Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .303 Savage with .308 | 170gr | Remington SP Core-Lokt bullet and 17 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Vihtavuori N135, Alliant AR-Comp and Accurate 2495.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,475 psi | 85% | 2064 fps | 97.8% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 98% | 33,779 psi | 86% | 2146 fps | 98.3% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,910 psi | 87% | 2093 fps | 96% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,722 psi | 89% | 2159 fps | 99.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,345 psi | 88% | 2087 fps | 98.9% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,998 psi | 89% | 2034 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,273 psi | 90% | 2119 fps | 96.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,039 psi | 82% | 1368 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,230 psi | 90% | 2175 fps | 97.4% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,287 psi | 88% | 2041 fps | 99.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,836 psi | 81% | 1398 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,853 psi | 89% | 2083 fps | 97.3% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 96% | 33,562 psi | 86% | 2031 fps | 95.7% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,605 psi | 86% | 2041 fps | 95.7% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,940 psi | 89% | 2051 fps | 98.7% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,461 psi | 88% | 2054 fps | 97.8% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 96% | 33,866 psi | 86% | 2123 fps | 98.1% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 22"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,049 psi | 67% | 1900 fps | 95% |
| Accurate 2495 | 28.4 gr | 90% | 26,034 psi | 66% | 1982 fps | 95.7% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,010 psi | 82% | 2054 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 25 gr | 80% | 24,221 psi | 62% | 1906 fps | 96.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,414 psi | 78% | 2008 fps | 97.9% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,822 psi | 84% | 1991 fps | 96.2% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,272 psi | 85% | 2080 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,525 psi | 60% | 1217 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 88% | 29,269 psi | 75% | 2044 fps | 95% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,256 psi | 82% | 2001 fps | 99% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,496 psi | 60% | 1250 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,893 psi | 79% | 2001 fps | 96% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 94% | 31,662 psi | 81% | 1991 fps | 95% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 88% | 31,691 psi | 81% | 2001 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,269 psi | 75% | 1936 fps | 97.2% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 82% | 27,006 psi | 69% | 1893 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | 26.9 gr | 88% | 26,803 psi | 68% | 1965 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 17 powders for .303 Savage loaded with the .308 | 170gr | Remington SP Core-Lokt. IMR 3031 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,175 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,368 fps to 2,175 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 17 of the 17 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 81–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 170.0 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. Vihtavuori N135, Alliant AR-Comp, Accurate 2495 rank at the top here: for .303 Savage with the .308 | 170gr | Remington SP Core-Lokt 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.