.303 Handloads?

[Siggy Stardust]

Howdy All,

I recently purchased a No.4 Mk.1* Longbranch as I've been wanting a solid "open sight" battle rifle for some time. I handload for all my scoped rifles, but was wondering if anyone out there that had a recipe for a "generic" load that, at least in theory, should roughly line up with the distances marked on the rear sight?

 

[rookie wildcat]

Howdy All,

I recently purchased a No.4 Mk.1* Longbranch as I've been wanting a solid "open sight" battle rifle for some time. I handload for all my scoped rifles, but was wondering if anyone out there that had a recipe for a "generic" load that, at least in theory, should roughly line up with the distances marked on the rear sight?

Whatever load approximates a 174gn (180gr will do) at 2400fps. Military load was a 174gn SP at 2440fps.

 

[Cdn303]

To quote member smellie

If you really want to see how well this rifle can shoot, load up 20 rounds of .303 with 38 grains of IMR-4895 powder and a Sierra 180-grain Pro-Hunter bullet. This bullet has a FLAT base; Enfield rifling (which this rifle most definitely uses) has a decided preference for flat-based Bullets. Now her is the tricky part: you seat your Bullets to the overall Length of a Ball Cartridge; with the Sierra bullet, this crowds the Leade just a bit, which is safe in a new rifle but which this rifle just MIGHT like.

Note carefully: this is NOT an intense load but it does reproduce the by-test most-accurate VELOCITY for the .303 round in this rifle: 2250 ft/sec or very close.