sporterized 303

[Ben]

mattd

Looks to me like you're off to a GOOD start !!

[longbow]

I am still betting that 0.310" is undersize.

You said you started with a 0.310" slug and it came out with grooves on it but did it fill the grooves in the rifle? I am betting not.

Nominal bullet size for .303 British is 0.3125".

Nominal bore diameter is 0.303".

Nominal groove diameter is 0.314".

If you have a particularly tight bore they may be okay but if you have the standard 0.314" groove, be prepared to remove some leading.

Longbow

[blixen]

I've been working up loads for my No.4 sante fe sporter with 185gr Lee at .313--the biggest diameter my mold drops them. I think my bore is slightly bigger than that. I used the wrapped-bullet measuring technique w/o totally satisfying results.

I'll be following your progress.

[Suo Gan]

A Santa Fe, bought a nice one some time ago for $150. Around 200 I would guess.

[blixen]

That's about what I paid for mine (top of photo). I couldn't pass it up because it had both a receiver sight and a scope and a shiny bore. I thought it would be a fun cast boolit gun. So far, I can't get CBs big enough (I'd love .3145), even with a beagled mold. Hope to do some casting this weekend with the Sante Fe in mind.

[mattd]

I used the wrapped-bullet measuring technique w/o totally satisfying results.

No doubt. Re-slugged with larger slug. Got many diff numbers. But most consistently was .320. Which puts me at .312. Got as high as .322 and as low as 317. Guess I'll be getting a big mold to be safe.

Here's bout the best way I could figure to do it. In a machine vice, measure bunch of spots, loosen and rotate slug and measure some more.

[zuke]

I've been playing with 32 cal HB WC in one of my 303's. HAS to be HB in to make sure it expand's into the rifling.

[blixen]

Mattd, that's exactly the problem I had measuring. Ha,ha, i just figured, cast the biggest boolit possible. My last attempt produced hard .314 173grainers. Can't wait to try them.

[tinsmith]

Ben:
Thanks for the tip on measuring the bore of the Lee Enfield. Just purchased a No5 Jungle Carbine and I was wondering how to measure that 5 groove rifling! The lands were easy: right on .303. Now to the groove dimension.

[curator]

Making a "throat slug" will reveal the most important measurement. Right in front of the case mouth is a cylindrical area easy to measure and critical for cast boolit performance. No need to worry about the odd number of grooves since there is only a smooth area about 1/4" to 3/8" with no rifling. This measurement is what should determine the size of your boolits. Ideally this should be about .0005 (one-half thousandth) over boolit diameter--certainly no more. Custom mould -makers like Veral Smith of LBT use this throat slug to cut moulds that precisely fit this critical area and match the case neck length at the same time. Using one-size-fits-all, off the shelf moulds one can get lucky but most often your results are mediocre. If your boolit is precisely guided straight into the rifling it will shoot accurately. If it can tip or start into the rifling off center, accuracy is going to be disappointing, and you will get throat leading as well.

[longbow]

What curator said.

I checked my Lee Enfields and all run about 0.315" throat. I size to 0.315" or use as cast at 0.316". With a design like the NOE 316299 (Lyman 315299 clone) the groove diameter bearing surface is inside the case neck unless you seat long then it will just enter the throat.

I can just chamber a boolit of 0.315" seated long.

Size to suit the throat and you will be good.

Good mould sources for fat boolits are Mihec, NOE, CBE, Accurate Molds and Mountain Molds. There may be others as well but those I am familiar with. Mihec and NOE are group buy outfits but they may have extra stock. CBE cherry cuts but caters to Lee Enfield needs so have several "fat" moulds. Tom at Accurate Molds will cut what you want and he already has many good designs available. Mountain moulds custom cuts what you want.

Longbow

[nanuk]

...
Check your headspace. Lee Enfield are notorious for excessive headspace but you can get different bolt heads to tighten it up if needed.
.....
Longbow

only the No4's have the sized bolt heads, right? No1's you can't do that, can you?

[longbow]

Not sure nanuk.

I have two No. 4's and two No. 5's. All have replaceable bolt heads.

Okay then, I decided this is something I should know so checked the good 'ol internet and yes, the No. 1 MKIII does have replaceable bolt head. I thought so but wasn't sure. Now as to whether there is the availability of different length bolt heads for them to correct headspace I could not say without deeper investigation. I know different length bolt heads are available for the No. 4's and No. 5's (No. 5's are just remodeled cut down No. 4's).

I am no expert on the various versions of the Lee Enfield by any means. I just like shooting what I have.

Longbow

[enfield]

# 1mk3 don't have different numbered bolt heads but you may find ones that are slightly different if you had a bunch to mix and match.

[dualsport]

Congratulations on your new toy! The .303s are a world of fun. For a quick down and dirty idea of how fat a boolit you can use just measure the ID of one of the PMC case necks you shot in the test run. Read up here on fire forming brass to your gun. Headspace can be dealt with this way. The Lee collet die is your friend and can be adjusted to just barely size the neck. Finding brass seems to be a problem these days.

[mattd]

Finding brass seems to be a problem these days.

i just made 48 boxers last nite from the pile of berdans i had already shot. with close to 1000 more berdans to shoot and convert yet. of the 48 i would say i had 4 that arent quite rejects, but not as good as the rest. some of em will end up as 444 brass too. all sized, polished and ready to load. that was kinda a fun project.

[mattd]

Knocked the big part of a mini 14 project out and on to a little 303 work. Got the lee mold cause that's the only one that's readily available. The round ones are 313-3145 and drop around 186g. Plenty of 3125-316 and anywhere in between. Also got the lee 200g 44 mold and they are out of round too. Funny thing is my 22 bator mold is my only old style lee mold and they come out great. Prolly cause I really focus on making that mold work right.

Anyhow, need to get a 314 sizer to get gas checks on better and get them closer to a single diameter.

Notice the barrel in the background. The bluing was really worn. I've had great luck with cold bluing and this ones getting pretty dark. Will have a few more rounds with it. Oxpho blue, a hot barrel and some steel wool do the trick. Once the barrel is done I'll hit the reciever. Also touching up the wood while its off.

[mattd]

Been working on this thing a little.....

Touched up the wood. There was just one small drip in the finish. Sanded that down and have been hitting the whole stock with tung oil finish. Stock looks great. It's a fajen according to the butt plate.

[mattd]

Also have been cold bluing the barrel and receiver. Barrel was bad, reciever was ok. Now both are good. There's still wool on the metal in the pics, but first thing I do is put a thick coat of oil on when I'm done bluing. As I wash off old and wipe on new oil a couple times that should clean up.

[mattd]

There was also a deep scratch in the peep. Sanded that down and am having less then great results w the birchwood Casey alum black. It works ok, but dosent match the gloss look of the rest of the sight. Will try paint.