Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .308 Marlin Express with .308 | 185gr | Lapua Scenar bullet and 59 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>> | 88% | 41,060 psi | 86% | 2201 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,582 psi | 87% | 2238 fps | 99% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,452 psi | 87% | 2274 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,742 psi | 87% | 2280 fps | 98.8% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,176 psi | 86% | 2293 fps | 99.5% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,757 psi | 89% | 2280 fps | 96.1% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,220 psi | 86% | 2247 fps | 99.7% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,482 psi | 89% | 2251 fps | 97.4% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,047 psi | 90% | 2303 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,946 psi | 90% | 2329 fps | 97% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,350 psi | 86% | 2287 fps | 96.9% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,684 psi | 87% | 2218 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,597 psi | 87% | 2162 fps | 99.8% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,654 psi | 85% | 2290 fps | 96.8% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,786 psi | 89% | 2215 fps | 97.9% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,627 psi | 89% | 2313 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,714 psi | 89% | 2270 fps | 99.8% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,480 psi | 85% | 2241 fps | 99% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 92% | 42,975 psi | 90% | 2293 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,741 psi | 85% | 2297 fps | 96.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,199 psi | 69% | 1394 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,872 psi | 87% | 2254 fps | 96.4% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,727 psi | 85% | 2293 fps | 99.9% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,888 psi | 90% | 2192 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,814 psi | 85% | 2283 fps | 95.8% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,482 psi | 89% | 2251 fps | 97.4% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,655 psi | 87% | 2241 fps | 98.1% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,844 psi | 90% | 2306 fps | 99% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,727 psi | 87% | 2192 fps | 95.7% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,959 psi | 88% | 2260 fps | 97.4% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,582 psi | 87% | 2241 fps | 97.3% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,452 psi | 87% | 2257 fps | 99.2% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,510 psi | 87% | 2290 fps | 95.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,098 psi | 69% | 1427 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,583 psi | 89% | 2251 fps | 98.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,192 psi | 88% | 2362 fps | 98.4% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 90% | 43,207 psi | 90% | 2247 fps | 99.2% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,003 psi | 88% | 2241 fps | 97.3% |
| Rottweil R 903ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,263 psi | 84% | 2274 fps | 96.4% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,844 psi | 90% | 2306 fps | 99% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,959 psi | 88% | 2260 fps | 97.4% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,351 psi | 88% | 2215 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,785 psi | 87% | 2254 fps | 99.1% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,163 psi | 90% | 2326 fps | 95.8% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 42,134 psi | 88% | 2221 fps | 99.9% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,742 psi | 87% | 2178 fps | 99.1% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,989 psi | 90% | 2211 fps | 99.7% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 88% | 42,888 psi | 90% | 2283 fps | 97.8% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,091 psi | 90% | 2218 fps | 99.7% |
| Somchem S355ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,843 psi | 87% | 2283 fps | 96.5% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,959 psi | 88% | 2175 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,350 psi | 86% | 2182 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,279 psi | 88% | 2270 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,655 psi | 87% | 2241 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N150ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,263 psi | 84% | 2234 fps | 97.4% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,656 psi | 89% | 2251 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,757 psi | 89% | 2277 fps | 99.2% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,973 psi | 86% | 2283 fps | 98% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,859 psi | 90% | 2300 fps | 96.8% |
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% | 32,097 psi | 67% | 2044 fps | 99.3% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,127 psi | 71% | 2106 fps | 97.5% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,424 psi | 51% | 1942 fps | 97.6% |
| Accurate 2520 | 31 gr | 80% | 29,588 psi | 62% | 2051 fps | 95.6% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 84% | 26,310 psi | 55% | 1998 fps | 95.7% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,972 psi | 84% | 2234 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,435 psi | 80% | 2198 fps | 99.3% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,331 psi | 74% | 2123 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,327 psi | 61% | 2060 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 82% | 37,608 psi | 79% | 2234 fps | 95.6% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 94% | 36,361 psi | 76% | 2198 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,796 psi | 77% | 2136 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,001 psi | 81% | 2119 fps | 99.6% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,563 psi | 74% | 2198 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,678 psi | 70% | 2047 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 84% | 32,401 psi | 68% | 2126 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,172 psi | 73% | 2139 fps | 98.8% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,607 psi | 74% | 2156 fps | 98.1% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 88% | 37,869 psi | 79% | 2205 fps | 95.5% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,085 psi | 75% | 2208 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,482 psi | 51% | 1243 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,204 psi | 82% | 2208 fps | 95.6% |
| IMR 3031 | 28.5 gr | 80% | 28,123 psi | 59% | 2041 fps | 97.7% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,232 psi | 80% | 2119 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,435 psi | 80% | 2244 fps | 95.1% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,331 psi | 74% | 2123 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,895 psi | 71% | 2103 fps | 96.1% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 82% | 28,514 psi | 60% | 2037 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S060 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,349 psi | 82% | 2152 fps | 95.1% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,809 psi | 73% | 2136 fps | 95.4% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,780 psi | 73% | 2116 fps | 95.4% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,543 psi | 60% | 2008 fps | 95.9% |
| Norma 203B | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,131 psi | 82% | 2247 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,526 psi | 51% | 1273 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,998 psi | 73% | 2116 fps | 96.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,954 psi | 73% | 2215 fps | 96% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,198 psi | 67% | 2047 fps | 96.9% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 88% | 34,853 psi | 73% | 2113 fps | 95.3% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,782 psi | 79% | 2231 fps | 95.7% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 28,514 psi | 60% | 2037 fps | 95.1% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,809 psi | 73% | 2136 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,246 psi | 78% | 2126 fps | 95.5% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,059 psi | 82% | 2208 fps | 98.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 11 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,422 psi | 84% | 2280 fps | 95% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,159 psi | 78% | 2139 fps | 99.6% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,690 psi | 64% | 1975 fps | 96.5% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,889 psi | 52% | 1860 fps | 95.3% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,070 psi | 73% | 2146 fps | 95.7% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,095 psi | 63% | 1985 fps | 97.3% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 96% | 37,086 psi | 77% | 2201 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,983 psi | 73% | 2060 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,443 psi | 64% | 1988 fps | 98.8% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,570 psi | 53% | 1952 fps | 97.8% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 80% | 26,948 psi | 56% | 1952 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,301 psi | 70% | 2106 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 84% | 35,259 psi | 74% | 2123 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 82% | 27,427 psi | 57% | 1978 fps | 95.1% |
| Winchester 748 | 31.6 gr | 82% | 31,560 psi | 66% | 2100 fps | 95% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 90% | 37,507 psi | 78% | 2208 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 59 powders for .308 Marlin Express loaded with the .308 | 185gr | Lapua Scenar. ReloadSwiss RS 60 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,362 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,394 fps to 2,362 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 59 of the 59 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 185.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:12.5 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. IMR 3031, Winchester 748, Accurate 2520 rank at the top here: for .308 Marlin Express with the .308 | 185gr | Lapua Scenar 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.