Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .308 Marlin Express with .308 | 115gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos bullet and 20 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Alliant Reloder-10x, Norma 200 and ADI AR 2207.
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: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,220 psi | 86% | 2730 fps | 98.2% |
| Accurate 2015ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,945 psi | 88% | 2835 fps | 97.5% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,105 psi | 88% | 2733 fps | 95.9% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,163 psi | 90% | 2854 fps | 100% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,146 psi | 82% | 2861 fps | 99.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,134 psi | 90% | 2884 fps | 98.8% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,612 psi | 89% | 2805 fps | 99% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,902 psi | 90% | 2769 fps | 96.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,748 psi | 64% | 1791 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 94% | 43,236 psi | 90% | 2831 fps | 99.3% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,684 psi | 87% | 2736 fps | 99.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 84% | 43,033 psi | 90% | 2746 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,712 psi | 85% | 2818 fps | 98.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,545 psi | 64% | 1834 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 84% | 43,308 psi | 90% | 2808 fps | 99.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,206 psi | 88% | 2585 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,611 psi | 87% | 2831 fps | 96.6% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,988 psi | 86% | 2772 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,814 psi | 87% | 2789 fps | 98.2% |
| Vihtavuori N133ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,785 psi | 85% | 2769 fps | 97% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,318 psi | 76% | 2628 fps | 97.1% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,693 psi | 72% | 2684 fps | 95.5% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,885 psi | 83% | 2687 fps | 95.2% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 30 gr | 80% | 31,705 psi | 66% | 2608 fps | 99.1% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 90% | 28,732 psi | 60% | 2585 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | 31.8 gr | 84% | 29,805 psi | 62% | 2575 fps | 95% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,243 psi | 69% | 2598 fps | 96.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,089 psi | 84% | 2713 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,539 psi | 47% | 1601 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,776 psi | 60% | 2484 fps | 95.3% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,001 psi | 81% | 2684 fps | 99.5% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,101 psi | 80% | 2651 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | 31.4 gr | 80% | 29,733 psi | 62% | 2559 fps | 95.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,249 psi | 46% | 1637 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,363 psi | 80% | 2710 fps | 99.3% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,810 psi | 75% | 2474 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,912 psi | 77% | 2726 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,937 psi | 67% | 2582 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,850 psi | 64% | 2539 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,274 psi | 76% | 2674 fps | 95.7% |
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 43 powders for .308 Marlin Express loaded with the .308 | 115gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos. Alliant Reloder-10x delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,884 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,791 fps to 2,884 fps. Accurate 2015 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 43 of the 43 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (330 MPa), the top charges use 63–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 115.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:13.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 2015, Accurate 2495, Accurate 2520 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. Alliant Reloder-10x, Norma 200, ADI AR 2207 rank at the top here: for .308 Marlin Express with the .308 | 115gr | Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate 2460, Accurate 2495, Accurate 2520 burn incompletely and react more sensitively to barrel length and temperature. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.