Lee Loader .303 British Cost Savings and Questions
- Thread starter Jackstay
- Start date
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You use the whole of the powder charge as well?
...first it's a press kit...then it's a hand primer...then it's a trimmer...then it's a scale...then it's an electronic scale...thennnnnnnn?????????????????????
...i love reloading and fiddling with reloading stuff...glad i have an understanding wife!
...i love reloading and fiddling with reloading stuff...glad i have an understanding wife!
Bump!?
Ok. Do you guys also use the powder, if so, do you use the entire charge of the Nagant case and transplant it into a cleaned and primed .303 Brit brass?
as far as cost savings are concerned you'll save a few cents, I find it extremely therapeutic and relaxing, asides from the obvious collection of primers, powder, bullets and brass, you will want invest in a reloading manual or 2, and a soft faced mallet.
Have to confess my ignorance here: I've only used the full powder of the 7.62x39 mm
Any squibs Cyclone? Anecdotally I would almost want to double that charge to approach the ballistics of the .303...do your sight settings still work with this load?
Any squibs Cyclone? Anecdotally I would almost want to double that charge to approach the ballistics of the .303...do your sight settings still work with this load?
I think he's also using the x39 bullets... same bullet same powder, bigger case, longer barrel. Hmmmm I wonder how it compares to the original x39 ammo ballistically...
heavyBullet
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
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I have loaders for most calibers I own, I find them relaxing to use and they make accurate ammo. As others said, get a scale and an inexpensive lee auto prime and of course a plastic tip hammer and you good to go.
Keep in mind lee loaders only neck size, so eventually you will need to resize your brass.
Keep in mind lee loaders only neck size, so eventually you will need to resize your brass.
303 British Reloading
A Lee loader for this calibre is a great way to start reloading! It will give you a place to start and teach you a great deal about reloading or drive you nuts trying to figure out why that is happening.
Easiest is to start with new brass. Why? Because there is a lot of variation in chambers of Lee Enfield rifles. The greatest bolt action battle rifle of the first half of the 20th century was designed to load, fire, extract, repeat with the muddiest, dirtyest condition of both the rifle and the ammo. There is lots of clearance and variation and the shoulder of a fired round is sometimes a long way from the unfired round.
So range pickup brass may not fit in your rifle. Check before loading.
Brass may be berdan primed (two small holes in the inside bottom of the cased instead of boxer primed. The berdan primed cases will not deprime with the Lee Loader equipment – just discard those cases.
If the boxer primed cases fit in your rifle chamber, you are good to go. Take some fine steel wool and shine them up.
Follow the directions and load about 10 and go to the range and try them out.
Here is one thing to watch out for:
The bullet in a cartridge in the magazine gets seated deeper or pushed into the case when the rifle is fired. This is because of not enough neck tension – the case is not holding the bullet tight enough.
Do not fire this cartridge as the reduced volume inside the case could result in an increase in pressure and ruin your day. It happens because there is lots of variation in the thickness of 303 Br brass and the neck sizer Lee supplies does not take that into account.
Just use your kinetic bullet puller to pull the bullet and use the powder and bullet in another case. Save the first case for loading when you get a press and a Lee factory crimp die – it will solve that problem by tightly crimping the loaded bullet into the case.
I have been reloading since 1976 and it is a great life time hobby. There is always something new to learn and a lot of satisfaction in rolling your own. Like they say, you don’t save any money but you shoot more than twice as much!
PM me if you have any questions.
A Lee loader for this calibre is a great way to start reloading! It will give you a place to start and teach you a great deal about reloading or drive you nuts trying to figure out why that is happening.
Easiest is to start with new brass. Why? Because there is a lot of variation in chambers of Lee Enfield rifles. The greatest bolt action battle rifle of the first half of the 20th century was designed to load, fire, extract, repeat with the muddiest, dirtyest condition of both the rifle and the ammo. There is lots of clearance and variation and the shoulder of a fired round is sometimes a long way from the unfired round.
So range pickup brass may not fit in your rifle. Check before loading.
Brass may be berdan primed (two small holes in the inside bottom of the cased instead of boxer primed. The berdan primed cases will not deprime with the Lee Loader equipment – just discard those cases.
If the boxer primed cases fit in your rifle chamber, you are good to go. Take some fine steel wool and shine them up.
Follow the directions and load about 10 and go to the range and try them out.
Here is one thing to watch out for:
The bullet in a cartridge in the magazine gets seated deeper or pushed into the case when the rifle is fired. This is because of not enough neck tension – the case is not holding the bullet tight enough.
Do not fire this cartridge as the reduced volume inside the case could result in an increase in pressure and ruin your day. It happens because there is lots of variation in the thickness of 303 Br brass and the neck sizer Lee supplies does not take that into account.
Just use your kinetic bullet puller to pull the bullet and use the powder and bullet in another case. Save the first case for loading when you get a press and a Lee factory crimp die – it will solve that problem by tightly crimping the loaded bullet into the case.
I have been reloading since 1976 and it is a great life time hobby. There is always something new to learn and a lot of satisfaction in rolling your own. Like they say, you don’t save any money but you shoot more than twice as much!
PM me if you have any questions.
