Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 7.62 x 39 (.308) Russian with .308 | 165gr | RWS Doppelkern bullet and 18 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are Norma 200, ADI AR 2207 and ReloadSwiss RS 36.
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: 16"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 90% | 45,629 psi | 89% | 1949 fps | 97.9% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 46,340 psi | 90% | 1883 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 46,398 psi | 90% | 2028 fps | 100% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 34,722 psi | 67% | 1903 fps | 96.3% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,221 psi | 84% | 2005 fps | 97.7% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 46,021 psi | 89% | 1991 fps | 98.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 30,168 psi | 59% | 1217 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 46,456 psi | 90% | 2005 fps | 99% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 45,977 psi | 89% | 1952 fps | 99.7% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 88% | 44,019 psi | 85% | 1919 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 46,296 psi | 90% | 2034 fps | 98.9% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,892 psi | 58% | 1247 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 88% | 44,860 psi | 87% | 1969 fps | 99.5% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 45,803 psi | 89% | 1837 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,092 psi | 88% | 2008 fps | 96% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 82% | 43,859 psi | 85% | 1864 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 94% | 44,295 psi | 86% | 1972 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 42,308 psi | 82% | 1942 fps | 97.2% |
Recommended = one of the top powders for this cartridge and bullet combination.
Start Load - Barrel Length: 16"
| Powder | Charge | FR | MaxP | % | V(0) | z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accurate 1680 | <<locked>> | 82% | 35,346 psi | 69% | 1801 fps | 95.4% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 43,569 psi | 85% | 1850 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 19.3 gr | 80% | 28,558 psi | 55% | 1749 fps | 97.3% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 32,648 psi | 63% | 1864 fps | 95.5% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 34,084 psi | 66% | 1864 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 82% | 32,329 psi | 63% | 1781 fps | 95.1% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 22,263 psi | 43% | 1089 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 86% | 31,589 psi | 61% | 1768 fps | 95% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 36,129 psi | 70% | 1811 fps | 98.2% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 35,186 psi | 68% | 1795 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 200 | 21.7 gr | 86% | 31,966 psi | 62% | 1818 fps | 95.4% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,770 psi | 42% | 1109 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | 20.1 gr | 80% | 35,114 psi | 68% | 1824 fps | 97.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,040 psi | 64% | 1677 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 98% | 42,467 psi | 82% | 1972 fps | 95.3% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 41,669 psi | 81% | 1837 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 28,877 psi | 56% | 1732 fps | 98.5% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 94% | 35,230 psi | 68% | 1834 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 18 powders for 7.62 x 39 (.308) Russian loaded with the .308 | 165gr | RWS Doppelkern. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 2,034 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,217 fps to 2,034 fps. Alliant AR-Comp gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 18 of the 18 powders fall inside the usable 80–100 % fill window.
Relative to the caliber's maximum pressure (355 MPa), the top charges use 58–90 %, leaving at least 10 % headroom. The 165.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:16.5 twist; slower twists will usually not stabilise this weight. Alliant AR-Comp, Alliant Reloder-10x, 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. Norma 200, ADI AR 2207, ReloadSwiss RS 36 rank at the top here: for 7.62 x 39 (.308) Russian with the .308 | 165gr | RWS Doppelkern they combine a high case fill with complete burn and sit in the upper velocity band. Hodgdon TrailBoss, ReloadSwiss RS 14 stay subsonic at start load. Always begin at the start load and work up in small increments while checking case and primer for pressure signs.