looking for a good 303. brit load

[dudley2112]

so i have been trying to get a good load for for 303 brit that comes close to mill surp ammo but so far not working out for me. Can anyone recommend a good 303 brit load that comes close to mill surp of win. super x interms of performance. This is just for plinking. Currently i load 174gr hornady interlocks with 43grs. of Hodgons 3831 SC.

 

[Lefty Dick]

174gr. Sierra Match Kings. WW Brass, CCI 200 Primers, and a book max load of Varget.
Follows the vernier on my No.4 mk1* all the way to 400yds, and is a tad flatter after that.

Sadly I am only getting 3 to 4 loadings out of the brass even with a collet sizer.

 

[Boomer]

I think 4831 (I assume thats what you meant) is too slow for the .303, because although it could produce good accuracy, it is at the cost of velocity. Consult your loading manual for loads and choose powders in the H-4350 range for 174 -215 gr bullets, and powders in the IMR 3031 to 4064 range for lighter bullets.

 

[Eagleye]

I have found W760 and H380 work well in the 303 British with 174/180 grain bullets. I have a load in my Winchester P14 with W760/180 Sierra SPFB that will shoot under 1" on a regular basis. Velocities are in the 2570 area. Regards, Eagleye

 

[dudley2112]

yes i meant 4831 lol oops....just looking at my hornady book what about WIN-748 it has a load for that and i already use it in my 22-250, would that burn too fast though??

 

[Ganderite]

748 would just fine. Start with about 40 and work from there.

 

[303carbine]

so i have been trying to get a good load for for 303 brit that comes close to mill surp ammo but so far not working out for me. Can anyone recommend a good 303 brit load that comes close to mill surp of win. super x interms of performance. This is just for plinking. Currently i load 174gr hornady interlocks with 43grs. of Hodgons 3831 SC.

I just shot off some Rem 180's with 41 grains of IMR 4064,I used Rem brass,Rem primers.This load was easy on the brass and accurate as well.

 

[dudley2112]

looking through hornady's reloading book they show a 174 gr FMJ i don;t think they make these still does anybody know where i could get some? Oh GANDERITE the the max load for 748 apparently is 40 gr lol but thanks for letting me know that it will work.

 

[303carbine]

looking through hornady's reloading book they show a 174 gr FMJ i don;t think they make these still does anybody know where i could get some? Oh GANDERITE the the max load for 748 apparently is 40 gr lol but thanks for letting me know that it will work.

Sierra makes a nice 174 grain HPBT Match bullet for the .303

 

[cosmic]

Hornady 150 SP's with min load of RE15 (~40 gr) gives the design MV of the original milspec. Shoots very well - I call it 303 lite.

 

[rookie wildcat]

Try annealing.

174gr. Sierra Match Kings. WW Brass, CCI 200 Primers, and a book max load of Varget.
Follows the vernier on my No.4 mk1* all the way to 400yds, and is a tad flatter after that.

Sadly I am only getting 3 to 4 loadings out of the brass even with a collet sizer.

Lefty, anytime you will shoot max loads of anything, you will make the brass brittle extremely shorten case life. Try annealing your cases every 2nd loading and that should extend it.

Stand your brass in a cake pan, fill the pan with water at least halfway up the cases, take a propane torch and heat each case mouth until a glowing cherry red, knock the case over into the ater with the torch, move to the next, and repeat. This may help. Or you could back off of the max loads. Better on your rifle anyway.

 

[JasonYuke]

40.5 gr +- of RL-15 and a 174 SMKs and Fed GMM primers.
Just shot this load this past weekend.
Also shoots lite and easy on the rifle and cases.

I do not bother with annealing as you need to worry about case seperation vs necks splitting. Annealing will not help you there, shooting lite loads will.

 

[rookie wildcat]

40.5 gr +- of RL-15 and a 174 SMKs and Fed GMM primers.
Just shot this load this past weekend.
Also shoots lite and easy on the rifle and cases.

I do not bother with annealing as you need to worry about case seperation vs necks splitting. Annealing will not help you there, shooting lite loads will.

