.303 174gn BTHP

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Parker-Hale Mike

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Where can I find either the Sierra or Hornady 174BTHP bullets? I have checked everywhere and it appears that Sierra has discontinued their manufacture and Hornady has them backordered? I was intending on building a custom barreled Enfield No.4 mk.1 T clone out of this basket case I have here but can't seem to find bullets?
 
The boat tails won't work as good as a flat based spitzer will anyway. I use the Sierra Pro Hunter 180s in all of my Lee-Enfields with great result. Can you find them more easily?

300m 3 shot group from my own No4 MkI* (T) repro using the Sierra 180:

photo_zps2d0e240e.jpg
 
I thought Hornady didn't do a BTHP in .303British. I know they did a 174Gr. FMJ Boat tail, and Wholesale Sports carries their bullets but doesn't always stock all kinds. I bought some of the FMJ Boat tails once but haven't gotten around to loading them.
 
I have had excellent results with Sierra 174gr HPBT but my local shop has none and luckily I have a few hundred left. No idea when they will get more so down the road I may have to change.
 
My plan is to put an aftermarket barrel on it as the barrel that is on it is duff. I am going to use a 5 groove 10 twist that I will have profiled to just fit in the confines of the stock, the thing will shoot way better than a original barrel. I have factory barrel Enfields too that won't shoot a boat tail either.

Mike

flying pig said:
The boat tails won't work as good as a flat based spitzer will anyway. I use the Sierra Pro Hunter 180s in all of my Lee-Enfields with great result. Can you find them more easily?

300m 3 shot group from my own No4 MkI* (T) repro using the Sierra 180:

photo_zps2d0e240e.jpg
Click to expand...
 
Oh mine will shoot boat tails just fine. I just choose not to pay double for a bullet it wasn't designed for. The 180's are cheap and work very very well and are super consistent. If you are doing a custom barrel why not use a .300 bore/308 groove and just neck size your 303 brass for the 308 bullets? You'd have way more readily available bullet choices.
 
I thought of doing this too, still not decided. That may well be the route I end up going if the 174 weight bullet has dried up. I'll do a thread when I get to building the rifle.

flying pig said:
Oh mine will shoot boat tails just fine. I just choose not to pay double for a bullet it wasn't designed for. The 180's are cheap and work very very well and are super consistent. If you are doing a custom barrel why not use a .300 bore/308 groove and just neck size your 303 brass for the 308 bullets? You'd have way more readily available bullet choices.
Click to expand...
 
I called Sierra a month or two ago to ask about availibility. They said it would be June at the earliest before they make any more .311 bullets.
You might catch some Privi .311 174 grains boatails but that would be about it. Hornady may not make any .312" in 2014. What is so wierd about this is the hoarders are not shooting. I am a part time Pange Safety Officer and turnout is way down. The few shooters any universally cursing the @$$#ole$ who are buying up all the ammo.
 
Not to overly belabor the obvious, but boat-tails were NEVER intended to be fired from .303 rifles.

The sights don't mesh with the tradjectory...

Chinchaga bullets was manufacturing a 175gr flat base and a local guy is ordering dies to build the same.

He's used one of the mid 1920's mkVII bullet prints to shape his dies.
 
Lee Enfield said:
Not to overly belabor the obvious, but boat-tails were NEVER intended to be fired from .303 rifles.

The sights don't mesh with the tradjectory...

Chinchaga bullets was manufacturing a 175gr flat base and a local guy is ordering dies to build the same.

He's used one of the mid 1920's mkVII bullet prints to shape his dies.
Click to expand...


Precisely why so many of us use the pro hunter. It's only 6gr heavy, and is a flat based spitzer.
 
flying pig said:
The boat tails won't work as good as a flat based spitzer will anyway. I use the Sierra Pro Hunter 180s in all of my Lee-Enfields with great result. Can you find them more easily?

300m 3 shot group from my own No4 MkI* (T) repro using the Sierra 180:

photo_zps2d0e240e.jpg
Click to expand...

I've seen this comment more than a few times, so I won't suggest that it is made without merit, but I will say that I load up the very projectile that started this thread once in a while (they're too expensive for 'plinking' and whatnot - I use a variety of casts mainly) and I get very nice results with them. I don't print paper, but I have fine accuracy results. They hit what I point them at, anyway.
 
Sierra shows their 174's as being on back order, not discontinued. May not matter anyway, if your barrel isn't .311" ID. Have you slugged the barrel? Even a custom barrel may not be right.
Hornady makes a .312" and a .3105" bullet. Production of both are currently suspended though.
 
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