Kamloops show and 303 Savage shells

[b72471]

Well I did run across one box of these at the show. I beleive they were priced at $85.oo, $4.25/shot. On returning home I took out another 30 rounds of 303 British brass to convert to 303Sav brass again. I know this can't be done, but I prefer this brass to the 220 swift brass. I've noted the 220 swift will give you a varying thickness on the necks when expanded to 30 cal. 303B gives you a perfect neck. As for Sav 99s not many at the show.
Bill

 

[commonman]

220 swift to 303 Savage.

Bill, I found that the 220 neck is so thick that you have to turn it down to get to the same diameter as spec.

I also find that though they load and shoot good they are very hard to cycle in the action due to the smaller diameter rim.

How do you get the 303 british rim to the right size? I have thought that sizing down the head would be difficult without special tools.

 

[bearhunter]

Did you go late? There was a fellow from Chilliwack that had 3 full boxes at $45 and 2x50 bags of brass. Ron Tyson, also had a half dozen bags of 20 brass for $20 in his little box of goodies.

 

[b72471]

Bearhunter, I must have missed that on my rounds. I was there early on Sat.
Commonman, yes you have to remove some brass at the head and reduce the rim size. Now that you mention it I did have to turn necks on the 220 swift brass but I didn't totally clean them up, perhaps I should have.
I know everyone says 30-30 brass won't work, has anyone tried it, by that I mean 30-30 brass reformed to 303Sav.
Bill

 

[Andy]

If you have a lathe, it's straightforward. Take 303 Brit (or 30/40 Krag) brass, and size it with a 303 Savage die as far as you can. You'll get to within about 1/4" of the rim - don't force it! Chuck it in a lathe and remove the "bump" that was formed and turn the rim to size. It will be too long, so will need to be trimmed. A simple conversion (as conversions go), but not something most reloaders want to handle.

30-30 brass is as simple as sizing it in the 303 Savage die and using it, but it's quite a bit undersized (0.020") at the casehead. I've done that (and used it with cast bullet loads with no problems), but most wouldn't, and 303 Brit brass is much better to use.

 

[hitch.bd]

Well I did run across one box of these at the show. I beleive they were priced at $85.oo, $4.25/shot. On returning home I took out another 30 rounds of 303 British brass to convert to 303Sav brass again. I know this can't be done, but I prefer this brass to the 220 swift brass. I've noted the 220 swift will give you a varying thickness on the necks when expanded to 30 cal. 303B gives you a perfect neck. As for Sav 99s not many at the show.
Bill

If you are ever in Kelowna I have 3 boxes of factory.303 Savage rounds I could sell you.
1 box is 190gr Imperial KKSP
2 boxes are 190gr CIL Dominion soft points
I say if in Kelowna because I don't know the first thing about shipping ammo

 

[commonman]

Andy.... 30-30 brass is as simple as sizing it in the 303 Savage die and using it, but it's quite a bit undersized (0.020") at the casehead. I've done that (and used it with cast bullet loads with no problems), but most wouldn't, and 303 Brit brass is much better to use.

Andy I ran into a thread somewhere but can't find it again where it was mentioned using a brass ring .440" od and about .418 id the thickness of the case head. This is forced down to the rim of a 30-30, which is then sized in a 303 savage die and trimmed. After firing the 30-30 expands just enough to lock the ring on to the case head and prevent separation at the important location.

Have you ever seen this done?

 

[Andy]

Andy I ran into a thread somewhere but can't find it again where it was mentioned using a brass ring .440" od and about .418 id the thickness of the case head. This is forced down to the rim of a 30-30, which is then sized in a 303 savage die and trimmed. After firing the 30-30 expands just enough to lock the ring on to the case head and prevent separation at the important location.

Have you ever seen this done?

I've done that for other cartridges, but not the 303 Savage. The challenge is finding tubing that has the correct outside diameter (O/D), and also has a close enough inside diameter (I/D). I've used quite a bit of K&S thin-wall brass tubing, and in fact they sell a 7/16" O/D (0.4375"), but its I/D is 0.409". They also sell a 0.440" O/D with an I/D of 0.416". You can heat it up and drive it on down to the rim, and it will stretch and lock in place (more so after first firing), but it will then be too large in diameter and will have to be reduced. Sometimes you get lucky and don't have to do that because you have a cartridge base that's a bit undersized from spec and/or a large set of dies and chamber (all of these are common occurences), but it's trial and error.

All that said, if that's required, I prefer to just turn down 303 Brit brass and reserve this method for when there's no alternative. I look around for 303 Brit brass that's undersized at the base (well below 0.460") so that not much has to be turned off.

K&S products are sold widely on-line by Hobby and Craft Stores.