Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .30 Picra with .309 | 170gr | LEE Mold C309-170-F 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% | 34,621 psi | 85% | 1217 fps | 90.8% |
| ADI AP 100² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,505 psi | 87% | 1155 fps | 100% |
| Alliant 2400*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 33,953 psi | 84% | 1211 fps | 93.3% |
| Alliant BLUE DOT² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,636 psi | 88% | 1211 fps | 98.8% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,534 psi | 88% | 1089 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 76% | 36,637 psi | 90% | 1017 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 68% | 34,098 psi | 84% | 942 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon LilGun*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 32,938 psi | 81% | 1237 fps | 92.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 25,802 psi | 64% | 866 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 64% | 35,737 psi | 88% | 1037 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Enforcer*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 33,112 psi | 82% | 1204 fps | 93.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 24,410 psi | 60% | 876 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 30* | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,200 psi | 84% | 1260 fps | 90.4% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 64% | 36,376 psi | 90% | 1076 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 32,750 psi | 81% | 1194 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2² | <<locked>> | 64% | 33,417 psi | 82% | 1093 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38² | <<locked>> | 68% | 33,533 psi | 83% | 1165 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N105² | <<locked>> | 72% | 35,824 psi | 88% | 1201 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110* | <<locked>> | 84% | 32,547 psi | 80% | 1201 fps | 92.9% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,376 psi | 90% | 965 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350² | <<locked>> | 64% | 35,578 psi | 88% | 1119 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>> | 64% | 25,976 psi | 64% | 1086 fps | 85.2% |
| ADI AP 100² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,295 psi | 62% | 1020 fps | 100% |
| Alliant 2400*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,135 psi | 62% | 1070 fps | 87.7% |
| Alliant BLUE DOT*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,149 psi | 59% | 1033 fps | 94.1% |
| Alliant Herco² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,860 psi | 64% | 971 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 102 Pistol² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,207 psi | 60% | 879 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon Clays² | <<locked>> | 60% | 28,268 psi | 70% | 876 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon LilGun*² | <<locked>> | 68% | 24,279 psi | 60% | 1089 fps | 86.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss² | 4 gr | 60% | 11,661 psi | 29% | 643 fps | 100% |
| Maxam CSB 1² | <<locked>> | 60% | 31,923 psi | 79% | 997 fps | 100% |
| Ramshot Enforcer*² | <<locked>> | 60% | 24,540 psi | 60% | 1063 fps | 88.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14² | 4.1 gr | 60% | 11,110 psi | 27% | 653 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 30* | <<locked>> | 88% | 30,298 psi | 75% | 1198 fps | 87.7% |
| SNPE Vectan A0² | <<locked>> | 60% | 32,663 psi | 80% | 1033 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 20,305 psi | 50% | 984 fps | 87% |
| SNPE Vectan BA7 1/2² | <<locked>> | 60% | 29,544 psi | 73% | 1047 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori 3N38² | <<locked>> | 60% | 25,614 psi | 63% | 1047 fps | 98.2% |
| Vihtavuori N105² | <<locked>> | 60% | 23,960 psi | 59% | 1033 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N110*² | <<locked>> | 76% | 25,324 psi | 62% | 1089 fps | 88.2% |
| Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star² | 5.5 gr | 60% | 20,291 psi | 50% | 778 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N350² | <<locked>> | 60% | 31,212 psi | 77% | 1070 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 .309 | 170gr | LEE Mold C309-170-F. ReloadSwiss RS 30 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,260 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 866 fps to 1,260 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 6 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 60–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 170.0 gr projectile in 0.309" 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. Vihtavuori N32C Tin Star, ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for .30 Picra with the .309 | 170gr | LEE Mold C309-170-F 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. Accurate 4100, ADI AP 100, Alliant 2400 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.