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Thread: 303 Brit with light boolets

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master
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    303 Brit with light boolets

    Has anyone loaded 303 Brit with 150gr to165gr boolets???
    Seems all the loads use 200gr.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I've loaded paper patches boolits down to 100 grs. Though accuracy was poor.

    I've had pretty good success with the Mihec 316410 though. Its 130 gr. solid and a few grains lighter in hp. That boolit shots quite well in my sporterized No. 4 MK 1 Lee Enfield. While this bookit shoorscwell, it does not feed from the magazine well!

    I also made a clone mould of sorts of the Ness Safety Bullet which is a flat nose/wad cutter with large deep HP and weighs 150 grs. That shot well for me too in two Lee Enfields.

    I'd have to look up load data but there are light boolit loads available, and for more variety you can use load data for .30-40 Krag for equal weight boolits. There seems to be load data for more variety of boolit weights for the Jrag than for .303 British.

    Longbow

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    LB must be using his iPad tonight... lol
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  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Not much out there in light 314di boolets.
    So far I've only found NOE with any molds.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master 303Guy's Avatar
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    I've patched 141gr and 147gr smooth side boolits and at subsonic, accuracy was impressive. I don't know which boolit weight was the accurate one. This was through a 'rust modified' bore. I have wondered whether a plain cast with those same patched dimensions would shoot as well. It's a short boolit, seated just far enough to stay in place. I'm pretty sure there was considerable jump since the boolit was simply a shortened version of the normal boolit that seat way further out. And for the record, I consider a 150gr boolit to be light for the 303 Brit.

    Beyond that, I have shot 90gr 32 round nose pistol boolits through a mint bore rifle with poor accuracy. Likely poor from over driving them. I have a few left, I should try them at subsonic loadings to see how they perform.

    Thinking about it, if one reduces the bore riding section length to a light boolit weight, why would they not shoot as well or better than the full length?
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  6. #6
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    I've shot my 115gr. .32 revolver bullet out of my Enfield sized to .314. They did just fine over 8gr. Unique.
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

  7. #7
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    115gr up to 162gr. Sized to your rifle under a light load is lots of fun.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Bub
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    I experimented some with 118g. .314 32/20 boolets in my Enfield and Mosin last summer. This is the best target I got with the Savage 2 groove. 7g of HP38. I like using the M16 targets at 50yd. as the black is very close to the width of the front sight.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0932.jpg  

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by TankerDon View Post
    I experimented some with 118g. .314 32/20 boolets in my Enfield and Mosin last summer. This is the best target I got with the Savage 2 groove. 7g of HP38. I like using the M16 targets at 50yd. as the black is very close to the width of the front sight.
    That's great shooting! Mines a 2 groove as well.
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

  10. #10
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    lee's got the TL314-90-SWC. If you PC you can make a lot of 30 cal boolits work

  11. #11
    Boolit Bub
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    Thank you! Best it's ever shot. The bore is "sub optimal" lol. Been cleaning it 20 yrs. and last summer could finally see rifling at the crown. I wish I had info for the OP, but no time to cast now, and I can't find .314 150g. boolits anywhere. Tried some Berry's .309 150g plated that shoot great in my Spanish Mauser, but it threw them thru the target sideways at 50yd. lol!

  12. #12
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    I’m having good luck with PPU 150gr jacketed over 39gr of 3031. 1945 No5 Mk1Jungle Carbine

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I had reasonably good groups out of my Enfields with a 150 Gr Lee .312 mold that was lapped out to .314 for use in the Mosin Nagants.
    But I never shot the Enfields past 50 yards.
    I also used Very Hard lead, like Linotype or even Harder.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    I've shot lots of light boolits in my LE's, the problem with getting them to shoot is the long jump they have to the rifling. My Mk111 shoots tiny groups, inside the X ring of a 25m pistol target at 50m is the norm using a 120grn .315 dia boolit over 10grns of trail boss.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Accurate Molds will make whatever diameter and weight you want.

    Also, CBE has a good selection of lightweight boolits moulds for .303's from 0.311" to 0.318":

    http://www.castbulletengineering.com...age=2&Items=12

    http://www.castbulletengineering.com...age=4&Items=12

    Now that I've looked I am kinda liking the 0.316" 145 or 168 gr. boolits!

    Longbow

  16. #16
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've had good results banging steel with the Lee 312-160 "Soupcan" air cooled, Lee Liquid Alox, run thru a .314 sizer with aluminum gas checks, over 12 grains of Trail Boss.

  17. #17
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    I use the 150 gr Hornady .312 over 43.5 gr of IMR 4320. Excellent accuracy.
    The 147-8 gr Soviet or Chinese 7.62X54R military bullet works fine in the .303 with the same 43.5 gr loading.

    Works great in a .314 Savage two groove and just as nicely in every five groove barrel I've tried it with.

  18. #18
    Boolit Bub
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    abunaitoo, didn't mean to sidetrack your thread, but I'm "really" interested in learning about light .303 loads. I don't cast and can't find any 150g. big enough for my 2 groove sewer pipe. I have a ladder load of Berry's 123g. plated AK boolets loaded over 12-16g of 2400. Had any luck with those?
    I know this is a cast boolet forum, but I shoot some FMJ's on occasion. I needed some brass to load those 118g FP's and found some WW 123's I loaded 25 yrs. ago when I bought it. Vintage indeed lol!
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails IMG_0814.jpg  

  19. #19
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    I have the Lee 160 grain gas check design that I'm planning on trying. I have some data dug up from this forum and others on using that weight as a "plinking" round. Will also try whatever 7.62x39 bullet I cast to see if that makes a good light 303 British bullet. That will be between 150 and 135 grains.

    NOE 314 220 grain is my "real" 303 British bullet. Plenty of thump and accuracy from that.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by TankerDon View Post
    Thank you! Best it's ever shot. The bore is "sub optimal" lol. Been cleaning it 20 yrs. and last summer could finally see rifling at the crown. I wish I had info for the OP, but no time to cast now, and I can't find .314 150g. boolits anywhere. Tried some Berry's .309 150g plated that shoot great in my Spanish Mauser, but it threw them thru the target sideways at 50yd. lol!

    This happened with the Lee 312-185 when I sized them to .311. Perfect keyhole from the Enfield. Next time I sized them to .314 (the mold drops fat) they hit straight on and accurately.
    You can miss fast & you can miss a lot, but only hits count.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check