Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .30 Picra with .308 | 168gr | MEN HPBT Match bullet and 19 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2, 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>> | 68% | 33,736 psi | 83% | 1204 fps | 90.4% |
| ADI AP 100² | <<locked>> | 68% | 34,272 psi | 84% | 1138 fps | 100% |
| Alliant 2400*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 32,822 psi | 81% | 1191 fps | 92.8% |
| Alliant BLUE DOT² | <<locked>> | 68% | 34,185 psi | 84% | 1188 fps | 98.5% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 68% | 34,563 psi | 85% | 1073 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 300-MP*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 36,129 psi | 89% | 1260 fps | 88.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,099 psi | 86% | 997 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 68% | 34,969 psi | 86% | 951 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon LilGun*² | <<locked>> | 72% | 32,721 psi | 81% | 1230 fps | 92.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,818 psi | 69% | 883 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Enforcer*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 32,518 psi | 80% | 1191 fps | 93.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,572 psi | 68% | 906 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 30* | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,069 psi | 84% | 1257 fps | 90.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,680 psi | 90% | 1243 fps | 97.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2² | <<locked>> | 64% | 35,476 psi | 87% | 1115 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38² | <<locked>> | 68% | 36,492 psi | 90% | 1198 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N105² | <<locked>> | 68% | 35,157 psi | 87% | 1188 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110* | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,909 psi | 81% | 1207 fps | 93.3% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,520 psi | 87% | 951 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>> | 60% | 25,976 psi | 64% | 1079 fps | 85.5% |
| ADI AP 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 27,528 psi | 68% | 1047 fps | 100% |
| Alliant 2400*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 29,138 psi | 72% | 1132 fps | 90.8% |
| Alliant BLUE DOT² | <<locked>> | 60% | 27,064 psi | 67% | 1079 fps | 96% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 60% | 28,297 psi | 70% | 994 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 300-MP*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 31,865 psi | 78% | 1194 fps | 86.2% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 26,295 psi | 65% | 899 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 29,196 psi | 72% | 886 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon LilGun*² | <<locked>> | 64% | 24,932 psi | 61% | 1102 fps | 87.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss² | 4 gr | 60% | 13,808 psi | 34% | 666 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Enforcer*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 28,413 psi | 70% | 1125 fps | 91.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14² | 4.1 gr | 60% | 13,590 psi | 33% | 682 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 30* | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,238 psi | 67% | 1138 fps | 85.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2*² | 11.1 gr | 68% | 18,811 psi | 46% | 948 fps | 86% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 31,662 psi | 78% | 1070 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38² | <<locked>> | 60% | 28,558 psi | 70% | 1089 fps | 99.2% |
| Vihtavuori N105² | <<locked>> | 60% | 27,557 psi | 68% | 1086 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 22,800 psi | 56% | 1037 fps | 86.4% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | <<locked>> | 60% | 22,452 psi | 55% | 797 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 19 powders for .30 Picra loaded with the .308 | 168gr | MEN HPBT Match. Alliant Power Pro 300-MP delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,260 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 883 fps to 1,260 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 6 of the 19 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 68–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 168.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:6.0 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. SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for .30 Picra with the .308 | 168gr | MEN HPBT Match they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 4100, Alliant 2400, Alliant Power Pro 300-MP burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Accurate 4100, ADI AP 100, 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.