Recipes for .303 and CB in my Enfields?

[cropcirclewalker]

I do not have a need for speed.

.303 Brass is so short lived with full power loads.

I have an Eddystone P14, Lithgow No. 1 MkIII and a Fazackerly No. 4 Mk. 1.

I put a scope on the No. 4....(Heck I only paid $69 bucks for it back in '92)...and I can un-bubba it at a moments notice.

I have a Lyman 311291, Lyman 311359, Lee 311-120-2R (for 32-20), Lee C312-155-2R (they claim for 7.62 x 39) and a Lee C312-160-2R (Tumble Lube).

Finally, as a wild hair, I also have a Lyman 319277 (165gr FP that drops at .320) that I could try sizing at .311 fer grins.

I love these old .303s.

Does anybody have any light load recipes like out to 100 yds for any of these moulds? Say not more than 2200 fps?

[wills]

http://www3.sympatico.ca/shooters/cast.htm

[Mel-4857]

Bigger is better as far bullets for the 303 within reason. I shoot unsized. Too small will keyhole most times. I've tried the lee 155 and 160tl and the Lee185 303 bullet and the Lyman 314299 all unsized. Results vary as too bore size but all will shoot. I usually start with 16gr of 2400 or 18gr of Imr4759 but 4227 or 4198 are also worth trying. The article in the previous message has lots of good data. The Lee Collet die is the way to go ;brass will last well. Just set aside some brass for each rifle. Each rifle is going to be different with such a variation in bore and throat sizes. But most will shoot well when you find the right combination. All part of the fun. Mel

[Buckshot]

.............Ditto what Mel said. The 303 headspaces on the rim, and all you should be doing is necksizing, with possible trimming duties every 5-8 firings with cast loads. Those cases should die from being wore out after having been chambered and ejected 30-40 times before splitting at the neck. Dedicate brass to the rifle.

Fat 30's seem to vary a BUNCH in bore and groove, and the various 303's due to their long history, the number of places that put them together and the conditions under which they were built, rebuilt, and rebuilt again :D. Match the slug's sizing to the throat as close as possible, and size your casenecks only a couple thou below that.

Any load data for the 30-40 Krag works for the 303. Starting and midrange loads for the 30-06 would be fertile ground to work too. I don't have a 303 so can't recommend something that worked super well for me. I have a friend with a Savage made MkIV 2 groove that is just a match grade shooter with 12.0grs of Unique and the Ly 314299.

...............Buckshot

...

[Sailman]

I have several SMLE 303's. I have been shooting one in matches. As stated in the other messages, you have to go to a larger bullet. In the rifle I shoot I have to size the bullet .315. I have had my best luck with 314299. The following are loads I would suggest:

Bullet-----314299
Size------.315
Powder---2400
Ammount-15 gr


Bullet-----314299
Size------.315
Powder---4759
Ammount-14.5 gr


Bullet-----314299
Size------.315
Powder---4227
Ammount-15 gr.

Sailman

[Dutch4122]

Interesting info. Please keep it coming. :)

[10x]

I shoot a .314299 in my 303s.
I find the two grove barrels like long, heavy unsized bullets.
I use the Lyman manual and unique powder for a velocity of 1450 fps.
At 35 yards this load will shoot the length of a mule deer when the texas heart shot is used. Breaking every rib on the way and ending up just under the hide in the neck.

I use the 311407 Loverin design in my 1910 ross 303 with the same load of unique and it will give two inch and under groups at 100 metres with the military sights.

I have found that the 303 two grouve barrels will tumble bullets that are undersize or not long enough. I have do have one two grove that shoots almost anything I put through it.
I use a Lee sizer to size to 314 and use the lee tumble lube.
I find the lee sizer to give just a bit more accuracy than my RCBS sizer.
why? I haven't figured out yet.

I have found the lyman #2 alloy too hard for hunting and have had to up the lead content considerably so that the bullet wieght increases and expansion increases. Of course the softer the bullet, the slower it has to be shot out of the gun. I increase powder until the accuracy falls off, then back off a grain. Usually with the softer alloys this limit is reached long before max load is reached.

Best to you and good luck with your 303s.

[db_tanker]

looking into light loads as well for my Lithgow MkIII...

I was planning on going with some 4198 out of lymans manual, but is there any Bullseye loads or Red Dot recepies that others might have?

New here so just smack me around a little until I get used to the routine. =P

I also shoot cast out of my contender barrels, as well as my 2 30-30's...I got on this message board to get an idea of how much gear will be needed to feed them all with some lead...I can already see I am gonna need a bigger reloading room.

D

[quasi]

If you are having short case life in the .303 with factory level loads, try using a slower powder. I use h4350 in my loads, jacketed 174 sierra's at 2475 fps. I have gotten as many as 16 reloads at this level, using partial fl sizing, and using the ammo in 6 different .303's.

I didn't invent this, it was in an article in Gun Digest in the late 60's on loading for .303's. I havent had a case seperation, partial or otherwise, since I changed to slower burning powder for full loads in the .303.

