Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .303 Savage with .311 | 123gr | Lapua FMJ bullet and 9 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are 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 ≥ 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% | 34,011 psi | 87% | 2451 fps | 98.9% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,621 psi | 88% | 2516 fps | 96.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,939 psi | 87% | 2398 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,110 psi | 77% | 1614 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,027 psi | 89% | 2425 fps | 96.6% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,997 psi | 87% | 2454 fps | 96.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,588 psi | 76% | 1650 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,809 psi | 89% | 2257 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,316 psi | 88% | 2425 fps | 99.6% |
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% | 28,210 psi | 72% | 2310 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 32,750 psi | 84% | 2470 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,039 psi | 82% | 2352 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | 9.1 gr | 80% | 21,973 psi | 56% | 1440 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,314 psi | 80% | 2336 fps | 95.1% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,792 psi | 81% | 2405 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 9.3 gr | 80% | 21,712 psi | 55% | 1476 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,156 psi | 85% | 2224 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,514 psi | 73% | 2287 fps | 98.5% |
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 9 powders for .303 Savage loaded with the .311 | 123gr | Lapua FMJ. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,516 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,614 fps to 2,516 fps. Alliant AR-Comp gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 9 of the 9 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (270 MPa), the top charges use 76–89 %, leaving at least 11 % headroom. Alliant AR-Comp, 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. ReloadSwiss RS 14, Hodgdon TrailBoss rank at the top here: for .303 Savage with the .311 | 123gr | Lapua FMJ 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.