Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .303 Savage with .311 | 123gr | Speer 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% | 34,214 psi | 87% | 2457 fps | 99% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,722 psi | 89% | 2520 fps | 96.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,084 psi | 87% | 2402 fps | 96% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,994 psi | 77% | 1614 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,186 psi | 90% | 2431 fps | 96.6% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,823 psi | 86% | 2451 fps | 96.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,501 psi | 75% | 1650 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,983 psi | 89% | 2260 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,505 psi | 88% | 2431 fps | 99.7% |
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% | 28,384 psi | 72% | 2313 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 32,866 psi | 84% | 2474 fps | 95.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,227 psi | 82% | 2359 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | 9.1 gr | 80% | 21,886 psi | 56% | 1440 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,459 psi | 80% | 2339 fps | 95.2% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,966 psi | 82% | 2408 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | 9.3 gr | 80% | 21,654 psi | 55% | 1476 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,996 psi | 84% | 2224 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,703 psi | 73% | 2293 fps | 98.6% |
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 | Speer FMJ. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,520 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,614 fps to 2,520 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 75–90 %, leaving at least 10 % 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 | Speer 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.