Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .303 Savage with .308 | 140gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos bullet and 10 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Norma 200, 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>> | 86% | 35,346 psi | 90% | 2287 fps | 99.6% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 33,504 psi | 86% | 2313 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,679 psi | 89% | 2297 fps | 96.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,824 psi | 89% | 2234 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,458 psi | 78% | 1480 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,026 psi | 87% | 2221 fps | 97.2% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,737 psi | 89% | 2287 fps | 97.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,037 psi | 77% | 1512 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,417 psi | 85% | 2218 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,026 psi | 87% | 2221 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% | 29,124 psi | 74% | 2156 fps | 98.5% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 94% | 29,718 psi | 76% | 2218 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 88% | 30,893 psi | 79% | 2211 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,835 psi | 79% | 2146 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,307 psi | 57% | 1319 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | 22.8 gr | 82% | 28,645 psi | 73% | 2093 fps | 95.1% |
| Norma 200 | 24.9 gr | 82% | 28,921 psi | 74% | 2156 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 8.5 gr | 80% | 21,785 psi | 56% | 1345 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,443 psi | 75% | 2133 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 90% | 31,981 psi | 82% | 2178 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 10 powders for .303 Savage loaded with the .308 | 140gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,313 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,480 fps to 2,313 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 10 of the 10 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 77–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 140.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:14.5 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. Norma 200, IMR 4198, ReloadSwiss RS 14 rank at the top here: for .303 Savage with the .308 | 140gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos 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.