Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .303 Savage with .311 | 123gr | Sellier & Bellot 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% | 33,881 psi | 87% | 2444 fps | 98.9% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,592 psi | 88% | 2513 fps | 96.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,823 psi | 86% | 2392 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,849 psi | 76% | 1608 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,911 psi | 89% | 2421 fps | 96.5% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,547 psi | 86% | 2444 fps | 96.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,370 psi | 75% | 1644 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,650 psi | 88% | 2254 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,171 psi | 87% | 2421 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% | 28,065 psi | 72% | 2303 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 32,677 psi | 83% | 2467 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 82% | 31,923 psi | 82% | 2349 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | 9.1 gr | 80% | 22,046 psi | 56% | 1440 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,198 psi | 80% | 2329 fps | 95% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,676 psi | 81% | 2398 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 9.2 gr | 80% | 21,480 psi | 55% | 1470 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,982 psi | 84% | 2221 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,398 psi | 73% | 2283 fps | 98.4% |
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 9 powders for .303 Savage loaded with the .311 | 123gr | Sellier & Bellot FMJ. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,513 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,608 fps to 2,513 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 75–89 %, 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 | Sellier & Bellot 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.