119 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Enforcer*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 33,736 psi | 83% | 1299 fps | 91.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 26,237 psi | 65% | 965 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 64% | 35,853 psi | 88% | 1158 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2* | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,911 psi | 88% | 1329 fps | 94.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2² | <<locked>> | 64% | 33,141 psi | 82% | 1178 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38² | <<locked>> | 68% | 33,446 psi | 82% | 1250 fps | 99.2% |
| Vihtavuori N105² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,563 psi | 88% | 1293 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110* | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,289 psi | 89% | 1348 fps | 92.3% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,200 psi | 84% | 1014 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350² | <<locked>> | 64% | 35,259 psi | 87% | 1207 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 5"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 4100*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 30,255 psi | 75% | 1234 fps | 85.4% |
| ADI AP 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,527 psi | 63% | 1099 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI APS 450² | <<locked>> | 60% | 32,938 psi | 81% | 1004 fps | 100% |
| Alliant 2400*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,368 psi | 65% | 1165 fps | 86% |
| Alliant BLUE DOT*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,831 psi | 61% | 1119 fps | 92.4% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,614 psi | 66% | 1056 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,976 psi | 62% | 955 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 28,340 psi | 70% | 948 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon LilGun*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 28,340 psi | 70% | 1250 fps | 86.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss² | 4 gr | 60% | 13,169 psi | 32% | 712 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 31,995 psi | 79% | 1076 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Enforcer*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,440 psi | 63% | 1155 fps | 86.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14² | 4.1 gr | 60% | 12,923 psi | 32% | 725 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 60% | 32,372 psi | 80% | 1115 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 21,002 psi | 52% | 1070 fps | 85.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 29,559 psi | 73% | 1132 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,150 psi | 64% | 1132 fps | 96.9% |
| Vihtavuori N105² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,729 psi | 61% | 1125 fps | 98.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 25,817 psi | 64% | 1175 fps | 85.8% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | 5.5 gr | 60% | 21,509 psi | 53% | 850 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350² | <<locked>> | 60% | 31,198 psi | 77% | 1155 fps | 100% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
* not dangerous but load has suboptimal powder burnt with possible characteristics such as extensive muzzle flash or inaccurate loads.
² fill rate low - you might want to consider using a filler to ensure proper ignition.
ᴾ possible press load - work up slowly to this load while watching for signs of excessive pressure.
This overview compares 21 powders for .30 Picra loaded with the .308 | 146gr | MEN FMJ BT Mdly. Vihtavuori N110 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,348 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 942 fps to 1,348 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 5 of the 21 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 65–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 146.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:16.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. 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. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for .30 Picra with the .308 | 146gr | MEN FMJ BT Mdly they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 4100, Alliant 2400, Hodgdon LilGun burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. ADI AP 100, ADI APS 450, Alliant BLUE DOT 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.