Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .308 Marlin Express with .308 | 130gr | CutEdge ESP Raptor bullet and 31 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon H322, Alliant Reloder-10x and Alliant AR-Comp.
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>> | 82% | 41,495 psi | 87% | 2598 fps | 99.3% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,814 psi | 85% | 2674 fps | 98.6% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,076 psi | 88% | 2713 fps | 96.1% |
| Accurate 2495ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,982 psi | 71% | 2618 fps | 97.5% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,772 psi | 89% | 2612 fps | 97.7% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,843 psi | 87% | 2674 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,438 psi | 89% | 2740 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,989 psi | 90% | 2802 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,582 psi | 87% | 2707 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,698 psi | 85% | 2625 fps | 99.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,683 psi | 85% | 2595 fps | 97.5% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,060 psi | 86% | 2713 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,785 psi | 87% | 2726 fps | 96.2% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,974 psi | 88% | 2612 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,111 psi | 65% | 1693 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,611 psi | 85% | 2769 fps | 97.9% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,669 psi | 87% | 2657 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,727 psi | 87% | 2694 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 202ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,292 psi | 86% | 2723 fps | 96.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,922 psi | 65% | 1736 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,641 psi | 89% | 2713 fps | 96.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,627 psi | 89% | 2441 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,670 psi | 89% | 2740 fps | 96.4% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,786 psi | 89% | 2713 fps | 98.3% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,685 psi | 89% | 2644 fps | 96.3% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,944 psi | 86% | 2641 fps | 96.9% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,047 psi | 88% | 2635 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,830 psi | 89% | 2664 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,858 psi | 87% | 2657 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori N135ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 36,564 psi | 76% | 2644 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori N140ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,610 psi | 83% | 2657 fps | 96% |
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% | 38,914 psi | 81% | 2549 fps | 98.9% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 86% | 29,501 psi | 62% | 2425 fps | 95.4% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,059 psi | 82% | 2654 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 94% | 27,427 psi | 57% | 2457 fps | 95.1% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,402 psi | 70% | 2418 fps | 95% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,490 psi | 72% | 2530 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,679 psi | 72% | 2572 fps | 95.1% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 32.1 gr | 82% | 24,120 psi | 50% | 2326 fps | 95.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | 30.6 gr | 80% | 28,543 psi | 60% | 2411 fps | 96.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,766 psi | 75% | 2523 fps | 98.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,489 psi | 70% | 2444 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon H322 | 35.6 gr | 88% | 36,085 psi | 75% | 2605 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 90% | 38,943 psi | 81% | 2667 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,927 psi | 77% | 2507 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,814 psi | 48% | 1512 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,678 psi | 70% | 2608 fps | 95.7% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,096 psi | 65% | 2425 fps | 98% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,097 psi | 67% | 2490 fps | 98.2% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 98% | 38,740 psi | 81% | 2671 fps | 95.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,524 psi | 47% | 1549 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,001 psi | 84% | 2661 fps | 95.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,276 psi | 80% | 2369 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,059 psi | 84% | 2687 fps | 95.6% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,417 psi | 70% | 2516 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,277 psi | 84% | 2602 fps | 95.6% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,071 psi | 75% | 2546 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,708 psi | 73% | 2497 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,572 psi | 58% | 2326 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 88% | 30,835 psi | 64% | 2421 fps | 95.6% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 94% | 30,255 psi | 63% | 2493 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,159 psi | 78% | 2605 fps | 95.2% |
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 31 powders for .308 Marlin Express loaded with the .308 | 130gr | CutEdge ESP Raptor. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,802 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,693 fps to 2,802 fps. Accurate 2495 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 31 of the 31 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (330 MPa), the top charges use 65–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 130.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:15.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 2495, Alliant AR-Comp, Hodgdon TrailBoss 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. Hodgdon H322, Alliant Reloder-10x, Alliant AR-Comp rank at the top here: for .308 Marlin Express with the .308 | 130gr | CutEdge ESP Raptor 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.