Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .338 Marlin Express with .338 | 172gr | Sax KDG-S bullet and 30 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.
A valid access license is required to use the Personalized Load Calculator.
You can find more information in our FAQ: How can I use the Personalized Load Calculator?
Max Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,901 psi | 88% | 2398 fps | 99.2% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,610 psi | 85% | 2461 fps | 98.4% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,596 psi | 87% | 2493 fps | 95.7% |
| Accurate 2495ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,127 psi | 71% | 2418 fps | 97.4% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,843 psi | 90% | 2405 fps | 97.5% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,828 psi | 88% | 2461 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,379 psi | 89% | 2523 fps | 97.2% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,466 psi | 89% | 2575 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,727 psi | 88% | 2497 fps | 99.4% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 84% | 39,885 psi | 86% | 2418 fps | 99.5% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 88% | 39,624 psi | 85% | 2392 fps | 97.3% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,132 psi | 86% | 2497 fps | 96.9% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,611 psi | 88% | 2510 fps | 95.9% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,089 psi | 89% | 2402 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,285 psi | 67% | 1552 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 39,595 psi | 85% | 2549 fps | 97.7% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,712 psi | 88% | 2444 fps | 99.7% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 88% | 40,886 psi | 88% | 2484 fps | 99.7% |
| Norma 202ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,059 psi | 86% | 2507 fps | 95.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 31,125 psi | 67% | 1588 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,887 psi | 90% | 2503 fps | 96.1% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,885 psi | 86% | 2211 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,597 psi | 90% | 2523 fps | 96.1% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,829 psi | 90% | 2500 fps | 98.2% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,727 psi | 90% | 2438 fps | 96% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,827 psi | 86% | 2434 fps | 96.7% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,046 psi | 88% | 2425 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,814 psi | 90% | 2454 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 98% | 40,843 psi | 88% | 2448 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N135ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 35,563 psi | 77% | 2434 fps | 97.7% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 24"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 80% | 38,305 psi | 83% | 2352 fps | 98.9% |
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 86% | 29,153 psi | 63% | 2241 fps | 95.4% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 92% | 38,218 psi | 82% | 2451 fps | 95% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 94% | 27,050 psi | 58% | 2277 fps | 95.2% |
| Accurate LT-30 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,056 psi | 76% | 2274 fps | 95.6% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,881 psi | 73% | 2333 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,187 psi | 78% | 2418 fps | 95.7% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 33.7 gr | 82% | 23,946 psi | 52% | 2149 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | 32.1 gr | 80% | 28,137 psi | 61% | 2224 fps | 96.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,389 psi | 76% | 2329 fps | 98.8% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,837 psi | 71% | 2254 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon H322 | 37.4 gr | 88% | 35,360 psi | 76% | 2402 fps | 95.4% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 90% | 38,072 psi | 82% | 2461 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon H4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,187 psi | 78% | 2303 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,163 psi | 50% | 1388 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 94% | 32,866 psi | 71% | 2402 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,589 psi | 66% | 2231 fps | 97.9% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,879 psi | 69% | 2303 fps | 98.3% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,768 psi | 81% | 2464 fps | 95.2% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,916 psi | 49% | 1421 fps | 100% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,537 psi | 85% | 2457 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,797 psi | 81% | 2178 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 88% | 38,943 psi | 84% | 2474 fps | 95.4% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 32,837 psi | 71% | 2316 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 96% | 39,218 psi | 85% | 2392 fps | 95.3% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,447 psi | 76% | 2349 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,069 psi | 73% | 2303 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,499 psi | 59% | 2156 fps | 95.6% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 88% | 30,414 psi | 66% | 2231 fps | 95.5% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 94% | 29,689 psi | 64% | 2300 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 30 powders for .338 Marlin Express loaded with the .338 | 172gr | Sax KDG-S. Alliant AR-Comp delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,575 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,552 fps to 2,575 fps. Accurate 2495 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 30 of the 30 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 67–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 172.0 gr projectile in 0.338" calls for a 1:14.5 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 .338 Marlin Express with the .338 | 172gr | Sax KDG-S 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.