Need Enfield help

[singleshotbuff]

Gentlemen,

I have (well really Dad has) a No1 MK3 Lithgow Enfield, 303 British that has been sporterized. I'm trying to work up a good general purpose/deer load for Dad, using 180gr heathen jWord RN bullets. I'm using IMR-4320 powder, since I have quite a bit of it on hand for loading my 8X57mm.

I perused several reloading manuals that I have, and loaded several sample loads from 40 to 44grs. The velocities I got over the chrony today are;

40grs = 2342 f.p.s.

41grs = 2354 f.p.s.

42grs = 2418 f.p.s.

43grs = 2491 f.p.s.

44grs = 2494 f.p.s.

I am using Norma unfired brass, and here's where I need help.

The 40 and 41 grain loads showed pretty bad primer flattening, but this seemed to get better as I upped the powder charge. The 43 and 44 grain loads looked the best.

Is this because of headspace issues using F/L sized brass?

I then loaded up some samples with 43 & 44 grains using new unfired R-P brass. The velocity was the same, but the primers were severely flattened.

Not sure where to go here. I have 50 rds of new, unfired, F/L sized Winchester brass that I want to load for Dad to an honest 2400 f.p.s. but i want to make sure there are no safety issues.

Any help? This is my first time loading for an Enfield.

I also had a couple of pierced primers, which occurred at the lower powder charges. Is this a firing pin issue?

Thanks for any help.

SSB

[KCSO]

Headspace on the 303 is generous to say the least with standard being .078 and wartime specs sliightly over. This is on an 065 rim. Add to this an oversize chamber and loading becomes a challlenge. First off if you want good brass life find the largest base diameter brass you can get. I use cut and trimmmed 30-40 Krag brass as it is about 4 thou larger in the base than any 303 brass. Then fire form your brass and neck size from there. If you don't have, can't afford a neck sizer back your dies out so that you don't set the shoulder back. I would say your 44 grain load is about as far as I would push a 180 in a 303 but I am fairly conservetive. I don't have my loading note book here but I willl look later and see where I stopped with that powder. I have not used a jacketed bullet in my 303's for quite a while. My favorite load for hunting is my 220 grain fn cast bullet and IMR 4895 for 2000 fps velocity. This load has been good for everything I ever had to shooot and closely duplicates the old 1900's 303 loading that made the 303 an African round.

Now if you feel that you need to correct the headspace problem there is a quick fix that seems to work well. Find out how much over the headspace is by placing shims behind the cartridge. hold them on with a dab of grease. Say you need 14 thousands added to a cartridge before the bolt won't close. Ideally you want about 6 thousands wiggle room so any factory cartridge will fit so take 6 from 14 and take a piece of 8 thou shim stoock and solder it on to the bolt face with Brownell's Hi Force 44. trim the excess off and re drill the firing pin hole. I have a bolt heaad so modified and it has lasted for over 20 years and over 3000 rounds of cast and Jacketed bullets. When you solder the bolt head be sure to take it out of the bolt body and do not quench, just let it cool and when you solder use no more heat than needed to get the solder to flow.

[Freightman]

What KCSO said about the 30/40 Krag brass, I size the 30/40 brass then jam it empty into the chamber to mark the end of the throat, set my trimmer and trim all the same, has to be done for each rifle and all will not be the same so keep the brass separated. No full length sizing, the first time load with 10-11 gr of Unique and leave a small amt. of case lube on to fire form, it will move the sholder forward but I think that will solve your problem. O by the way I agree with KCSO works better at less pressure and you are not sore when the day is done.

[curator]

I get the best velocities using Hornaday 174 Grain round nose j-word bullets in my .303 rifles. Not that there is anything wrong with 2200fps and a 180 grain slug. The Hornaday pills are a "for real" .312 diameter which goes a long way towards filling the bore. Shooting these and Remington 180 grain "core-lokd" (.3095) with the same powder charge, over my Chrony shows a 200+ fps advantage with the Hornaday. I think this is due to less gas escaping past the bullet with the larger Hornaday bullet. Also the round nose bullet is a much better deer killer then anybody's pointed soft-point, even at velocities hovering around 2000fps.

I have shot moose, elk, and big mule deer with this bullet at 2200 fps.. With correct bullet placement, there is NO difference between the effectiveness of this load and 180 grain .30-06 loads out to 250 yards.

IMR 4320 is a good .303 british powder. If your cases are set up for minimum headspace you can get 2440 fps without pushing the pressure limit. Personally I prefer Reloder 15, but your mileage may differ.