303 brit
- Thread starter popcanhunter
- Start date
So many variables.
Bullet tax in around .40 to .50 cents. Primer 2.5 cents. Powder around 21 cents.
I am reloading cheaper than that as I bought components when powder in particular was much cheaper.
The bonus is you can tailor your load to your gun.
Bullet tax in around .40 to .50 cents. Primer 2.5 cents. Powder around 21 cents.
I am reloading cheaper than that as I bought components when powder in particular was much cheaper.
The bonus is you can tailor your load to your gun.
If you want to get into the cheap pick up some 7.62x39 or 7.62x54r surplus, and you can yank the bullets from these to use in the .303
Can also reuse the powder - just put it into the .303 british case and there's your round. (this is dealing with an unknown though, so YMMV)
I got hundreds of 7.62X39, and will be buying hundreds more!
but I love my SKS too, so I'd probably just use them as-is.
Are there bullet molds I can make wax bullets?
burnt_servo
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- right in the middle of b.c.
your best bet is to learn how to reload properly and not try to cut any corners .
as soon as you start to cut corners , with little to no experience you end up with a low quality , possibly dangerous product .
how much is your rifle worth to you if you blow it up ...... how about your hand ? or one of you eyes ?
there is nothing cheap about this hobby ..... if your finding it expensive and want to continue with it your best bet is to figure out how to make more money .
if you look around , using cast bullets you could possibly get your cost per round down to 50 cents .... assuming you can find brass, powder and primers at normal prices .
if it is not a valuable 303 ( ie bubba'd ) you could get the barrel set back and rechambered to 7.62x39 ...... but just doing that will cost money . and then your at the mercy of the surplus market for 7.62x39.
and to make things worse , brass for 7.62x39 isn't really popular , not like 303 brass , if you went the handloading route .
as soon as you start to cut corners , with little to no experience you end up with a low quality , possibly dangerous product .
how much is your rifle worth to you if you blow it up ...... how about your hand ? or one of you eyes ?
there is nothing cheap about this hobby ..... if your finding it expensive and want to continue with it your best bet is to figure out how to make more money .
if you look around , using cast bullets you could possibly get your cost per round down to 50 cents .... assuming you can find brass, powder and primers at normal prices .
if it is not a valuable 303 ( ie bubba'd ) you could get the barrel set back and rechambered to 7.62x39 ...... but just doing that will cost money . and then your at the mercy of the surplus market for 7.62x39.
and to make things worse , brass for 7.62x39 isn't really popular , not like 303 brass , if you went the handloading route .
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Knottybuoy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Vancouver, BC
Yeah I would definitely NOT be willy-nilly transferring powders around without knowing for sure what it is
making more money doesnt make this hobby any cheaper. i already have the means to shoot anything i want, as much as i want... its my priorities that dont allow me to devote all resources to a war against steel targets.
The days of cheap plentiful .303 surplus ammo are LONG gone. If you plan to shoot your Lee Enfield with any regularity, reload! Prvi Partisan and Sellier & Bellot both make .303 FMJ ammo with good reloadable brass and those are the least expensive ball ammunition I've seen currently on the market. Estate sales and gun shows are the only place surplus ammo still shows up, at least that I've seen. I picked up an unopened box of 48 rnds. Canadian war surplus ball ammo for $40. and I thought that was a good deal at the time, considering that a chap on the EE has the same thing for sale at $80.00! I still have some cheap british ball ammo and some of the lovely FNB surplus that hit the market many years ago (both of which are Berdan primed), but you can get good modern components and tailor your own loads to your particular rifle. In my humble opinion, reloading is well worth it.
TargetAcquired
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
Do you alreadyhave capacity to reload? Press, etc. If yes, the biggest expense is out of the way. If no, then you'll need to invest up front, and your ROI will be longer.
I didn't start reloading for cost or accuracy - I just wanted to have ammo on hand when I wanted it. I run hot and cold with some calibers - last spring I think I ran through close to 2 thousand .303 rounds (I had a short-lived obsession with mad minutes, and beating my own scores). By about June, something else became the shiny object and I didn't pick up a .303 again for donks. You never know when factory rounds in any caliber just might stop being widely stocked. I could'nt imagine a worse feeling than "I'm going to go shoot my XYZ today, let's go get some ammo!" and then not being able to find any.
Quickly, reloading then became fun - you can be a little mad scientist about it, and brew up your own (appropriate) loads, and for some calibers, I have several different loads for the same gun. It also became a little therapeutic I think. I find myself at the press sometimes when I just need some quiet time.
Do I spend less with reloading? No. But I do pull the trigger more.
Off the cuff, here is my estimate for starting with nothing and having the ability to have a few 100 .303 rounds made at home:
- Lee Anniversary kit: $150 (don't believe the hype, it makes great ammo)
- .303 die set: $35
- 1lb of your powder of choice: $35
- a manual: $30
- 100 new PRVI .303 cases: $90
- 100 large rifle primers: $7
- 200 cast projectiles: $40
Depending on circumstance and choice, you may be higher or lower on those numbers, but they are fairly average. You'll get like 200ish average rounds from the tin of powder. The reloading kit, manual, and die set are one-time investments. The brass, if you marry it to your gun correctly, will give you 10 or more loads.
