Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .303 Savage with .308 | 135gr | Peregrine VRG-3 Lever bullet and 11 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Norma 200, Alliant AR-Comp and IMR 4198.
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>> | 86% | 34,925 psi | 89% | 2356 fps | 99.6% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 33,272 psi | 85% | 2385 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,534 psi | 88% | 2369 fps | 96.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,621 psi | 88% | 2306 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,124 psi | 77% | 1532 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,765 psi | 86% | 2293 fps | 97.2% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,490 psi | 88% | 2359 fps | 97.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,588 psi | 76% | 1565 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,418 psi | 90% | 2152 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,201 psi | 90% | 2326 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 92% | 33,881 psi | 87% | 2293 fps | 96% |
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% | 28,921 psi | 74% | 2221 fps | 98.4% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 29.9 gr | 94% | 29,602 psi | 76% | 2293 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 88% | 30,560 psi | 78% | 2280 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,414 psi | 78% | 2211 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,017 psi | 56% | 1368 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | 24.2 gr | 82% | 28,558 psi | 73% | 2162 fps | 95.1% |
| Norma 200 | 26.4 gr | 82% | 28,442 psi | 73% | 2218 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,393 psi | 55% | 1394 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,634 psi | 86% | 2123 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,211 psi | 75% | 2201 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 90% | 31,923 psi | 82% | 2251 fps | 95.3% |
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 11 powders for .303 Savage loaded with the .308 | 135gr | Peregrine VRG-3 Lever. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,385 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,532 fps to 2,385 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 11 of the 11 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 76–90 %, 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. 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. Norma 200, Alliant AR-Comp, IMR 4198 rank at the top here: for .303 Savage with the .308 | 135gr | Peregrine VRG-3 Lever they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.