Plinking load for the 303 British?

[aspangler]

Anyone have a good plinking load for the 303? [I] have ACCURATE #9, 2400, and Red Dot. Lee C312-185 boolits. 1100 t01400 fps would be ok.

[nhrifle]

7 grains of Red Dot under that boolit will do just fine. Shot just that combo in competition for a few years.

[Mk42gunner]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13425-Cast-Bullet-Loads-for-Military-Rifles-Article

I use 16 grains of 2400 behind the same boolit in a 26" .308 for 1587 fps last time I checked.

Robert

[longbow]

Not quite what you asked but I find that 18 to 22 grs. of IMR4227 works well for me with boolits of 180 to 200 grs.

Also, I am using the NOE 0.314" x 129 gr. over 10 grs. 700X.

These are both nice plinking loads.

You might look here for load info that may be of use:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?13425-Cast-Bullet-Loads-for-Military-Rifles-Article

There is info on Red Dot and 2400.

Longbow

[leadman]

Try 18 or 19 grs of 2400 and 11 to 13grs of Red Dot. Load the boolit as long as possible for best accuracy and neck size only.

[JeffinNZ]

14gr of 2400 under a 205gr boolit gives me 1400fps.

[longbow]

I'll second the neck sizing only and if you have a milsurp with sloppy chamber, get a Lee Collet Die and set it so it isn't sizing the neck down to SAAMI specs. I found that brass sized in my RCBS dies was down around 0.311" inside after sizing. That gets stretched back up to 0.315" for my boolits! Hard on brass and hard on boolits ~ some with narrow driving bands were losing 0.001" or so at seating. Annealing helps but not sizing down so far really helped for me.

Longbow

[nekshot]

I agree with longbow and also I found for some reason with all my 303's I simply take the empty case and run into lee decapper then put the powder in and hand push or barely use the seater and then use lee's crimp tool and then shoot. I have no problem with case seperation. I have some brass with at least 20 reloads. Keep an eye on length. For the question of plinking I like lee 185 boolit and 5 gr. trailboss. Very nice good natured load.

[sucngas]

I use that same bullet over 18gr 2400 in my 303's. As stated above, neck sizing will sure make the brass last longer.

[Tedly]

Goin with 20,5 AA5744 and C312-185-1R in a Dutch Mannlicher sporter based on a 2 groove Springfield barrel. Have'nt chronoed this yet but it shoots great !

[RPRNY]

As per the advice and link to Ed Harris article on cast bullets in military rifles, 18 -19 grs 2400.

[uscra112]

As per the advice and link to Ed Harris article on cast bullets in military rifles, 18 -19 grs 2400.

Or AA #9, or Blue Dot. Good to know alternatives in these famine times.

[Donor8x56r]

Just for plinking and within FPS you are looking for I would take dremel tool to one of cavities and remove gas check shank(create plain base boolit).

Cast some boolits using softer alloy and shoot away with 7Gr or more (go with 0.3Gr increments).

I did that in 7.62x54R and plain base boolit shoots better(groups) than GC one.It's quite a bit slower so sight has to be adjusted properly.

[frnkeore]

"Just for plinking and within FPS you are looking for I would take dremel tool to one of cavities and remove gas check shank(create plain base boolit)."

NO,NO, NO!

If you want to make it a PB, take it to a machine shop (or a friend that's a machinist) and have them ream or bore the base to .315 - .316. It will then cast .3135 - .3145.

I haven't shot my P14 down that low yet but, I had 1" groups at 100 yd with my 30/40 Win HW, using 14.0 gr 4227.

Frank

[spfd1903]

Loaded the C312-185's with graduated loads of 2400 and ACC5744 for. 303 British and 7.62 x 54 (from Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook). Cast from 20:1 alloy with gas checks. At 50 yards, the 5744 was more accurate in both rifles compared to 2400. Both rifles slug at. 312+. Going to try the Lyman 314299 in the next round with both powders.

[Outpost75]

Use the Lee C.312-155-2R without GC, unsized, tumbled in Lee Luquid Alox until uniform "brassy" colotlr, no need to fill grooves. Either 7 grs. Bullseye, 8 grs. Unique or 12 grs. #2400 will shoot to point of aim at 50 yds. with battlesight set to 300, and at 100 yds. when set to 500. Works for me.