No.4 Enfield giving me a fit!

[caseyboy]

You didn't mention the boolit type and what the nose diameter is. My 3 LE's all want a nose diameter that is 0.001" over bore (land) diameter. This helps to keep the boolit centered all the way down the bore and prevents the hose from slumping and becoming deformed.

[eka]

The Fat 30 is a Loverin Jeff. And to be honest, I haven't found that boolit to shoot all that well in anything I have tried it in so far.

Again thanks for the great suggestions.

I have gotten the barrel extremely clean. I spent two weeks soaking etc. and she finally gave all her copper up.

All screws etc. are tight.

The lands look sharp all the way to the muzzle. The crown looks unremarkable. Now as to the crown being square, I can't say. I will re-crown, but I think I will investigate an enlarged throat before resorting to a re-crown.

No bulges or tight spots felt when I slugged the bore.

I'm pushing a really fat boolit with the paper patched 311284 coming in at .320. That is the reason it is seated into fire formed but, unsized cases. I still need to seat them with a die, no finger seating. I leave them seated out just a touch long and they are then seated a tad deeper by contact with the lands when chambered.

The article at 303british.com, which was a great recommendation, addressed basically the issue I'm having exactly. I had to patch up some more 311284s so I can give some of the suggestions made in the article a try. I'm gonna give Re7, IMR 4227, and AA1680 a go with some Cream of Wheat.

I won't get a chance to get to the range again until Wednesday.

Keith

[longbow]

If you are going to try COW filler, be sure to start with a light powder charge and work up as pressures will increase with filler added.

My main reason for using fillers was to allow me to use PB boolits at higher than typical PB velocities which has seemed to work for me.

I have used COW with a variety of powders including Unique with no problems at all... but of course all loads were worked up with the filler.

Not sure you need a boolit quite as fat as 0.320", just a couple thou over groove diameter or just enough under throat diameter to chamber should do it. Also, I think it has been mentioned but if using a bore nose rider like the 314299, the nose should lightly engrave in the rifling. If too loose, you may have poor accuracy. The 311284 nose may be small in a .303 unless you are patching the nose as well.

FWIW

Longbow

[eka]

Thanks Longbow. Yeah for sure starting on the low end of powder charges for the COW. The 311284 may not be the best boolit. I grabbed it because I had some handy. I was thinking a longer boolit may help with stabilization, and they shoot so good in both of my two groove 03A3s. But I will experiment with other 30 cal. designs as well.

Keith

[303Guy]

I like a fat boolit that can be seated into unsized case. I've got one of my rifle's down to a seating so firm that the seater is needed to complete the seat and there's no moving it again. It does mean the boolit base gets cupped on firing but not always. I've introduces a small bevel to give the base some support behind the 'cupping' to keep it flat and it does help. I can't make any suggestions as I have not done comprehensive range tests. But the base cupping is not going to cause key-holing. Poor long range accuracy maybe.

[eka]

303Guy, that is the way these boolits are. They have to be seated with the seating die and don't budge. I take that to mean I have a good amount of neck tension.

Let me also say that I really enjoy your posts on your projects and tests, and especially your great photos. Thanks for taking the time to share what you are doing.

Keith

[eka]

Success! Well enough for now anyway .

20.0 grains Reloader 7, Cream of Wheat just up past the case neck shoulder junction, Win. unsized cases, WLR primers, 311284 as cast of water dropped wheel weights patched with two wraps of .002 notebook paper for a final diameter of .320. Seated so as to firmly contact the lands.

My issues seem to have been an oversized throat.

I'm pretty pleased and with some load development and experimentation with some of JeffinNZ's tips to make the platform more accurate, this thing might end up being a shooter and not a tomato stake as I originally thought. It also doesn't hurt that it has one of the better military triggers I have seen.

And again thanks to all that offered up their help.

Keith

[longbow]

Looking good!

Longbow

[303Guy]

Yes!

[Coote]

I don't know much about loading cast boolits yet, but I do have a Lyman 311284 mould at home.

I made some boolits with this mould and measured them. They have a long nose and the nose measures around .297" in diameter. This seems way too small for a nominal accross-the-lands bore of .303" (and especially too small for my 2-groove which measures .305").

Your mould may be different.

best wishes.... Coote.

[JeffinNZ]

Coote; he paper patched it so the nose is much bigger.