Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .308 Marlin Express with .308 | 88gr | Inceptor SRR bullet and 16 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2207, ReloadSwiss RS 36 and Vihtavuori N120.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,220 psi | 86% | 2989 fps | 99.8% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,569 psi | 89% | 3225 fps | 99.1% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 96% | 42,699 psi | 89% | 3159 fps | 96.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 28,384 psi | 59% | 2018 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,988 psi | 86% | 3123 fps | 96.1% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 90% | 42,815 psi | 89% | 3117 fps | 98.1% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,524 psi | 87% | 3104 fps | 96.1% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 92% | 43,192 psi | 90% | 3133 fps | 99.9% |
| Norma 200ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,916 psi | 88% | 3209 fps | 96.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 27,485 psi | 57% | 2057 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,495 psi | 87% | 3136 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,524 psi | 87% | 3104 fps | 96.1% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 41,379 psi | 86% | 3064 fps | 96.9% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 94% | 42,293 psi | 88% | 2976 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 86% | 42,873 psi | 90% | 3071 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,830 psi | 89% | 3186 fps | 99.7% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,928 psi | 81% | 2940 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 32.1 gr | 86% | 28,964 psi | 61% | 2877 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,958 psi | 83% | 3100 fps | 95.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 20,508 psi | 43% | 1804 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 98% | 38,754 psi | 81% | 3074 fps | 95.4% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,402 psi | 70% | 2894 fps | 95.5% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,233 psi | 82% | 3051 fps | 95.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,124 psi | 63% | 2815 fps | 97.8% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,204 psi | 82% | 3146 fps | 95.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 19,957 psi | 42% | 1844 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 32.6 gr | 84% | 34,040 psi | 71% | 2956 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 39,233 psi | 82% | 3051 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,406 psi | 80% | 2999 fps | 96.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,631 psi | 60% | 2677 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,897 psi | 75% | 2930 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | 30.6 gr | 82% | 25,933 psi | 54% | 2743 fps | 95.3% |
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 23 powders for .308 Marlin Express loaded with the .308 | 88gr | Inceptor SRR. ADI AR 2207 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 3,225 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 2,018 fps to 3,225 fps. Alliant Reloder-10x gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 23 of the 23 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (330 MPa), the top charges use 57–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 88.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:11.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant Reloder-10x, Hodgdon TrailBoss, IMR 4198 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. ADI AR 2207, ReloadSwiss RS 36, Vihtavuori N120 rank at the top here: for .308 Marlin Express with the .308 | 88gr | Inceptor SRR they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. As outliers, Accurate LT-30, Alliant Reloder-10x, Baschieri & Pellagri 106 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.