303 British plinking load?
- Thread starter mrbeil
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Get a crate of surplus 7.62x39 or 7.62x54, pull the bullets and reuse the components in your 303 brass. Doesn't get any cheaper than that unless you go the cast bullet route. Even then, once you pay for shipping of pre cast bullets or spend the time/money/effort casting your own there is likely very little if any difference.
Look up C.E. Harris' writing on cast loads. He has quite a few varieties of light loads for anything from plinking to match. He goes into much greater detail than I'd like to type so google C.E. Harris cast loads and you'll find the article all over the interwebz.
There's really no such thing as quick and cheap due to the variation in the barrels, but Hornady 150 grain SP's would do. They're .312". Sierra uses .311" and make a 150 too.
Pulling bullets out of milsurp 7.62 x 39 or 54 will take far too much time and you'll have low end bullets. Kind of hard to find cast rifle bullets of the correct diameter. Cast bullets are a good option if you want to start casting 'em.
Pulling bullets out of milsurp 7.62 x 39 or 54 will take far too much time and you'll have low end bullets. Kind of hard to find cast rifle bullets of the correct diameter. Cast bullets are a good option if you want to start casting 'em.
Cast is the way to go for plinking loads in all the mid bore military bolt guns. I've put thousands through a half a dozen Lee Enfields and a Ross. Lyman 311299's sized at 314. Will fill most Enfield bores as well as Moisant Nagants. I tried the Hornady 123 gr bullets designed for 762x39. Accuracy was not good. Any jacketed bullets meant for 303 BR are getting hard to find. (and expensive) PM me (if you are interested) and I'll send some cast samples to try. Mailing small quantities in a padded envelope is not terribly expensive.
M43 rounds ( 7.62 x 39 ) don't work well with a puller, too tight.
But we just put on a leather glove (to protect your palm), stuck the bullet into the muzzle of a burnt-out K98 in 8 x 57 ( totally waffenampt'd, a true shame) and give a lean left, then right on the loaded rd. Bullet pretty much falls out.
Pretty hard to beat the 17 cents a rd, or whatever M43 ammo goes for these days. The 128 grainer's move pretty quick too, with no recoil as well.
But we just put on a leather glove (to protect your palm), stuck the bullet into the muzzle of a burnt-out K98 in 8 x 57 ( totally waffenampt'd, a true shame) and give a lean left, then right on the loaded rd. Bullet pretty much falls out.
Pretty hard to beat the 17 cents a rd, or whatever M43 ammo goes for these days. The 128 grainer's move pretty quick too, with no recoil as well.
I use a collet puller. the hammer type is not great for large qty
Cheap plinking load and either Trail Boss or SR-4759 powder, both powders will fill the case and be impossible to double charge the case. I also use this load to fireform my cases using the rubber o-ring method around the rim.
NOTE, these are pistol bullets with soft lead cores, when fired and kicked in the seat of the pants the bullets will expand and fill the bore (obturation) and shoot well in worn bores.
NOTE, these are pistol bullets with soft lead cores, when fired and kicked in the seat of the pants the bullets will expand and fill the bore (obturation) and shoot well in worn bores.
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