Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .303 Savage with .308 | 135gr | Alaska Bullet Works Kodiak SP SPBC bullet and 10 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant AR-Comp, IMR 4198 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: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,605 psi | 86% | 2313 fps | 99.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 34,272 psi | 88% | 2392 fps | 97.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,069 psi | 84% | 2323 fps | 96% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,170 psi | 85% | 2257 fps | 96.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,240 psi | 77% | 1522 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,403 psi | 88% | 2290 fps | 97.2% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,273 psi | 90% | 2356 fps | 97.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,805 psi | 76% | 1555 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,823 psi | 86% | 2287 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,418 psi | 88% | 2290 fps | 96.1% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,660 psi | 76% | 2224 fps | 98.5% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 29.5 gr | 94% | 30,211 psi | 77% | 2290 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 88% | 31,169 psi | 80% | 2277 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,270 psi | 80% | 2215 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,104 psi | 56% | 1358 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | 23.9 gr | 82% | 29,153 psi | 74% | 2165 fps | 95.2% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 82% | 29,312 psi | 75% | 2221 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 8.9 gr | 80% | 21,915 psi | 56% | 1391 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,950 psi | 76% | 2201 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 90% | 32,460 psi | 83% | 2247 fps | 95.4% |
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 23 powders for .303 Savage loaded with the .308 | 135gr | Alaska Bullet Works Kodiak SP SPBC. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,392 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,522 fps to 2,392 fps. Accurate 2495 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 23 of the 23 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 69–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 135.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:16.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 2495, Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 3031 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. Alliant AR-Comp, IMR 4198, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .303 Savage with the .308 | 135gr | Alaska Bullet Works Kodiak SP SPBC they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 2495, Accurate LT-30, ADI AR 2219 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.