[webfoot10]

Go to .303british.com , they have a ton of reloading information on fmj and cast bullet
loads. Along with other Enfield information. Webfoot10

[BruceB]

A very easy way of not resizing the case body is to use a .308 Winchester sizer to neck size the .303 brass.



It's possible to use either the .303 sizer's expander ball or the .308 expander if more neck tension is desired. With thin-neck-wall brass, the .308 expander may work fine with .303 cast boolits, but for most purposes I think it's best to install the normal .303 die's expander ball in the .308 die. This presumes that the dies are of the same manufacture and parts will interchange, of course.

Alternatively, a Lyman "M" neck expander die can be used to expand the neck for bullet seating after sizing in the .308 die. I use a .30 Carbine expander to flare the case mouth, which is yet another option.

I recently reported on another thread concerning a technique I've used to create a "false shoulder" on .303 brass for the initial firing, enlarging the neck to .35 caliber and then sizing just enough to chamber and thus minimizing case stretching.. With my current batch of new Winchester brass, this method does NOT work, as the necks split on a number of cases during the enlarging step. Rats.

[fatelvis]

I like the 314299 sized to .314" out of WW and 95/5 solder (10:1) with RCBS pistol lube, over 16 grns of 2400. Mild and accurate.

[NVcurmudgeon]

MY main .303 load is almost identical to fatelvis', except my alloy is WW + 2% tin and I use Javelina alox lube, MV 1480. for a very accurate short range load try Lyman 311413 with 9.0 gr. Green Dot @ 1270 fps. I shot six TEN SHOT groups @ 50 yd. today, all between 1.5" and 1.875".

[guninhand]

I have found the key to reloading .303 Brit and getting numerous reloads per case is to use Lee's collet sizing die, rather than traditional neck sizing. It also makes it easy to adjust to a good fit for oversize cast bullets. Works just as good in other calbers where you don't need to full length resize.

[10x]

I have had good luck with the lyman 311467 loverin mold.
I size all .303 bullets to .001 or .002 over bore size.
I have found that as cast, lee liquid alox and and lee .314 die to crimp the gas check on works the best in most .303s.
And there are some that just plain keyhole with every cast bullet I have used so far. They shoot o.k. with jacketed though so it is just a matter of finding the right bullet, alloy, or luck...

[Bigjohn]

Since joining the forum, I have developed the NEED to pick up where I left off with my cast boolit developement some years back.

One of the subjects is a LITHGOW No.1 MkIII*, which was fitted after service with a target barrel (somewhat common downunder) which is a bit heavier than the standard service barrel. This barrel is smooth and well looked after.

This last week has been spent at the casting bench with some molds that had not seen the light of day for many a year.

I now have a small supply of LYMAN 314299; CBE 313-190 GC and the LEE C312- 185R. All of which are destined to grace the barrel with their presence.

Some years back I did some work with the Lyman 314299 boolit and with IMR 4064, IMR 4320 powders. I was preparing to do some work with IMR 4895 in the .303" British but moved house before starting.

I am fortunate at this time to only need one batch of cases for my rifle(s) [two of which are out of service due to barrel problems].
Previous replies have mentioned using LEE Collet die sets or neck sizing only; it is my experience that this works well for this calibre but I only recently bought a set of Lee Collet dies. As yet, still to be used. Basically I have only used Neck sizing dies up to this time.

:drinks:
John.

[doc25]

I'm using a Lee c312-185-1r mold with crimped on gc. Wheel weigh as lead (water quenched). I am using IMR4064 powder and started experimenting with 36 gr. well bullets were keyholing and I was getting 6" or worse groups at 50yds.

I'm working my way down now. Last weekend my best 5 shot group was 1 3/8" at 50 yds with 27 gr 4064. I am still working my way down the scale but am getting close now.

Lube was lee alox and gc were crimped on in lee .312 sizer.

Other things I learnt this weekend were not to drop my hot mold in to the bucket of water I am quenching the bullets with (it did seem to cast better afterward) I almost had to change my shorts. You might think the mold is dry after but the lead knows it isn't!

[trk]

...
Other things I learnt this weekend were not to drop my hot mold in to the bucket of water I am quenching the bullets with (it did seem to cast better afterward) I almost had to change my shorts. You might think the mold is dry after but the lead knows it isn't!


ROTFLMAO!!!!

[JeffinNZ]

Other things I learnt this weekend were not to drop my hot mold in to the bucket of water I am quenching the bullets with (it did seem to cast better afterward) I almost had to change my shorts. You might think the mold is dry after but the lead knows it isn't!

And THAT is why I oven heat treat. :-D :drinks:

[mag_01]

:coffee: ----18grs. of 2400 has worked for me with a 185gr. boolit g/c sized .3155---You want to stuff the largest boolit you can fit in that throat for best results---My sizing die is a RCBS .314 opened up to .3155 ---A .316 boolit will not fit my gun so I know I have the proper size---No tumbling and shoots well-----Mag

Head space should be no larger than .007 (field gage) and .006 for SAAMI standards.