Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .338 Marlin Express with .338 | 231gr | Lapua Naturalis bullet and 56 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% | 41,916 psi | 90% | 2159 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,016 psi | 86% | 2159 fps | 98.9% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,742 psi | 90% | 2221 fps | 100% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,045 psi | 86% | 2195 fps | 98.7% |
| Accurate 4064ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,452 psi | 89% | 2244 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,191 psi | 89% | 2198 fps | 95.9% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 82% | 39,755 psi | 86% | 2165 fps | 99.6% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,060 psi | 88% | 2172 fps | 97.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,292 psi | 89% | 2218 fps | 100% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,379 psi | 89% | 2244 fps | 96.9% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 98% | 39,581 psi | 85% | 2198 fps | 96.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,045 psi | 86% | 2136 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,292 psi | 87% | 2083 fps | 99.7% |
| Bofors RP3ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,423 psi | 89% | 2244 fps | 97.2% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,350 psi | 89% | 2133 fps | 97.8% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,814 psi | 88% | 2224 fps | 97.9% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,379 psi | 89% | 2188 fps | 99.7% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,800 psi | 90% | 2205 fps | 99.3% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,336 psi | 89% | 2208 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,479 psi | 85% | 2215 fps | 96.5% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,706 psi | 70% | 1345 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,509 psi | 87% | 2175 fps | 96.2% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,974 psi | 90% | 2254 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 84% | 41,698 psi | 90% | 2113 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,916 psi | 90% | 2244 fps | 96.3% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,060 psi | 88% | 2172 fps | 97.2% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 86% | 39,784 psi | 86% | 2156 fps | 97.9% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,727 psi | 88% | 2218 fps | 98.8% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,335 psi | 87% | 2178 fps | 97.2% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 92% | 39,871 psi | 86% | 2156 fps | 97.1% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 92% | 40,089 psi | 86% | 2178 fps | 99.1% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,735 psi | 71% | 1378 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 86% | 41,220 psi | 89% | 2172 fps | 98.5% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,698 psi | 88% | 2274 fps | 98.2% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,118 psi | 89% | 2162 fps | 99.1% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,161 psi | 87% | 2152 fps | 97.1% |
| Rottweil R 903ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,435 psi | 83% | 2188 fps | 96.1% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,727 psi | 88% | 2218 fps | 98.8% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,335 psi | 87% | 2178 fps | 97.2% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,988 psi | 88% | 2136 fps | 96.7% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 82% | 40,089 psi | 86% | 2169 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 84% | 40,988 psi | 88% | 2146 fps | 99.9% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,509 psi | 87% | 2103 fps | 99% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,713 psi | 90% | 2136 fps | 99.7% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 88% | 41,133 psi | 89% | 2198 fps | 97.6% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 92% | 41,524 psi | 89% | 2139 fps | 99.6% |
| Somchem S355ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,030 psi | 86% | 2198 fps | 96.2% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 86% | 40,756 psi | 88% | 2100 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 90% | 40,190 psi | 87% | 2106 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 96% | 40,814 psi | 88% | 2192 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 94% | 40,277 psi | 87% | 2162 fps | 99.3% |
| Vihtavuori N150ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 38,754 psi | 84% | 2152 fps | 97.2% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 90% | 41,307 psi | 89% | 2172 fps | 97.3% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 96% | 41,365 psi | 89% | 2198 fps | 99.2% |
| Winchester 748 | <<locked>> | 90% | 39,378 psi | 85% | 2198 fps | 97.8% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 94% | 41,307 psi | 89% | 2218 fps | 96.6% |
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% | 30,371 psi | 65% | 1962 fps | 99.1% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,503 psi | 70% | 2024 fps | 97.3% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,684 psi | 49% | 1857 fps | 97.1% |
| Accurate 2520 | 35.7 gr | 80% | 28,282 psi | 61% | 1975 fps | 95.3% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 84% | 24,540 psi | 53% | 1913 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2206H | <<locked>> | 90% | 38,479 psi | 83% | 2152 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2219 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,057 psi | 80% | 2119 fps | 99.3% |
