Load Specifications
Load data in caliber .500 N.E. 3'' with .510 | 450gr | Woodleigh RN SN bullet and 25 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are IMR 3031, Accurate 4064 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: 26"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,158 psi | 89% | 2231 fps | 99.5% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,579 psi | 90% | 2257 fps | 97.4% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,882 psi | 88% | 2293 fps | 99.7% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,477 psi | 90% | 2293 fps | 97.1% |
| Accurate 4064 | <<locked>> | 96% | 35,824 psi | 88% | 2310 fps | 98.1% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 88% | 35,418 psi | 87% | 2293 fps | 100% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,447 psi | 87% | 2254 fps | 98.3% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,708 psi | 88% | 2264 fps | 97.4% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,677 psi | 80% | 1480 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | <<locked>> | 90% | 35,998 psi | 89% | 2320 fps | 99.1% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 84% | 36,448 psi | 90% | 2254 fps | 96.1% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,780 psi | 86% | 2274 fps | 96.6% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 90% | 36,651 psi | 90% | 2280 fps | 97.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 32,663 psi | 80% | 1516 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,230 psi | 87% | 2228 fps | 96.1% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 86% | 36,071 psi | 89% | 2231 fps | 97.2% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,780 psi | 86% | 2274 fps | 96.6% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,954 psi | 86% | 2165 fps | 97% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,926 psi | 88% | 2201 fps | 98.3% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 88% | 36,274 psi | 89% | 2211 fps | 98.3% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,273 psi | 87% | 2175 fps | 99.7% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 86% | 34,548 psi | 85% | 2175 fps | 99.1% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,896 psi | 86% | 2260 fps | 99.5% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 90% | 34,679 psi | 85% | 2221 fps | 97.5% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 92% | 35,534 psi | 88% | 2254 fps | 97.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 26"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 2015 | <<locked>> | 80% | 29,965 psi | 74% | 2106 fps | 98.3% |
| Accurate 2460 | <<locked>> | 80% | 31,995 psi | 79% | 2169 fps | 96% |
| Accurate 2495 | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,524 psi | 55% | 1995 fps | 95.9% |
| Accurate 2520 | <<locked>> | 84% | 31,778 psi | 78% | 2201 fps | 95.5% |
| Accurate 4064 | 88.7 gr | 88% | 27,746 psi | 68% | 2139 fps | 95.4% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | 79.7 gr | 80% | 27,441 psi | 68% | 2123 fps | 99.5% |
| Hodgdon H322 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,185 psi | 82% | 2208 fps | 97.7% |
| Hodgdon H335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,417 psi | 82% | 2215 fps | 96.7% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,149 psi | 59% | 1325 fps | 100% |
| IMR 3031 | 79.6 gr | 80% | 26,266 psi | 65% | 2093 fps | 95.9% |
| Lovex D073.5 | <<locked>> | 82% | 34,040 psi | 84% | 2208 fps | 95.3% |
| Lovex D073.6 | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,371 psi | 75% | 2182 fps | 95% |
| Norma 202 | <<locked>> | 84% | 30,284 psi | 75% | 2152 fps | 95.7% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,047 psi | 59% | 1355 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 40 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,011 psi | 81% | 2182 fps | 95.3% |
| Rottweil R 901 | <<locked>> | 80% | 30,211 psi | 74% | 2110 fps | 95.2% |
| Shooters World Match Rifle | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,371 psi | 75% | 2182 fps | 95% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 3000 | <<locked>> | 82% | 30,980 psi | 76% | 2083 fps | 95.7% |
| SNPE Vectan Tubal 5000 | <<locked>> | 84% | 26,585 psi | 65% | 2001 fps | 95.1% |
| Somchem S335 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,369 psi | 70% | 2047 fps | 95.8% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,112 psi | 82% | 2136 fps | 99.4% |
| Vihtavuori N133 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,761 psi | 71% | 2054 fps | 97.7% |
| Vihtavuori N135 | <<locked>> | 80% | 24,004 psi | 59% | 2008 fps | 96.2% |
| Vihtavuori N140 | <<locked>> | 84% | 28,805 psi | 71% | 2096 fps | 95.4% |
| Vihtavuori N540 | <<locked>> | 86% | 29,385 psi | 72% | 2123 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 25 powders for .500 N.E. 3'' loaded with the .510 | 450gr | Woodleigh RN SN. IMR 3031 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,320 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,480 fps to 2,320 fps. Hodgdon TrailBoss gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 25 of the 25 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (280 MPa), the top charges use 80–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. 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, Accurate 4064, Alliant AR-Comp rank at the top here: for .500 N.E. 3'' with the .510 | 450gr | Woodleigh RN SN 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.