1903 battle sights

[Jack Stanley]

Has anybody fooled around with getting a medium weight lead bullet to hit where the battle sight looks at thirty yards or so .
I found a load for hundred fifty grain flat base FMJ's that works pretty well but I'm out of those pulled bullets:( They were very inexpensive when I got 'em :-D

What I'd like to use is a lead bullet in the hundred fifty to sixty grain weight without gas checks . More then like likely , I'll use LEE liguid lube too .

Thanks , Jack

[Patrick L]

Yes, I have. The 1903 battle sight is supposedly set for 547 yards, with jacketed service ammo. Of course impact at 100 yds will be VERY high with such loads.

The funny thing is, my cast load (SAECO 196 gr GC bullet, 18 gr 2400, @1600 fps) requires the aperture slide to be set at about the 500 yd setting to put the load in the 10 ring at 100 yds. I was curious how close it would be with the battle sight. I found my point of impact just about 5 - 6 inches low. I just kissed the top of the front blade with a file until I brought it up to the center of the bull, and then did a slight re-adjustment of the aperture. I didn't actally measure the blade before and after, but I'd be real surprised if I took off more than one or two thousandths.

I'm sure you could get similar results with a 150 - 160 gr bullet if you just experimented a bit.

[Bent Ramrod]

I tried this with a few .30 cal cast boolits in the 160-200-gr range at 1100-1300 ft/sec velocities and never could get it to poa with the battle sight. Always had to set the ladder sight to ~300 yards to make it hit at 100 with such loads.

[Jack Stanley]

I'm hoping to make the load work well at thirty yards or so and a velocity that the lube won't be failing at . Haven't measured the front sight but it looks like a moderate charge of "something" that would push it around fifteen hundred might be a good start .

Jack

[Patrick L]

Jack,

Although I mentioned shooting at 100 yds in my post, that's only because that's where I do most of my shooting. At 25 - 30 yds, its practically dead on.

[Jack Stanley]

Thanks Patrick ! I've got some lube drying on some 311440 slugs right now . If that doesn't work I have a couple in that weight range I can try .

Jack

[dk17hmr]

I use a lyman bullet that I can remember the number right now, but it is a 192gr Pointed Gas Check. I load it with a mild charge of IMR 4350. I get 1600fps out of my 1903 with pretty nice accuracy.

I will look up the load after I get back to my dorm room, in class right now.

[Jack Stanley]

Depending upon your alloy , my first guess would be a Lyman 311334 mold .:-D I sold one like that some time back but I still got a couple 311332 molds to try if the rest of these don't pan out .

Jack

[dk17hmr]

Nopem now that I am back in my dorm I looked at my data on my computer. Its an Ideal 308329 loaded with 36.5gr of IMR 4350.