Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .308 Marlin Express with .308 | 180gr | Swift A-Frame bullet and 58 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are IMR 3031, Winchester 748 and Accurate 2520.
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>> | 90% | 43,250 psi | 90% | 2274 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,437 psi | 87% | 2274 fps | 98.9% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,770 psi | 85% | 2303 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,481 psi | 87% | 2313 fps | 98.6% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,872 psi | 85% | 2326 fps | 99.3% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 82% | 42,815 psi | 89% | 2195 fps | 99.7% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 82% | 43,250 psi | 90% | 2205 fps | 98.7% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,264 psi | 88% | 2310 fps | 95.8% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,886 psi | 85% | 2280 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,380 psi | 89% | 2287 fps | 97.1% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,554 psi | 89% | 2336 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,496 psi | 89% | 2362 fps | 96.7% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,046 psi | 86% | 2320 fps | 96.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,075 psi | 86% | 2247 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,220 psi | 86% | 2192 fps | 99.7% |
| Bofors RP3ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,931 psi | 90% | 2362 fps | 97.1% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,438 psi | 89% | 2244 fps | 97.7% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,250 psi | 88% | 2346 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,322 psi | 88% | 2303 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 86% | 43,149 psi | 90% | 2323 fps | 99.3% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,453 psi | 89% | 2323 fps | 96.5% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,207 psi | 90% | 2375 fps | 97% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,127 psi | 69% | 1421 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,408 psi | 87% | 2283 fps | 96% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 94% | 43,221 psi | 90% | 2372 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,743 psi | 89% | 2228 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 96% | 43,047 psi | 90% | 2359 fps | 96.1% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,380 psi | 89% | 2287 fps | 97.1% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,176 psi | 86% | 2270 fps | 97.8% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,119 psi | 88% | 2336 fps | 98.7% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,394 psi | 86% | 2290 fps | 97.1% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,423 psi | 87% | 2274 fps | 97% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,336 psi | 86% | 2293 fps | 99.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,996 psi | 69% | 1453 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,206 psi | 88% | 2283 fps | 98.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,771 psi | 87% | 2388 fps | 98% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,801 psi | 89% | 2280 fps | 99% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,524 psi | 87% | 2270 fps | 97% |
| Rottweil R 903ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,856 psi | 83% | 2303 fps | 96% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,119 psi | 88% | 2336 fps | 98.7% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,394 psi | 86% | 2290 fps | 97.1% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,293 psi | 88% | 2247 fps | 96.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,408 psi | 87% | 2283 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,901 psi | 88% | 2254 fps | 99.9% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,423 psi | 87% | 2208 fps | 98.9% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,801 psi | 89% | 2247 fps | 99.7% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,337 psi | 88% | 2310 fps | 97.5% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,004 psi | 90% | 2257 fps | 99.6% |
| Somchem S355ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,524 psi | 87% | 2316 fps | 96.2% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,698 psi | 87% | 2208 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,031 psi | 86% | 2215 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,105 psi | 88% | 2306 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,466 psi | 87% | 2277 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N150ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,972 psi | 84% | 2264 fps | 97.1% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,177 psi | 88% | 2280 fps | 97.2% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,482 psi | 89% | 2310 fps | 99.1% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,149 psi | 90% | 2359 fps | 98.2% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,554 psi | 89% | 2333 fps | 96.4% |
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% | 31,647 psi | 66% | 2070 fps | 99.1% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,808 psi | 71% | 2136 fps | 97.2% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,250 psi | 51% | 1969 fps | 97.3% |
| Accurate 2520 | 31.6 gr | 80% | 29,588 psi | 62% | 2083 fps | 95.3% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 84% | 26,020 psi | 54% | 2024 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,379 psi | 84% | 2156 fps | 99.5% |
| Accurate LT-32 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,756 psi | 85% | 2162 fps | 98.3% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,871 psi | 83% | 2267 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,159 psi | 80% | 2231 fps | 99.2% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,041 psi | 73% | 2152 fps | 95% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,167 psi | 61% | 2090 fps | 99.9% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 82% | 37,260 psi | 78% | 2264 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,260 psi | 76% | 2231 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,376 psi | 76% | 2165 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,667 psi | 81% | 2152 fps | 99.4% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 96% | 37,536 psi | 78% | 2274 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,489 psi | 70% | 2077 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,534 psi | 72% | 2205 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,969 psi | 73% | 2172 fps | 98.6% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,273 psi | 74% | 2185 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,492 psi | 78% | 2231 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 92% | 37,985 psi | 79% | 2280 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,555 psi | 51% | 1270 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,088 psi | 82% | 2241 fps | 95.3% |
| IMR 3031 | 28.9 gr | 80% | 27,746 psi | 58% | 2064 fps | 97.3% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,840 psi | 79% | 2149 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,553 psi | 85% | 2316 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,041 psi | 73% | 2152 fps | 95% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,591 psi | 70% | 2133 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,255 psi | 63% | 2113 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,737 psi | 73% | 2169 fps | 95.1% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,476 psi | 72% | 2146 fps | 95% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,137 psi | 59% | 2031 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,569 psi | 51% | 1299 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,780 psi | 73% | 2149 fps | 96.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,737 psi | 73% | 2244 fps | 95.5% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,821 psi | 66% | 2073 fps | 96.5% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,592 psi | 72% | 2139 fps | 95% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,536 psi | 78% | 2264 fps | 95.3% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,255 psi | 63% | 2113 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,737 psi | 73% | 2169 fps | 95.1% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,912 psi | 77% | 2156 fps | 95.1% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,725 psi | 81% | 2238 fps | 98.5% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,014 psi | 77% | 2172 fps | 99.5% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,603 psi | 64% | 2008 fps | 96.2% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 82% | 26,310 psi | 55% | 1929 fps | 95.7% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,708 psi | 73% | 2172 fps | 95.4% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,950 psi | 63% | 2014 fps | 97% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,131 psi | 82% | 2274 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,838 psi | 73% | 2093 fps | 99.8% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,342 psi | 63% | 2018 fps | 98.6% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,469 psi | 53% | 1978 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,789 psi | 56% | 1978 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,141 psi | 69% | 2136 fps | 95% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,940 psi | 73% | 2149 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 84% | 29,051 psi | 61% | 2051 fps | 95.5% |
| Winchester 748 | 32.9 gr | 84% | 33,446 psi | 70% | 2175 fps | 95.5% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,798 psi | 83% | 2287 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 58 powders for .308 Marlin Express loaded with the .308 | 180gr | Swift A-Frame. ReloadSwiss RS 60 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,388 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,421 fps to 2,388 fps. Bofors RP3 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 58 of the 58 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 1:14.0 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Bofors RP3, 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. IMR 3031, Winchester 748, Accurate 2520 rank at the top here: for .308 Marlin Express with the .308 | 180gr | Swift A-Frame 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.