Load Specifications
Load data in caliber 7.62 x 39 (.308) Russian with .308 | 180gr | Norma PlastSpitz bullet and 21 powders. The key underlying parameters are shown in the table above. The recommended powders for this cartridge and bullet combination are ADI AR 2207, Norma 200 and Alliant Reloder-7.
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% | 44,019 psi | 85% | 1808 fps | 97.8% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 82% | 45,585 psi | 89% | 1752 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | <<locked>> | 96% | 45,165 psi | 88% | 1886 fps | 100% |
| Alliant AR-Compᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 33,736 psi | 66% | 1768 fps | 96.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-10xᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 41,481 psi | 81% | 1857 fps | 97.6% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | <<locked>> | 94% | 45,092 psi | 88% | 1854 fps | 98.6% |
| Hodgdon TrailBossᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,878 psi | 58% | 1125 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 45,498 psi | 88% | 1864 fps | 98.9% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 88% | 44,338 psi | 86% | 1804 fps | 99.6% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 82% | 45,237 psi | 88% | 1827 fps | 98.8% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 90% | 45,643 psi | 89% | 1814 fps | 100% |
| Norma 200 | <<locked>> | 98% | 44,657 psi | 87% | 1890 fps | 98.8% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 29,704 psi | 58% | 1155 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 90% | 46,282 psi | 90% | 1860 fps | 99.7% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 82% | 45,237 psi | 88% | 1827 fps | 98.8% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 82% | 45,353 psi | 88% | 1811 fps | 99.2% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 92% | 44,643 psi | 87% | 1706 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 43,642 psi | 85% | 1864 fps | 95.7% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 84% | 45,643 psi | 89% | 1762 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 96% | 45,353 psi | 88% | 1857 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N130ᴾ | <<locked>> | 100% | 40,857 psi | 79% | 1801 fps | 97% |
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% | 34,084 psi | 66% | 1667 fps | 95.1% |
| ADI AR 2205 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,598 psi | 83% | 1719 fps | 100% |
| ADI AR 2207 | 17.3 gr | 80% | 27,543 psi | 53% | 1621 fps | 97.2% |
| Alliant AR-Comp | <<locked>> | 98% | 31,575 psi | 61% | 1729 fps | 95.2% |
| Alliant Reloder-10x | <<locked>> | 92% | 32,750 psi | 64% | 1726 fps | 95% |
| Alliant Reloder-7 | 18.4 gr | 82% | 31,299 psi | 61% | 1654 fps | 95% |
| Hodgdon TrailBoss | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,683 psi | 42% | 997 fps | 100% |
| IMR 4198 | <<locked>> | 86% | 30,937 psi | 60% | 1644 fps | 95% |
| IMR 4227 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,838 psi | 68% | 1673 fps | 98.1% |
| Lovex D060 | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,844 psi | 83% | 1795 fps | 98.4% |
| Lovex S053 | <<locked>> | 80% | 34,200 psi | 66% | 1663 fps | 99.8% |
| Norma 200 | 19.5 gr | 86% | 30,850 psi | 60% | 1686 fps | 95.3% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 14 | <<locked>> | 80% | 21,712 psi | 42% | 1030 fps | 100% |
| ReloadSwiss RS 36 | <<locked>> | 80% | 33,837 psi | 66% | 1690 fps | 97.7% |
| Shooters World Buffalo Rifle | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,844 psi | 83% | 1795 fps | 98.4% |
| Shooters World SOCOM | <<locked>> | 80% | 42,351 psi | 82% | 1775 fps | 98.8% |
| SNPE Vectan BA6 1/2 | <<locked>> | 80% | 32,416 psi | 63% | 1558 fps | 100% |
| SNPE Vectan SP 3 | <<locked>> | 98% | 41,307 psi | 80% | 1831 fps | 95.1% |
| Vihtavuori N110 | <<locked>> | 80% | 40,596 psi | 79% | 1706 fps | 100% |
| Vihtavuori N120 | <<locked>> | 80% | 27,905 psi | 54% | 1604 fps | 98.4% |
| Vihtavuori N130 | <<locked>> | 94% | 34,214 psi | 66% | 1706 fps | 95.1% |
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 21 powders for 7.62 x 39 (.308) Russian loaded with the .308 | 180gr | Norma PlastSpitz. Norma 200 delivers the highest muzzle velocity at 1,890 fps; across all powders the maximum-charge window runs from 1,125 fps to 1,890 fps. Alliant AR-Comp gives the best case fill at 100 %, and 21 of the 21 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 180.0 gr projectile in 0.308" calls for a 1:14.0 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. ADI AR 2207, Norma 200, Alliant Reloder-7 rank at the top here: for 7.62 x 39 (.308) Russian with the .308 | 180gr | Norma PlastSpitz 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.