Anyone ever use 800x in .303b?

[jr86]

I'm just trying to get an idea of what good loads would be. I'm looking at around 18-20gr with a 314299 is my plan. If anyone has attempted this I would love some wisdom.

thanks
Jeremy

[flydoc]

I, too am curious about this. Have seen loading data for 700x, but none for 800x. Is there a way to extrapolate loads from this data? I am suspicious that 18-20 grains may be a little stiff.

[jr86]

I have a 7.62x51 NATO lee enfield that I tried 20gr of 800x in with 200gr bullet. No pressure signs. I wouldn't go much higher than that though.

[flydoc]

I read a post about use of 800x in a 30-06 "with the Lee C309-200-R bullet plain based or GC and no filler. 10.6g gives about 1350 fps in a 24" Remington 788 24" barrel. Gas checked gives 1" groups and plain based opened the group up closer to 2" at 50 yards. 12.7g 800X GC gave about 1494 fps averaged and closed the groups up nicely to under 1" at 50 yards." So from that post it would seem your 18-20 grains may be excessive. .

[jr86]

Especially considering a .30-06 is a bigger case. I ll try toning it down for my starting loads and see how it goes. I just bought this mold so I haven't loaded any yet.

[jr86]

i made up some rounds and tested em this weekend. Grouped horribly. 314299 GC'd with 16-19gr of 800x. One group was on 2 different papers. I am going to try the 11-14gr range next and see how it goes.

Jeremy

[Stoats]

As for most posts about the 303, have you slugged your bore? Is the bullet big enough? I've seen practically unfired barrels up to .318", and .313-.315 is entirely normal. .313" is bang on military spec of .303" bore + 2x0.005" grooves, but occasional tighter ones are seen.

The Lyman 3rd edition book has a lot to answer for... the sizing diameters they give for .303 Brit are all too small, and this "knowledge" filtered through to the manufacturers because people wanted to buy moulds for the diameters Lyman gave. And people still fall into these same traps today.

[jr86]

5 groove bore slugged out at .314 using a CMM machine. I was using up some .312 160 rounds I had laying around and getting better accuracy.

i will post update when I try the lighter loads.

[HABCAN]

+1 to what Stoats said, and Size boolits to the THROAT dia.

[flydoc]

You could paper patch those .312s up to .315 easily enough, then try your various powder loads. Need the right expander to get them loaded. Later you could get a bigger mould if that size worked out.

[jr86]

Im looking at sticking with the .314 200gr boolit. I'm just thinking too much powder charge for soft range scrap. I will report back on the lighter loads.

[PAT303]

I load 12grns of AP100 under the same boolit with excellent accuracy to 100m.AP100 is one position slower on the burn chart than 800x.Like the others have said your boolits are too small,go .001 over the inside dia of a fired case. Pat

[jr86]

I load 12grns of AP100 under the same boolit with excellent accuracy to 100m.AP100 is one position slower on the burn chart than 800x.Like the others have said your boolits are too small,go .001 over the inside dia of a fired case. Pat

now that's some information that would help! Thanks

also, if I'm getting 3" groups with .312 bullets, then it seems unlikely that .314s would give worse accuracy. Since I just spent $150 on this mold I'm gonna see what it can do before monkeying around and dropping more cash

[PAT303]

Look at the right hand cartridge in your photo,see what looks like a lead shave around the case mouth,thats not helping. Pat

[303Guy]

I see something on the L/H cartridge. A typo perhaps?

Nice looking boolits and loaded rounds! How can something that looks so good not shoot?

Try paper patching a few of those undersize boolits. I've had good accuracy with light loads and paper patched. More work though but is does polish the bore which is good for lubed boolits.

I've been eyeing a can of AP100. I hear a lot being said on the virtues of Unique and am wondering whether AP100 is close enough?

[jr86]

Got out today and shot 2 - 5 shot groups. Loaded with 13gr and 14gr of 800x


The 13gr 3 shots grouped just over 1". 4 shots grouped at 2.2" with the 5th shot flying 3" high of the rest. That flyer had case head seperation so obviously I'm going to retest that load with 10 rounds since it was promising. The group was also more vertically strung than wide being only 1.04" wide.


14gr grouped around 3.3" scattered.


Obviously i loaded too hot before, at 16-19grs giving me 4ish" group and larger.
All groups shot at 100 yards

[303Guy]

That case head separation is a worry. Shouldn't happen ever. In the beginning I didn't get better than three loadings per case. Then I learned a trick or two. Never lost a case since (other than to the long grass and neck splits). First trick is to never full length size a case. The second is not to shoot bone dry cases in bone dry chambers.

[jr86]

Yeah that is my second case head separation in a week. Both with winchester cases. Probably have been full length resized 15 times and necks annealed twice. Probably shot in 4-5 different enfields over 2 years and had probably 3-4 full power reloading a with J-words in the beginning. They served me well. I have a tool for extracting broken cases, no big deal.

I really like the 800x because it's very bulky. 22ish grains would probably fill the .303b case. It doesn't meter as nice as say 2400, but I've been weighing every charge so no big deal.

I've made up 2 10 shot loads for tomorrow. Projectiles sorted for weight, once fired fire formed cases, 12gr and 13gr of 800x. Every charge weighed. Hoping for good things tomorrow.

I should also mention that I'm using pure indoor range scrap for my lead source. Heavily made of .22s but also composed of some handgun. Softer lead challenges. Some of the higher charges still had some useable accuracy (4-5" @100), I d love to make some more of those just to see how they do on water bottles and such.

[303Guy]

I really like the 800x because it's very bulky. 22ish grains would probably fill the .303b case.

That's what I'm looking for! Nothing on our shelves, unfortunately. I'll keep looking now that I know.

I've just tested a load in my mint bore 1902 (new No4 barrel), 15gr AR2205 (H4227) under a 168gr paper patched boolit. A double load would fit in there without notice. That would go boom! Nice load, I plan to load up a batch to take to the range. It was fast enough to expand my tough alloy in rubber grounds.

I hope it goes well for you tomorrow.

[PAT303]

I see something on the L/H cartridge. A typo perhaps?

Nice looking boolits and loaded rounds! How can something that looks so good not shoot?

Try paper patching a few of those undersize boolits. I've had good accuracy with light loads and paper patched. More work though but is does polish the bore which is good for lubed boolits.

I've been eyeing a can of AP100. I hear a lot being said on the virtues of Unique and am wondering whether AP100 is close enough?

Yeh,the other right!!!!!. Pat