JY, case separations are usually indicative of a headspace problem, not hot loading. If pressures are that high, then you really do need to back off the charge weight. They may jam the action, and I have, but never had a case separation due to hot loads, unless headspace was iffy. I have fixed la few rifles that had headspace problems. With a cold barrel, they would shoot fine but even with factory loads by the 4th or 5th round, case separations. Clear the broken case and shoot another couple of rounds, case separation. Checked when we got back to town, on a cold barrel, headspace barely met mil standards let alone SAAMI. And all it takes is about .003" difference and you have a dangerous problem in your hands. But that's not the question of this thread...so feel free to ignore.

 

[Lefty Dick]

Lefty, anytime you will shoot max loads of anything, you will make the brass brittle extremely shorten case life. Try annealing your cases every 2nd loading and that should extend it.

Stand your brass in a cake pan, fill the pan with water at least halfway up the cases, take a propane torch and heat each case mouth until a glowing cherry red, knock the case over into the ater with the torch, move to the next, and repeat. This may help. Or you could back off of the max loads. Better on your rifle anyway.

Annealing?? what in the blue blazes is that going to accomplish? They are seperating at the web by the 5th loading, I just cull them after 3 for a safety factor.
It's a rear lock up Enfield, short case life is pretty much a given. I'm not generating any more pressure than vintage DIZ ammo loaded to MK VII ball specs.

Rookie hmmmm

 

[sarge]

I have some 150 gr Spitzers, IMR 4064, is 40 gr too light?

 

[Lefty Dick]

I have some 150 gr Spitzers, IMR 4064, is 40 gr too light?

See for yourself.


http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

 

[sarge]

Just gave the max load. Will load 20 at 40 and then go up

 

[rookie wildcat]

sorry about that.

174gr. Sierra Match Kings. WW Brass, CCI 200 Primers, and a book max load of Varget.
Follows the vernier on my No.4 mk1* all the way to 400yds, and is a tad flatter after that.

Sadly I am only getting 3 to 4 loadings out of the brass even with a collet sizer.

I didn't get the fact that you were experienceing case separations from your post. My apologies. You may want to have your headspace checked, though I am sure you already have, it may be starting to run. Best time to check it is after you have fired 4 or 5 rounds, then check it while it is still hot.

 

[Lefty Dick]

I didn't get the fact that you were experienceing case separations from your post. My apologies. You may want to have your headspace checked, though I am sure you already have, it may be starting to run. Best time to check it is after you have fired 4 or 5 rounds, then check it while it is still hot.

With no set back of the shoulder after the first firing (collet die)headspace is pretty much set by the rifle it's self. The short case life lies in a single beraing point and a rear lock up on the bolt, but then again more than one manual addresses this. You wont get much more than 4 or 5 loadings with a rear locking Enfield config. That's from reloading for more than a dozen of them over the past I dont know how many years. Sure 6 or 8 loadings might be rung out of a few individual rifles, but I'll wager you wont mimick the vernier on the rear sights.

If I'm not mistaken the original powder for the nitrocellulose loadings from WWII was IMR 3031, if you go back to manuls like the Hornady No. 3 it pretty much tops out at the old loading. From pressure data of that era, I'm likley 2500 to 3000 CUP below pressures that that loading generated. ( 41.5gr. Varget)

 

[303carbine]

JY, case separations are usually indicative of a headspace problem, not hot loading. If pressures are that high, then you really do need to back off the charge weight. They may jam the action, and I have, but never had a case separation due to hot loads, unless headspace was iffy. I have fixed la few rifles that had headspace problems. With a cold barrel, they would shoot fine but even with factory loads by the 4th or 5th round, case separations. Clear the broken case and shoot another couple of rounds, case separation. Checked when we got back to town, on a cold barrel, headspace barely met mil standards let alone SAAMI. And all it takes is about .003" difference and you have a dangerous problem in your hands. But that's not the question of this thread...so feel free to ignore.

Even if the rifle has excessive headspace it can still be safe and shoot well with neck sized brass that is fitted to your rifle.
.003 difference will not blow up an Enfield it will merely vent the gas out the hole and most time the shooter will never know it seperated till the bolt is opened. Dangerous problem???....get your facts straight.