| ADI Benchmark 8208 | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,069 psi | 73% | 2047 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,978 psi | 60% | 1978 fps | 99.9% |
| Alliant Power Pro 1200-R | <<locked>> | 82% | 36,172 psi | 78% | 2152 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant Reloder- TS 15.5 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,099 psi | 76% | 2119 fps | 95.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,317 psi | 76% | 2057 fps | 100% |
| Baschieri & Pellagri 106 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,768 psi | 81% | 2047 fps | 99.5% |
| Bofors RP3 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,881 psi | 73% | 2116 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon Benchmark | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,460 psi | 70% | 1972 fps | 95.3% |
| Hodgdon BL-C2 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,228 psi | 72% | 2090 fps | 95.8% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,997 psi | 73% | 2064 fps | 98.7% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,098 psi | 73% | 2073 fps | 97.9% |
| Hodgdon H4895 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,361 psi | 78% | 2123 fps | 95.2% |
| Hodgdon LEVERevolution | <<locked>> | 92% | 36,985 psi | 80% | 2172 fps | 95.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,192 psi | 52% | 1201 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon VARGET | <<locked>> | 90% | 37,913 psi | 82% | 2129 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 3031 | 32.7 gr | 80% | 26,803 psi | 58% | 1962 fps | 97.4% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,043 psi | 80% | 2044 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4895 | <<locked>> | 94% | 39,160 psi | 84% | 2198 fps | 95.5% |
| IMR 8208 XBR | <<locked>> | 84% | 34,069 psi | 73% | 2047 fps | 95.2% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,300 psi | 70% | 2021 fps | 95.8% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 84% | 28,964 psi | 62% | 2001 fps | 95.6% |
| Lovex S062 | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,330 psi | 72% | 2054 fps | 95.2% |
| Norma 201 | <<locked>> | 86% | 33,214 psi | 72% | 2034 fps | 95.1% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,195 psi | 59% | 1929 fps | 95.6% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,076 psi | 52% | 1230 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,808 psi | 73% | 2041 fps | 96.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 60 | <<locked>> | 94% | 33,678 psi | 73% | 2133 fps | 95.7% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,385 psi | 65% | 1962 fps | 96.5% |
| Rottweil R 902 | <<locked>> | 88% | 33,489 psi | 72% | 2034 fps | 95.1% |
| Rottweil R 903 | <<locked>> | 98% | 36,085 psi | 78% | 2146 fps | 95.4% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 84% | 28,964 psi | 62% | 2001 fps | 95.6% |
| Shooters World Precision | <<locked>> | 90% | 33,330 psi | 72% | 2054 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World Tactical Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,737 psi | 77% | 2044 fps | 95.2% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 10 | <<locked>> | 80% | 37,478 psi | 81% | 2123 fps | 98.5% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,071 psi | 78% | 2064 fps | 99.5% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,617 psi | 64% | 1906 fps | 96.3% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 80% | 23,902 psi | 52% | 1791 fps | 95% |
| Somchem S321 | <<locked>> | 82% | 33,576 psi | 72% | 2064 fps | 95.5% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,776 psi | 62% | 1909 fps | 97.1% |
| Somchem S355 | <<locked>> | 98% | 37,681 psi | 81% | 2156 fps | 95.6% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,866 psi | 73% | 1988 fps | 99.9% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,428 psi | 63% | 1916 fps | 98.7% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,424 psi | 53% | 1877 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 80% | 25,701 psi | 55% | 1873 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N150 | <<locked>> | 94% | 31,937 psi | 69% | 2028 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N530 | <<locked>> | 84% | 33,794 psi | 73% | 2041 fps | 95.2% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 84% | 28,036 psi | 60% | 1949 fps | 95.6% |
| Winchester 748 | 37.2 gr | 84% | 32,416 psi | 70% | 2067 fps | 95.6% |
| Winchester StaBALL Match | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,129 psi | 78% | 2126 fps | 95% |
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 56 powders for .338 Marlin Express loaded with the .338 | 231gr | Lapua Naturalis. ReloadSwiss RS 60 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,274 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,345 fps to 2,274 fps. Accurate 4064 gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 56 of the 56 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (320 MPa), the top charges use 70–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 231.0 gr projectile in 0.338" calls for a 1:14.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Accurate 4064, Bofors RP3, 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. IMR 3031, Winchester 748, Accurate 2520 rank at the top here: for .338 Marlin Express with the .338 | 231gr | Lapua Naturalis 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.