Heavies on the range ......

[Jack Stanley]

I've been out fooling around with the 1903 again and some of you might remember I like to use the battle sights on the old girl for close range . As I've been using up leftover boxes of bullets to clean up the bench I found some 311284 bullets that weigh about two hundred and thirty-five grains . Gee , I wonder what those will do I asked myself .

So in the interest of science ( or just plain using up components ) I put eleven grains of Universal clays into a HXP case . The case was primed with a Winchester large rifle primer and the bullet was seated so the gas check was at the base of the neck . It was so long I couldn't seat and crimp with my Redding die so I just backed it out to seat only and added a light crimp with a LEE factory crimp die .

The target was about thirty seven yards from the sand bags and the bullet was impacting right where the top of the front sight was on the target . pretty good guess huh?, and the accuracy was one big hole . I had another couple dozen primed cases so I loaded them up and sent a few more downrange from sitting position at twenty-seven yards . More good grups and I am pretty happy with it as it is .

I even got the A3 out for a few rounds of this load and with it's sights set at six hundred or so , it gave great results too and it was a little easier to chamber than the 03 . I'm thinking that maybe the reason is the barrel on the 03 is new and the A3 is pretty well worn . I know short range blasting like this isn't for everyone but I don't think I have to run the rifle full tilt to get it such a short distance . Besides , It's kinda fun to use the battle sights on the 1903 , I oughta try one of those AQT targets and see how I do . :wink:


Jack

[JeffinNZ]

It's a great bullet and I have only ever seen one bad report on the 311284 which was attributed to an undersized nose.

[Jack Stanley]

All my other low velocity bullets had a very minimal recoil impulse to them . This one though does let you know it there but doesn't hurt , I really oughta get the chronograph out just to see what it's doing . It'll probably still drill through a lot of venison around here before it stops I bet .

Jack

[FAsmus]

Jack;

Not to unnecessarily blow my own horn but take a look at the thread here on Military Rifles: "Still a few more hits in the old M1903" where the 311284 is worked on out to 834 yards. ~ You might find it interesting.

Good evening,
Forrest

[Jack Stanley]

And someday , I may actually load it heavy enough to use the battle sight to five or six hundred yards . Untill I get the space to run it that fast though , I'll need to be happy with it in my back yard .[smilie=l:

Jack

[Shiloh]

235 gr. seems heavy for a 311284 boolit.

Shiloh

[Jack Stanley]

You're right Shiloh , it is . It's not from a Lyman mold and it is just a tad on the heavy side , it seems to run just fine in what I've tried it in though .

Jack