Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .308 Marlin Express with .308 | 180gr | Speer Magnum Tip Soft Point bullet and 60 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Hodgdon LEVERevolution, IMR 3031 and Winchester 748.
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 2015 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,756 psi | 87% | 2260 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,380 psi | 89% | 2300 fps | 99.1% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,177 psi | 88% | 2333 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,772 psi | 89% | 2343 fps | 99% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,119 psi | 88% | 2359 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,901 psi | 88% | 2306 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,236 psi | 90% | 2313 fps | 97.5% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,031 psi | 86% | 2323 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,756 psi | 85% | 2343 fps | 96.5% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,206 psi | 88% | 2349 fps | 97.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,250 psi | 88% | 2274 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-15 | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,279 psi | 90% | 2362 fps | 95.6% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,322 psi | 88% | 2221 fps | 99.8% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,481 psi | 87% | 2352 fps | 97% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,973 psi | 86% | 2234 fps | 97.6% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,625 psi | 85% | 2329 fps | 97.6% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,857 psi | 85% | 2290 fps | 99.6% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,234 psi | 86% | 2303 fps | 99.1% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,944 psi | 86% | 2306 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,785 psi | 87% | 2365 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,214 psi | 69% | 1430 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,525 psi | 89% | 2316 fps | 96.5% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,611 psi | 87% | 2359 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,089 psi | 86% | 2211 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,742 psi | 87% | 2349 fps | 96% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,236 psi | 90% | 2313 fps | 97.5% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,380 psi | 89% | 2303 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,886 psi | 85% | 2326 fps | 98.7% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,482 psi | 89% | 2254 fps | 95.9% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,598 psi | 89% | 2323 fps | 97.5% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,366 psi | 89% | 2303 fps | 97.4% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,221 psi | 88% | 2320 fps | 99.3% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,409 psi | 89% | 2352 fps | 96.1% |
| Ramshot Wild Boar | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,119 psi | 88% | 2329 fps | 95.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,446 psi | 70% | 1470 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 86% | 43,091 psi | 90% | 2310 fps | 98.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,873 psi | 90% | 2425 fps | 98.5% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,481 psi | 87% | 2270 fps | 99% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,786 psi | 89% | 2300 fps | 97.5% |
| Rottweil R 903ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,017 psi | 86% | 2336 fps | 96.5% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,886 psi | 85% | 2326 fps | 98.7% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,598 psi | 89% | 2323 fps | 97.5% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 43,149 psi | 90% | 2274 fps | 97.1% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,308 psi | 88% | 2310 fps | 99.2% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 43,076 psi | 90% | 2283 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 9 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,669 psi | 87% | 2310 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,351 psi | 88% | 2234 fps | 99.2% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,162 psi | 86% | 2234 fps | 99.6% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,741 psi | 85% | 2297 fps | 97.3% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,481 psi | 87% | 2244 fps | 99.5% |
| Somchem S355ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,598 psi | 89% | 2346 fps | 96.7% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,743 psi | 89% | 2234 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,989 psi | 88% | 2238 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,192 psi | 90% | 2333 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,656 psi | 89% | 2306 fps | 99.5% |
| Vihtavuori N150ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,930 psi | 86% | 2293 fps | 97.6% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,611 psi | 85% | 2267 fps | 97% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,799 psi | 85% | 2293 fps | 99% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,524 psi | 87% | 2343 fps | 98.1% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,785 psi | 85% | 2316 fps | 96.2% |
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 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,663 psi | 68% | 2100 fps | 99.3% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,751 psi | 73% | 2165 fps | 97.6% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,990 psi | 52% | 1995 fps | 97.8% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,472 psi | 64% | 2113 fps | 95.9% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 82% | 25,382 psi | 53% | 2014 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,131 psi | 82% | 2260 fps | 99.4% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,926 psi | 75% | 2182 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,849 psi | 62% | 2116 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 82% | 38,392 psi | 80% | 2297 fps | 95.8% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,940 psi | 73% | 2218 fps | 95% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,521 psi | 78% | 2195 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-15 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,872 psi | 85% | 2320 fps | 95% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,494 psi | 83% | 2175 fps | 99.6% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,434 psi | 76% | 2264 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,142 psi | 71% | 2103 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,098 psi | 69% | 2185 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,969 psi | 75% | 2201 fps | 98.9% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,187 psi | 76% | 2215 fps | 98.2% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 88% | 38,624 psi | 81% | 2267 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | 36.1 gr | 90% | 36,825 psi | 77% | 2270 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,497 psi | 51% | 1276 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,420 psi | 78% | 2221 fps | 95.1% |
| IMR 3031 | 29.7 gr | 80% | 28,645 psi | 60% | 2096 fps | 97.8% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,725 psi | 81% | 2175 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,131 psi | 82% | 2303 fps | 95.3% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,926 psi | 75% | 2182 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,476 psi | 72% | 2159 fps | 96.3% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 82% | 29,080 psi | 61% | 2093 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,885 psi | 83% | 2208 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,578 psi | 74% | 2195 fps | 95.7% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 86% | 35,360 psi | 74% | 2175 fps | 95.5% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,993 psi | 61% | 2060 fps | 96% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,045 psi | 84% | 2310 fps | 95.5% |
| Ramshot Wild Boar | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,494 psi | 83% | 2283 fps | 95.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,540 psi | 51% | 1306 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,694 psi | 75% | 2178 fps | 97.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 92% | 33,359 psi | 70% | 2224 fps | 95.2% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,779 psi | 68% | 2103 fps | 97% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,462 psi | 74% | 2169 fps | 95.5% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 96% | 36,027 psi | 75% | 2247 fps | 95.1% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 29,080 psi | 61% | 2093 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,578 psi | 74% | 2195 fps | 95.7% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,811 psi | 79% | 2185 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,639 psi | 83% | 2264 fps | 98.8% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,855 psi | 79% | 2198 fps | 99.6% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 9 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,436 psi | 82% | 2270 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,256 psi | 65% | 2031 fps | 96.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,309 psi | 53% | 1913 fps | 95.4% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,286 psi | 70% | 2152 fps | 95.1% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,560 psi | 64% | 2037 fps | 97.4% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 96% | 37,652 psi | 79% | 2257 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,607 psi | 74% | 2116 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,038 psi | 65% | 2044 fps | 98.9% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,136 psi | 55% | 2005 fps | 97.9% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,572 psi | 58% | 2008 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,127 psi | 71% | 2169 fps | 95.7% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,824 psi | 75% | 2178 fps | 95.6% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 82% | 27,920 psi | 58% | 2034 fps | 95.3% |
| Winchester 748 | 32.9 gr | 82% | 32,068 psi | 67% | 2156 fps | 95.2% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 90% | 38,276 psi | 80% | 2270 fps | 95.5% |
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 60 powders for .308 Marlin Express loaded with the .308 | 180gr | Speer Magnum Tip Soft Point. ReloadSwiss RS 60 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,425 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,430 fps to 2,425 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 60 of the 60 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (330 MPa), the top charges use 69–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 180.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:15.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14, ReloadSwiss RS 60 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 LEVERevolution, IMR 3031, Winchester 748 rank at the top here: for .308 Marlin Express with the .308 | 180gr | Speer Magnum Tip Soft Point 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.