303 reloading data

[Velo Dog]

The correct word is "igualmente"... but very nice spanish!!!
Felicitaciones mi amigo! Estas en el camino correcto!... sigue asi!
The .303 british is a good caliber... like my 7,65x54
Slower than the most populars "magnums" but quite accurate and lethals!

Thanks for the spelling lesson Marcos,

My spelling in English is weak tambien (sorry if I spelled tambien wrong as well) and obviously my spelling is even worse in Spanglish.

I have never tried a 7.65 x 54 but I have had several .303 caliber rifles over my lifetime.
The first time I ever went deer hunting as a boy, I borrowed a .303 from one of my father's friends (my father was not a hunter).
That .303 left a life long good impression on me and I continue to like them very much today.

For the past 20 years I have kept a British WW-I army rifle, "SMLE".
It is all original and it is very accurate.
If it did not look military, I probably would try to take it to Africa some day.
I am pretty sure the SAPS would not like it because of the way it looks but I do not know for sure.
Some day, I would like to have a double rifle in .303 British.

Viva Los .303s !
Velo Dog.

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

Very well, mi amigo!... very well!...
I try to explain a thing!... the 303 british, was the effort of the english armory to emulate the german calibers, because thath, the ballistic and even the BULLETS are the same in both calibers... but... (and at this point, my argentinian hart beat harder....jaja...) the 7,65x54 is ARGENTINO jajajajaja!! And I understand and share your feelings for your Lee Enfield, because my experience with the Mauser was equal!
My friend, don´t worry if you never shot with a Mauser 7,65... it´s the same shot.... AMAZING...
The only difference in fact.... the 7,65 have more capacity in the case... and is able to develop more pressure and vellocity...
But it´not recommended by me! jaja... a bullet of 180 grs, (.311 caliber) at 2500 fps.... it´s the nightmare of the deers and boars! Even at 350 yards away an more!

 

[Edwin308#]

Hi Guys,
When I grew up I thought there where only two calibres. A 303 and a modern 303 called a 308. My father told me to shoot on the shoulder and not to take any chances when hunting.

This seems to have worked well over the past 25years. I shoot 174gr PMP's out of a 20 inch barrel, I don't know the velocity and I don't care what it is.

Many a young hunter have shot their first African game with 303 rifles.

I agree that a well placed 180gr bullet will be more than adequate for any plains game. The low velocity together with the heavy projectile ensures penetration. What more can a hunter ask for?

 

[sestoppelman]

It might be possible to safely load to that speed but you are basically talking about a .308 Win load and they both have about the same case capacity, but it takes about 50K PSI to get that kind of speed in the .308 and the Enfield was not designed to take that kind of abuse. It wont blow it up but over time the gun take a bit more hammering than it should, as it is a relatively weak action.

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

It might be possible to safely load to that speed but you are basically talking about a .308 Win load and they both have about the same case capacity, but it takes about 50K PSI to get that kind of speed in the .308 and the Enfield was not designed to take that kind of abuse. It wont blow it up but over time the gun take a bit more hammering than it should, as it is a relatively weak action.

I think the action suports more pressure than the original caliber because the Lee Enfield was succesfully rebarreled in 308 win caliber (the "isaphore") and works GREATE....
The probem of the 303 british is the headspace... A fully charge broke the cases in two shots (same problem with the 3030 ammo) All the rimmed rifle cases shows this inconvenience...
In the early years of the war rifle manufacturing with moder powders, the actions and materials used to produce them, were overdimensioned to support use and abuse (in the Mauser kar98 or the 7,65x53 argentinian supports a .416 RIGBY and works but it´s a heavier action)
So, i think as a reloader, I concernes more in the pressure like a case punisher than an action breaker!...
It´s my opinion....

 

[sestoppelman]

The Ishapore rifles were built specifically for the .308, the others were not.

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

The Ishapore rifles were built specifically for the .308, the others were not.

It´s true, but the pressure of a 303 with an original case are very far away of a 308 win! Even with 200 grs...

 

[sestoppelman]

Not when you load it up. They have about the same capacity. In order for the .303 to equal the .308 in velocity with any given bullet, it will be up to near the same pressures. In this I mean if you are trying to equal the .308 which was what the OP was talking about when he wanted 2450 with the 200 gr bullet. That is .308 territory. There is no free lunch. If you want to load the .303 to equal the .308, it comes at a cost of much higher pressure, that the SMLE was not designed to handle, at least on a regular basis. If I wanted to hot rod the .303 I would have the Ruger No.1 rifle. In fact I did have one for a while and was loading it the same as a .308 with 180 gr bullets.