If you don't want to invest in that, then you'll invest in expensive factory ammo. Either way you will be taking your wallet out, so just choose whatever you see more value in.
I didn't start reloading for cost or accuracy - I just wanted to have ammo on hand when I wanted it. I run hot and cold with some calibers - last spring I think I ran through close to 2 thousand .303 rounds (I had a short-lived obsession with mad minutes, and beating my own scores). By about June, something else became the shiny object and I didn't pick up a .303 again for donks. You never know when factory rounds in any caliber just might stop being widely stocked. I could'nt imagine a worse feeling than "I'm going to go shoot my XYZ today, let's go get some ammo!" and then not being able to find any.
Quickly, reloading then became fun - you can be a little mad scientist about it, and brew up your own (appropriate) loads, and for some calibers, I have several different loads for the same gun. It also became a little therapeutic I think. I find myself at the press sometimes when I just need some quiet time.
Do I spend less with reloading? No. But I do pull the trigger more.
Off the cuff, here is my estimate for starting with nothing and having the ability to have a few 100 .303 rounds made at home:
- Lee Anniversary kit: $150 (don't believe the hype, it makes great ammo)
- .303 die set: $35
- 1lb of your powder of choice: $35
- a manual: $30
- 100 new PRVI .303 cases: $90
- 100 large rifle primers: $7
- 200 cast projectiles: $40
Depending on circumstance and choice, you may be higher or lower on those numbers, but they are fairly average. You'll get like 200ish average rounds from the tin of powder. The reloading kit, manual, and die set are one-time investments. The brass, if you marry it to your gun correctly, will give you 10 or more loads.
If you don't want to invest in that, then you'll invest in expensive factory ammo. Either way you will be taking your wallet out, so just choose whatever you see more value in.
I use components purchased in bulk when prices were lower so using good projectiles I reload for around 70 cents a round.
You can buy loaded Privi at a reasonable price and the brass is very good for reloading so that is a good place to start.
Neck size only will give you more life for each case which is important so read lots, learn lots before you start.
You can buy loaded Privi at a reasonable price and the brass is very good for reloading so that is a good place to start.
Neck size only will give you more life for each case which is important so read lots, learn lots before you start.
TargetAcquired
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- S. Ontario
Dont buy a gun like that and not shoot it! Thats like dating the prettiest girl in school so that you have someone to play checkers with.
is it substantially more fun to shoot than my sks?
boltonscouter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- parts unknown
yes! Learn to love the recoil!
I haven't noticed the recoil on my .303 since I got into 7.62x54R but there is nothing better than shooting my Enfield. The SMLE was always and most likely will always be my favourite rifle 
I've been collecting brass for years over the past few years knowing this day would come and only JUST got into reloading (waiting on my supplies to arrive).
Buy it if the bore is good, and the price is nice
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I went with the $40 Lee Loader for .303 as my first entry into the reloading world. For the price, it really cannot be beat!
$80 for 200 bullets (off the EE, great fellowCGN'r selling me these)
$30 for 500 primers
$35 for 1LB. of IMR 3031
$40 for the Lee Loader
The math is very sound when it comes to reloading .303 British. Once my brass is shot out, I will switch to PRVI as I have heard great things about it.
I've been collecting brass for years over the past few years knowing this day would come and only JUST got into reloading (waiting on my supplies to arrive).
Buy it if the bore is good, and the price is nice
EDIT: I forgot to mention that I went with the $40 Lee Loader for .303 as my first entry into the reloading world. For the price, it really cannot be beat!
$80 for 200 bullets (off the EE, great fellowCGN'r selling me these)
$30 for 500 primers
$35 for 1LB. of IMR 3031
$40 for the Lee Loader
The math is very sound when it comes to reloading .303 British. Once my brass is shot out, I will switch to PRVI as I have heard great things about it.
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If you are not equipped to reload, like me, and don’t want to invest over 200 bucks, get yourself a good old Lee Loader (http://leeprecision.com/lee-loader-303-british.html). Cost 40$ and when you get the trick, you can easily reload 1 round within 30sec.
Stephen Redgwell, one of the most knowledgeable guy in Canada on the .303 highly recommend it (http://www.303british.com/)
The kit only neck size, so your brass will last longer. Seating a primer with a hammer is not exactly my cup of tea, so I strongly encourage using a hand priming tool.
I have reloaded over a thousand round of .303 with this little kit and I still love it, especially for the price.
My 2 cents.
Stephen Redgwell, one of the most knowledgeable guy in Canada on the .303 highly recommend it (http://www.303british.com/)
The kit only neck size, so your brass will last longer. Seating a primer with a hammer is not exactly my cup of tea, so I strongly encourage using a hand priming tool.
I have reloaded over a thousand round of .303 with this little kit and I still love it, especially for the price.
My 2 cents.
