6mm Lee Navy loads

[6mm win lee]

Avoid fast burning powder in these rifles. I think that is what happened to Glen DeRuiter a Sarco employee years ago.

https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=119731

And do not use modified .30-40 brass.

[Lostinidaho]

Back to the range again.

At 100 yards, 10 shots all in a 6.
At 200 yards, 10 shots all in 12 inch ring. Everyone was a key hole

[Spadegrip]

Back to the range again.

At 100 yards, 10 shots all in a 6.
At 200 yards, 10 shots all in 12 inch ring. Everyone was a key hole

Try 26gr of 3031 with the 100gr bullet-should solve the key holeing depending on the bore of your rifle.

[Lostinidaho]

Just a big chicken when it comes to shooting a 118 year old rifle. Maybe I shouldn't have read the death incident. And its my first adventure into reloading.

[Spadegrip]

You were correct in going slow. I just gave a load I shot in my rifle. In my rifle it showed no pressure signs, and that was with 105 gr cast bullets. Some one here has the same mould for sale-$55-that is a good deal.

[Bent Ramrod]

Absolutely correct going slow and exercising prudence.

Keep an eye on your fired cases, watch your charge weights and look in every case with a flashlight to make sure the powder is at the same height before capping with a bullet. There's no indication in the old write ups that these rifles ever failed catastrophically, and they were as wary of the new smokeless propellants as they were of new rifle designs.

I would say that a velocity that slow, in a twist that fast might be causing your keyhole problem, especially as the range increases. You might also try the boolits unsized, with lubricant of course.

[Lostinidaho]

At this point I am using pre-made fmj bullets. I hope I haven't admitted to a unforgivable sin on this sight. One step at a time.

This may seem an odd question. I have had my rifle checked by a gunsmith. But there are no experts on this gun. When I pull the trigger, when the gun is cocked, when I pull the trigger there is a slight but noticeable downward wiggle or pull on the bolt. I have never seen this on another rifle. But this is a different mechanism. Does your rifle's action behave similarly

The first 10 shots though this rifle was tested using the tried and true tire with lanyard method. Since then I have put through about another 80 shots.

[HangFireW8]

Bolt movement on trigger pull is common with many old bolt actions.

[303Guy]

At this point I am using pre-made fmj bullets. I hope I haven't admitted to a unforgivable sin on this sight.

When you say (gulp) "pre-made fmj bu..(choke)..llets, would those be boat tails? And with a long pointy ogive?

Is it possible that the bullets are canting in the generous throat on firing?

You didn't say how straight the 100 yard impacts were. Canting of the bullets should be clearly visible at that range (uneven black ring around the bullet hole).

I recently fired a group with my two-groove 303 Lee Enfield that normally shoots pretty damn well and it shot a shotgun pattern (and spread). Different bullet and powder (with somewhat higher pressure signs). My point is, the bullet could be the problem.

[Lostinidaho]

I have to admit when I admitted to using pre-made, fmj bullets I felt I should stand before my computer and start with the line "My name is Lost and I have a problem..." Luckily the members of this forum are an understanding and forgiving crowd.

At 100 yards I don't see that bullets are beginning to tumble. The holes are round and no sign of an uneven ring around the hole. One thing I am using a pretty light load. I am going to try some hotter but still mild loads.

From my research, the original 6mm bullet was a long bullet (over 1.1 inches) and the case neck was longer on the original case then the 22 swift case that I use. My reloads end up being 2.85 inches, about .25 inches short of the original 3.11.

Bullet choice is a big part of performance/accuracy. I want to try cast bullets. But the molds I see would make my cartridges .35 to .40 inches shorter than original. So I want to try them before I by a mold. Its seems to me that to be a huge gap for the bullet to leap before reaching the rifling. I would think that distance would have a huge impact on accuracy.

[Spadegrip]

Just tried a new load of 25gr of 3031 and a 105gr bullet. Shoots to the sights and no pressure signs. Used 220 swift cases rims turned and extractor groove cut.

[6mm win lee]

Just tried a new load of 25gr of 3031 and a 105gr bullet. Shoots to the sights and no pressure signs. Used 220 swift cases rims turned and extractor groove cut.

Sounds good. I will have to work with my rifle after I get done dinking with the 1895 lever action. I have a few pieces of original USN brass I am wanting to load up. The target was how far away when you were shooting the Lee?

[Spadegrip]

185 yards. It was shooting about 10" high which would be correct with battle sights.

[6mm win lee]

185 yards. It was shooting about 10" high which would be correct with battle sights.

How different was it from your 26gr load from higher up in the thread? Is there a chance of reducing the load to a safe level to take out the ten inches?

I tore open one of my Buffalo Arms rounds from years ago and found the powder weighed 33 grains. Don't what they were using for powder though. I did shoot one of the Lees a few weeks ago. It was just to punch paper and make noise but mostly to make sure I did not gain any foreign metal in my skull.

[Spadegrip]

The difference between 25 and 26 grains was easier extraction. With 26 grains, extraction was hard due to a less than perfect chamber. Fun load to shoot with the Speer 105 grain bullet.

[Bent Ramrod]

I found an article on the Winchester-Lee in the February 1961 issue of Guns magazine, which is available on line and can be downloaded or printed out. Nothing startling in the way of new data, although it gives a load with 4350, with only an implied bullet weight, and the Editors have appended a list of the serial numbers of the ones that sunk with the Maine and were salvaged and sold through Bannermans.