303 British Accuracy And Case Life

[Sailman]

A while back there were some questions asked about case life for 303 British and what kind of accuracy can be expected.

Yesterday I was out to the range testing some 303 British loads. I was shooting 20 shot groups. In recording my data, I use the following notations:

20 [ 17 ( 2 3/4 H X 3 1/8 V ) 20 ( 3 1/4 H X 5 3/8 V ) ] 17-G-4

This means that I shot 20 rounds of which 17 were in a cluster 2 3/4 inch
horizontal and 3 1/8 inch vertical, but all 20 rounds were in a cluster 3 1/4 inch horizontal and 5 3/8 inch vertical, of which 17 rounds were in a group ( longest distance between holes in the target ) of 4 inches.


Bullet------------------------ Fat 30
Bullet sized ---------------- .314

Powder --------------------- 2400
Ammount ------------------- 14, 15, 16, and 17 gr.

Case ------------------------- R P
Primer ------------------------ Rem 9 1/2

Distance --------------------- 100 yd.


RESULTS

20 shots, 14 gr. --- 20 [ 3 3/4 H X 4 1/4 V ] 20- G- 4 1/4 inch

20 shots, 15 gr. --- 20 [ 17 ( 2 3/4 H X 3 1/8 V ) 20 ( 3 1/2 H X 5 3/8 V ) ]
17-G-4 20-G-5 7/8

20 Shots, 16 gr.--- 20 [ 4 7/8 H X 4 3/4 V ] 20-G-6 1/8

20 shots, 17 gr. --- 20 [ 19 ( 4 3/4 H X 5 3/8 V ) 20 ( 7 1/8 H X 5 3/8 V ) ]
19-G-5 3/4 20-G-7 3/8


It should be noted that the bullets were not weighed so one can expect a weight range of apx. 3 gr. , and if there were a void in the bullet, the range would be larger. The allow was WW.

With the targets we use for the military Bolt Action Matches, the 9 ring is 4 inches
so if the shooter was doing his job correctly, for the 14gr. or 15 gr. loads, the results would not to bad.


CASE LIFE


The brass is all RP. The brass has never been full length sized only neck sized. It is estimated that the last 10 or so neck sizings was done with a Lee Collet Neck Sizer, and before that the neck sizing was done with a RCBS neck sizing die.

The number of times the cases have been fired are as follows:

20 rounds ----------------- 27 times

20 rounds ----------------- 38 times

20 rounds ----------------- 39 times

20 rounds ----------------- 38 times



I hope this information is of some value to some folks.


Sailman

[35 Whelen]

Interesting stuff, Sailman. I'm afraid I've caught Enfield-itis, so I'll be posting here. I bought a Savage 2 or 3 weeks ago and even though the groove dia. is around .315", it so far seems to like my 311291's that are only .314". With 5 shot groups I'm getting 4 shot clusters under 2". This is without weighing or in any way sorting bullets. I'm using 21-23 grs. of IMR4198 and filling the remiander of the case with Precision Reloadings PSB shotshell buffer. Velocities are running from 1750 to a hair over 1850 fps with no leading from either air-cooled Ww's or water-quenched WW's.
Thursday I dropped into our local Big5 and found a Maltby (I think) with matching numbers and a mint 2-groove bore. I'll be shooting it in the morning.

Good luck,

Greg

[NVcurmudgeon]

Sailman, you really present a challenge to yourself and your .303 with those twenty shot groups! Excellent accuracy. In a recent postal match my best group was 1.58" for ten shots at a mere fifty yards. I would be astounded to ever beat that from an issue No. 4 rifle.

There is some strange stuff written about the alleged inaccuracy, excessive headspace, and ephemeral case life of the .303. Luckily, most of it isn't true. If all .303 reloaders understood that the .303 is designed for military use and has generous chamber size to accomodate wartime ammunition made all over the road, they would neck size and have a much easier time of it.

