6mm/303british

[bc7mm]

About 25 years ago I ran into a fellow who built a 6mm/303 British. Curious if anyone has run across the variation. He also mentioned he’d done one in .25 at one time as well.

 

[Gatehouse]

The 303 case has been necked up and down by many shooters, mostly as there were plenty of cheap SMLE rifles available to play with. Not so common anymore.

 

[dead meat]

Elwood Epps built a lot of different 303 necked down and up cartridges. Several other gunsmiths from back in the 50's and 60's did similar things, 303 rifles were plentiful and cheap so they got creative. Still being done today, if a company creates a new design it wont be long before somebody necks it up or down or blows out the shoulder. Gun nuts like to tinker.

 

[mbogo3]

Epps had a version and they were popular in Australia.

 

[iron cat]

I had s 6.5/303 Epps on a Large Martini action , cool round for sure .
Cat

 

[bc7mm]

I loaded 303 Brit for awhile. If I recall correctly the brass was much happier with medium load. Case life was definitely short when the loads approached the upper end.

I believe this 6mm/303 was on a martini as well

 

[Evanguy]

I have a 6.5x53r barreled lee enfield, that is a shortened and necked down 303 case. Cool round for sure

 

[iron cat]

I loaded 303 Brit for awhile. If I recall correctly the brass was much happier with medium load. Case life was definitely short when the loads approached the upper end.

I believe this was on a martini as well

In my Ruger I can crank the loads up to 308 Velocities with no physical case or ejection issues , but has a very tight spec chamber
My Martini chamber was also pretty tight but I can’t Remember the velocities , certainly not in the realm of 260 The though
Cat

 

[WR1894]

I have a 6.5/303 and a 35/303 on Ross actions, a 6/303 on a martini and then a 22/303 on a hi wall

 

[Eagleye]

I have a 303 Epps on a P14 action. Makes a decent performer out of the old girl. Dave.

 

[WhelanLad]

down here in down under they have a few common ones, 22/303 25/303 270/303 are pretty common between aus and nz!

im with Cat in regards to the brass life on mid loads is sweet as in the rugers- i dont think il bother maxin out at all

6mm/303 sounds alright for game, be a tough call to do down here with so much 243 availability tho

 

[kayaker1]

There is a commercial version in South Africa called the 6mm Musgrave. Ammo still loaded by PMP. I have shot one but not hunted with it. Pushes a 100gr bullet at 2700fps, obviously loaded to Lee Enfield operating pressures.

 

[Suther]

I loaded 303 Brit for awhile. If I recall correctly the brass was much happier with medium load. Case life was definitely short when the loads approached the upper end.

I believe this 6mm/303 was on a martini as well

The problem isn't really the brass, it's the extra generous chambers on Enfield rifles that causes issues with cases. In modern rifles with tight chambers (Ruger no1 is the only example of a modern rifle that's offered in 303 that I can think of) that problem largely goes away.