Enfield and boat tail bullets.

[LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1]

So one thing I seem to have picked up over the years is the Lee enfield don't like boat tail bullets. I was thinking the rifling didn't stabilize the bullets due to less bearing surface on boat tails. But I have been wondering what peoples actual experience with boat tails in an enfield are.

Can boat tails shoot as well as flat based?

 

[DaveMachine]

I know that Smellie would recommend flat base bullets because they would shooter better than their BT counterparts. Specifically, he would refer to the Sierra 180gr SP. Coming from Smellie, that's good enough for me.

 

[Chas59]

I've reloaded and shot both and haven't noticed a significant difference.

 

[tootall]

I think the general wisdom is that a BT gives a bit more range at really extended distances, but are of no benefit at short range.
They do however cause some bore erosion over time.

 

[Ganderite]

I load for a number of #4s. My Irish contract shoots the Sierra 174 match better than any other bullet.

The others shoot much better with the cheaper, flat base soft points. I think it has to do with barrel quality.

 

[LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1]

Interesting. How many boat tails would start to cause erosion? I imagine it would be in the thousands.

I might try those Sierra pro hunters.

 

[bearhunter]

I have a 1943 Longbranch sporter that loves boat tail bullets from 150grn and up. It has a two groove barrel to boot. It's had thousands of handloads and surplus rounds through it and the throat/bore looks very good with only slight wear. I was told it was one of Mr Epps builds but there is nothing anywhere on it to prove this. Someone did some serious work on it though as the barrel has been shortened to 22 inches and the shoulder was set back at least one thread and the chamber cut with a minimum spec profile. The furniture is aftermarket quality with a Monte Carlo profile butt. Straight grain. It's a sleeper.

I find rifles with tight bores and chambers seem to shoot the boat tail bullets quite well. Same goes for other milsurps as well.

 

[DaveMachine]

The others shoot much better with the cheaper, flat base soft points. I think it has to do with barrel quality.

Better obturation with a flat base bullet and an eroded throat/bore?

 

[bdft]

That's my understanding. An eroded throat causes boat tail bullets to be unstable. I have Enfield that shoot the 174 Sierras just fine and a couple that won't shoot boat tail bullets worth a damn.

 

[sail32]

.303 Mk VIII

http://www.enfield-rifles.com/mk-vii-mk-viii-z-ball-ammo-long_topic6198.html

http://www.303british.com/id19.html

 

[84fuegoturbo]

Just curious if ok to crimp outside the cannelure? I bought 180gr campro sp from budget and with oal in book I am way out of the cannelure.

 

[DaveMachine]

You should be good to go with a Lee Factory Crimp Die. With other forms of crimping, you'll need to use the cannelure.

 

[aric84]

Or just skip the crimp, I don't bother unless it is for hunting or for semi's. But if you feel you want a crimp, then the Lee FCD will work as mentioned, I use one to crimp matchkings in my 5.56 and 7.62 reloads.

 

[84fuegoturbo]

I do have the LFCD, first time reloading this caliber so I like to take baby steps.

 

[LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1]

Im gonna revive this thread.

For the last few years, I have been using the Sierra 180g pro-hunter bullets with decent results. They were also priced pretty good when I ordered a couple hundred.

Was going through my ammo and noticed I was low on .303.

Not a problem ill load up some more. Went and checked by bullet supply and noticed I was low,

Not a problem Ill order more... Noticed the price has gone up almost 50 percent to average 67 bucks for a box of 100...

I am now looking for an alternative. I noticed the only bullet I have been able to find in stock at a decent price are the Privi 174g FMJ-BT. Going over the contents of this thread I know worn bores can have issued with them (boat tails), but most of my rifles have pretty decent bores from what I can tell, so might be worth a few boxes and give them a try.

Only concern was the mention that they can accelerate bore erosion. If this is true, by how much do they accelerate wear? Im thinking its probably over thousands of rounds and the hotter the load the faster the wear as well. Thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[jakester]

I don't know many who have fired enough rounds of either FB or BT through any given rifle to chart the erosion difference. I believe, (and I'm sure someone will correct me if wrong) that all Lee Enfield models in .303 (This would include No. 4 Mk1's) were chambered to handle both the earlier mk VI and later mk VII rounds. So with a chamber throat long enough to handle mk VI rounds, therin lies part of the problem with how the rifles handle the BT projectiles. They don't appear to tolerate alot of freebore, especially if the throat has some erosion already.
I had an mint cond. Irish No. 4 Mk2 that shot BT rounds very well, I also had an No. 1 mk3 with v/g barrel that grouped like a shotgun with the same rounds. I shoot mainly a couple P-14's and Ross Mk3 now, and they don't seem to have any discernable preference as to FB or BT.

 

[Fuzzy Wool Hat]

For what it's worth, my No4T loves the 174 SMK's. Consistently accurate, and I've even got a 100 yard target on my fridge with 10 shots through the same hole. I ran through my case of 2000 SMK's and decided to buy a bag of 180gr Campro projectiles....and she hates them. I have yet to find a load that performs close to the Sierras

 

[tiriaq]

I don't know many who have fired enough rounds of either FB or BT through any given rifle to chart the erosion difference. I believe, (and I'm sure someone will correct me if wrong) that all Lee Enfield models in .303 (This would include No. 4 Mk1's) were chambered to handle both the earlier mk VI and later mk VII rounds. So with a chamber throat long enough to handle mk VI rounds, therin lies part of the problem with how the rifles handle the BT projectiles. They don't appear to tolerate alot of freebore, especially if the throat has some erosion already.
I had an mint cond. Irish No. 4 Mk2 that shot BT rounds very well, I also had an No. 1 mk3 with v/g barrel that grouped like a shotgun with the same rounds. I shoot mainly a couple P-14's and Ross Mk3 now, and they don't seem to have any discernable preference as to FB or BT.

Chamber specs were changed prior to the First War to suit the Mk. VII spitzer bullet.

 

[Bob]

Sierra 180 Prohunters shot better then Match in all my rifles

 

[Ganderite]

I load for a number of #4s.

The Irish is new with a perfect barrel. It shoots the Sierra match better than anything else.

The others are various degrees of well used and do not shoot match bullets well, but the flat based shoot fairly well