 

[WRudman]

No4 Mk1 303
49 gn Somchem S365 - the last time I reloaded.
174 gn Hornady Interlock RN
I've used this rifle for a backup for many years. Good enough in bushveld conditions for the likes of eland, kudu, gemsbok and wildebeest. Some bullet heads have the tendency to tumble at long distances, haven't found that with the Hornady's. 49 gn gives me a good grouping at 100m, but all rifles are not the same. Remember the 303 was designed
around 174 gn heads

 

[sestoppelman]

The .303 used in its original loadings, a bullet of 215 grs weight. at under 2100 fps. That was the cordite loading too, as the original black powder load only managed about 1850 fps. The 174 gr bullet didn't come along until about 1910.

 

[WRudman]

My apologies, history is correct, I should have said "classic" weight 174gn With most rifles chambered in .303 British being of military origin, success in reloading the caliber depends on the reloader's ability to compensate for the often loose chamber of the rifle. Reduced charge loads and neck sizing are two unanimous recommendations from experienced loaders of .303 British.

 

[spekieries]

Raptor, mine is a No4 mk1. The common propellant in RSA for the .303 is S335. I shoot 180gr Sierra Pro Hunters at 2250 f/s that has downed many Impala and warthogs. I think you must watch your pressure levels very carefully. To reach 2400 f/ps with a 200 gr projectile sounds as if you are very near max pressure. Try and get someone that has the "quick load" program to verify your pressure. keep in mind that the propellant in RSA cannot compare with those in the USA regarding variety. Often speed that are reached in the USA can not be duplicated in RSA using Somchem propellant.

 

[sestoppelman]

My only .303 Brit. A factory built LSA sporter, very similar to a LEE SPEED sporter. I load primarily 215 bullets when I can find them without paying too much.

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

The .303 used in its original loadings, a bullet of 215 grs weight. at under 2100 fps. That was the cordite loading too, as the original black powder load only managed about 1850 fps. The 174 gr bullet didn't come along until about 1910.

It´s amazing the similarity with the 7,65x54 even in the evolution of the bullet along the time!...
Both calibers are the same bullet, and the same weight and shape at the same point of the history!...
Loads are very similars too... and vellocityes...

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

My apologies, history is correct, I should have said "classic" weight 174gn With most rifles chambered in .303 British being of military origin, success in reloading the caliber depends on the reloader's ability to compensate for the often loose chamber of the rifle. Reduced charge loads and neck sizing are two unanimous recommendations from experienced loaders of .303 British.

This bullets of Hornady here in my place are used to fit the .303 and the 7,65x54 mauser indistinctly and the shot, the ballistic and the terminals effects in the game are the same in both callibers.
Another bullet with a very good trajectory and ballistics are the Hornady FMJ of 174 grs ! Very accurate in the .303 and7,65

 

[Longwalker]

I shot my first animal with a Lee Enfield .303, and hand loaded ammunition for it too. The only advice I have to offer is that the case life will be greatly improved, and perhaps accuracy too if the cases are neck sized only. Lee makes a wonderful collet sizing die that should be standard equipment for anyone reloading this cartridge.

 

[nztimb]

The 303 is one of my favoured cartridges but rather than the military styled rifle from the later years, my love is for the sporting rifle built on the victorian Lee Enfield and Lee Metford "long tom" rifles of the early 1890's through to 1903.
I have built them in 303 35-303.375-303 and 405 Win
I mosty shoot cast bullets and have a custom bullet mould that drops a 190 gn bullet that will run to 2400fps over 41.3gn H335 at 40k psi (quickload). 43gn of the same powder will take it to 2490fps at 45k psi
I have to say though that I mostly run it much slower and even at a sedate 1750 over 17.3gn blue dot at 28k psi and it will kill anything in the medium game category within 150 yds which is about as far as I would shoot with the open sights I prefer to use.
Not too bad for an action that was built in 1901

The bottom rifle is my 400Lee Speed (very slightly shortened 405 Win) that has a 320gn cast bullet over 52.9gn 3031 for 2250fps at 41k psi but I generally run is at 1600fps over 22gn Blue dot at 24k psi

 

[Rule 303]

Von Gruff I like your taste in firearms

I would be very careful about trying to obtain 2400fps with a 200 grain projectile in any SMLE type action. If the projectile is a bore rider like the Woodleigh Hydrostatic solid then it might be doable with the right powder.

The hottest load I can find in my reloading manuals is a 215 grain bullet 40grians of Norma 203-B for 2300 fps barrel length unknown.

 

[D.M.V]

I use 303 projectiles in my mosin nagants.

 

[Marcos Rodriguez]

I use 303 projectiles in my mosin nagants.

The mossin is .310 if i don´t guess...The .311 bullets fit it!