There is some interesting stuff about neck sizing and case life in two articles at www.303british.com. If you don't know about the .303 page you should.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

The 303 British is just as accurate as any other military rifle it is just that most are worn to over tolerances before shooters get them. I have a set of BSA factory bore gauges and there are very few rifles that pass the max bore allowance.

This 10 shot group fired from a bench with a 1915 No.1 Mk3 equiped with Meus Special range sight. The lower five were sighters before correction to bring into the centre.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/Mystery2Target.jpg

Boolit is a 190gn .314 sized to 313. Incidentally, I can highly recommend the Lyman gas check seater, as I used to have unexplained flyers which I can only attribute to incorrectly seated checks. Now groups are tight and with even roundness
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v152/BAWallace/303_cast.jpg

[bruce drake]

BAW,

What is the name and order number on that .314 190gr? Is it a Lyman or a Local from Down Under?

Bruce

P.S. good shooting, got to love those Enfields.

[Sailman]

Sailman, you really present a challenge to yourself and your .303 with those twenty shot groups! Excellent accuracy. In a recent postal match my best group was 1.58" for ten shots at a mere fifty yards. I would be astounded to ever beat that from an issue No. 4 rifle.

There is some strange stuff written about the alleged inaccuracy, excessive headspace, and ephemeral case life of the .303. Luckily, most of it isn't true. If all .303 reloaders understood that the .303 is designed for military use and has generous chamber size to accomodate wartime ammunition made all over the road, they would neck size and have a much easier time of it.

There is some interesting stuff about neck sizing and case life in two articles at www.303british.com. If you don't know about the .303 page you should.


NVcurmudgeon

I like to shoot 20 shot groups because in basic statistics the larger your sample size is the better you can predict your results. It is uncanny how many times you get a 15 to 17 shot group which is opened up another one inch or inch and one half with three to five shots. When you shoot a 5 or 10 shot group and you get one round that is a little wide, we have a tendency to call it a flyer where as in reality it is predictable as shown in a 20 shot group.

I have never tried shooting at 50 yds. Our range has a 50 yd set up and I really should try shooting at that distance.

Sailman

[StarMetal]

Sailman,

Think about that flyer. A rifle, theretically, is suppose to shoot all it's bullets to the same area on the target or at least close and I might add with some certainly in group pattern. So say you shoot a 20 shot groups, many of them, and for the majority of the bullets , the group is good and in a general area, but there are some that are outside that group. Think now, we're dealing with a rifle with one barrel and one chamber, not a revolver with one barrel and 5-6 or 7 chambers. What COULD make those shots that aren't in the general group go where they did? I'd bet too that the shots that aren't in the general group aren't in a general group outside the normal group either. If they were, to me that would suggest a consistant problem with the rifle. If they are, more then likely it would be an ammo problem, although it could be an inconsistant rifle problem. As of yet they are still listed as flyers.

Joe

[rocklock]

I've noticed that the chamber of my No.4Mk1 isn't nearly as "generous" as the chambers of my No.1MkIII* s.

Having said that, I neck size and haven't had any brass problems at all.

[curator]

I don't usually shoot 20 round groups because the barrel heats up too much. I prefer to shoot 4 -5round groups and look at the average. I expect my .303 rifles to shoot less than 2" 5-round groups at 100 yards from the bench. I use the Lyman #314299 and the LBT314-200SP bullet cast from wheel weights wiht 2% tin added (water drop quenched) loaded over 16 grains + or- .7 grains) of Alliant 2400 or 18 grains ( + or - .5 grains of surplus WC680) I use fireformed Collet die sized brass, and WLR primers, and LBT "blue" lube. All of my rifles have groove diameters of .314 or less and throat diameters of .315 or less. I fireform my new brass with the bullet seated out to keep the cast head solidly against the bolt face so all streatch is forward. I usually get 30+ relaods form my cast bullet reloaded cases.