303 br ... heavy bullet recipes.
- Thread starter tokguy
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I can not help from my experience - I never loaded any. Just looked in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook - page 172 - they only show up to 200 grain in 303 British - for what it is worth, they show SR-4759 as their preferred powder, although they also list Min and Max for 5 other powders. Same information shown in Lyman 50th Reloading Handbook - page 277 - same powders - was for bullets cast from Lyman #314299 mould. Not at all what you asked for, but maybe a beginning??
Alliant 2400 is my go to powder for many military surplus rifles. 16 to 20 grs is the recommended weights. Col. C E Harris has a good bit of information on cast bullets with this powder. 2400 isn’t position sensitive so works well with reduced loads. My bullets weight 210 grs with my alloy. 18 grs of 2400 with any large rifle primer seems to be the sweet spot in my 303’s.
I have also used IMR 4198 with 22 to 24 grs depending on the rifle. I found 18 grs of 2400 just worked better in more rifles than IMR 4198 which needed changing the charge weights in different rifles to find the sweet spot for accuracy. I have 19 303’s and have found 2400 works very well in them. A couple like IMR 4198 better but I don’t shoot those ones often.
I have also used IMR 4198 with 22 to 24 grs depending on the rifle. I found 18 grs of 2400 just worked better in more rifles than IMR 4198 which needed changing the charge weights in different rifles to find the sweet spot for accuracy. I have 19 303’s and have found 2400 works very well in them. A couple like IMR 4198 better but I don’t shoot those ones often.
I use 26 grains of imr4198 over CCI 250 primers, under 200+ grain, .314 diameter, round nose bullets, with a gas check. I haven't tried to powder coat these bullets.
Accuracy is OK and it doesn't flatten or crater primers in a dramatic manner.
Well, it was a lovely afternoon and I drug out the Chronograph. 215 gr cast .312 dia RN GC over 37 grains of 4895 gives 2150 fps & 'Keyholes' like a bugger. Disappointing to say the least... dropping the charge down to 36 didn't change much. Perhaps a touch fast for the bullets. Primers didn't show pressure signs
Maybe the legend that milsurps like 4895 is a myth. Although my 8 x 57's seem to like it... oh well. Mind you my cast experience with a brisk cartridge is limited to 375 WM...but it would shoot 250 gr GC just fine at around 2200
As far as the bore, it's tight enough to shoot Jacketed .308's quite well... figured that out in 2017 when couldn't source .312 dia. Worked great on Elk.
New day tomorrow. Do some learning on cast bullets and Ross rifles.
Maybe the legend that milsurps like 4895 is a myth. Although my 8 x 57's seem to like it... oh well. Mind you my cast experience with a brisk cartridge is limited to 375 WM...but it would shoot 250 gr GC just fine at around 2200
As far as the bore, it's tight enough to shoot Jacketed .308's quite well... figured that out in 2017 when couldn't source .312 dia. Worked great on Elk.
New day tomorrow. Do some learning on cast bullets and Ross rifles.
