303 British Questions

[rjathon]

I read somewhere that 303 British brass is only good for 2-3 loadings due to case stretch. If one is only neck sizing and shooting cast bullet loads will the brass last longer?

The No4 Mk2 has a nice aperture sight. Does it work well for military rifle cast bullet matches?

Does anyone have a favorite bullet for that rifle?

Thanks

[atr]

I use the Lee 312-185 gr RN which in my #4 MK1 and #3 MK1 shoots very well....I have used the aperture sight and it does work well although I prefer the 300m and 600m battle sight on the #4....the 300m puts the boolit high at 50 yds and the 600m puts it high at 100 yds...
the number of loadings really depends alot on how close the chamber is to specification...some enfields have a very generous chamber. Your best bet for longer case life is to fire form then only neck size. Keep you eye on the bottom of the case just about the web line, that were it usually starts to separate.
hope this helps
atr

[BruceB]

ATR gives good advice.

In my own four .303s, I size ALL the brass so that ALL the loads will work in ALL the rifles.

Fortunately, if the rounds are wee bit snug in any chamber, the shoulder is so small that just a minor bit of "feel" as the bolt closes is enough to allow the bolt to cam completely closed.

Therefore, any round which can be easily chambered in the .303 Ruger #1 will also function in any of the three Enfields.

To totally avoid sizing of the case bodies, I use a .308 Winchester sizing die, and set the shoulder just far enough back to allow easy closing of the #1's breechblock.

This method maximizes case life, just as atr suggests.

Just before my serious medical troubles began in February 2011, I received my NOE 4- cavity 316299 mould. I haven't had opportunity to explore its possibilities yet, but I expect very good things.... if I ever get back on my feet. The rifles date from 1914 to 2010. That's quite a span!

[Multigunner]

If headspace is at the upper limit the case will last only two or three reloadings even if neck sized only, unless you try the O-ring trick.

[curator]

Do the "o" ring trick, segregate your brass to the individual rifle and use the Lee collet die to do the sizing and you will get good accuracy and long case life. Best over the counter boolit mould is Lyman #314299. Australian CBE makes moulds for "generous" bores like .315 & .316. Size to fit the throat and keep velocities around 1800 fps and life will be good. I have used my CNo.4Mk1* rifle for military rifle matches since about 1960. I can keep up with the big boys most days although this becomes less important with age. (mine) Shooting should be fun!

[longbow]

I am with all of the above comments on neck sizing only.

I have four .303's as well, though I only shoot one often. I have to say that my brass life is "unlimited". I have had no case head separations at all but started neck sizing only from the start.

I have checked visually by full length sizing and my chambers are so large the should moves forward by what appears to be 1/16" or close! No wonder brass stretches if you full length size!

I will also make another observation in that accuracy was not great and after doing a bit of analysis of what I was doing, I realized that the RCBS dies I was using are set to small (SAMMI specs I am guessing) neck sizing resulting in a sized case neck being about 0.310" inside. Since I have generous chamber/bore milsurps and am using boolits sized to 0.315" the tight case necks were actually swaging the boolits down. Neck annealing helped as did making a larger expander button and accuracy improved dramatically but of course the brass was still being worked a lot sizing down to 0.310" then seating boolits 0.005" larger so I got a Lee Collet Sizer and made a mandrel that results in neck sized cases with 0.313" inside diameter. This has reduced working of the brass and again improved accuracy.

Apparently the Lee Collet Sizer can be used without the mandrel just by setting and checking until you have the right inside diameter so that means if you do not have a lathe or access to one you do not need to make a mandrel to reduce over working the neck for over size chambers.

So, neck sizing only is good, annealing the case necks regularly is also good but regular dies will still overwork the necks buy sizing to minimum specs which you do not need for a milsurp. Try a Lee Collet Sizer to size only to what your gun needs. That should result in even longer brass life.

Also, per BruceB's comment about the NOE 314299, I got one in 0.316" and sized to 0.315" it is perfect in all my .303's. I am betting his Ruger has a SAMMI spec bore so may well be tighter than typical milsurps but the 0.315" just fits the throats in all my guns. Slug your bore and throat then cast and size to suit.

Longbow

[rjathon]

Thank for all of the great information.

[KCSO]

If you want 10-12 reloadings from your 303 don't use 303 brass use trimmed and formed 30-40 Krag brass. The Krag is bigger in the base diameter and after fire forming if you neck size the cases will last and last. I use a Lee neck size die and only set the shoulder back with a regular die when the cases are tight in the chamber. You will have to mark the cases for each rifle as all the chambers are different but you can make cases last with a little work.

[1Shirt]

KCSO gives good advice, and will have to try 30-40 brass. I only use a Lee neck sizer for 303, and I get at least 10-12 if not more loadings. However if I can get a supply of 30-40 brass, will have to try it. By the way, I also use the 303 Lee sizer for 7.62x54R as well as 303. Doesn't go all the way down the neck as it is shorter, but is more than adequate and saves cost of a second die.
1Shirt!

[Larry Gibson]

If you are using cast bullet loads you should get 20+ firing per case by NSing with the Lee Collet die to give .002 - .003 neck tension on the bullet (whatever size you are sizing them to). I've loaded .303s with .311 to .318 sized cast with using the Lee Collet die. Depending on the case you might need to anneal the neck shoulder around the 10 - 15th firing. You possibly might have to partial resize also if chambering gets hard (the psi of the load used and the overall hardness of the case will determine that) but just enough so the case chambers easily. The trick is to NS and just enough to hold the bullet so you don't work harden the neck by over sizing and expanding. By NSing you aren't sizing at the expansion ring and thus you won't get incipient head separation.

If loading the same cases for multiple guns then do as per BruceB's method.

Larry Gibson

[Multigunner]

If you retract the firing pin and dry fire the case after each shot it will micro size the expanded fire formed case so it will chamber easily after neck sizing and reloading.
If you wait till the end of the day or longer you can use each fired case once for a snapper cap to practice sight picture and trigger control and get the same effect.

[BCRider]

....... By the way, I also use the 303 Lee sizer for 7.62x54R as well as 303. Doesn't go all the way down the neck as it is shorter, but is more than adequate and saves cost of a second die.
1Shirt!

NOW I read this. I just got in a Lee 7.62x54R set with collet neck sizer for my Mosin reloading duties. I've also got a .303British set with collet neck die on the shelf but with the length issue I figured that it wouldn't work.

Oh well. I GUESS I'll use it since I got it..... :D

[Multigunner]

Once fire formed I only size 2/3rd of the neck. The still expanded rear portion of the neck centers the bullet in relation to the origin of rifling, this definitely cut group size by nearly half with my rifles.

The better centered the case and bullet are the more consistent each shot will be because you'll eliminate bullet cant.
Firing pin strikes are better centered as well. A well centered strike was not as important when large dia berdan primers and wide anvils were the norm, modern boxer primers work best with a centered strike.

[BCRider]

More good info. Thanks for that Multi'.