Looking for some advice about reloading cast bullets for .303 british

ironsite

ironsite

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I'm hoping to tap into the wealth of knowledge on this website and solve this accuracy, or lack of accuracy issue with cast bullets for .303 British.
Because of the lack of jacketed "factory" projectiles for .303 BRT, I started getting into casting my own.

I am casting a .311 RN bullet tht's 174 grains (Gas checked and lubed).
I load it with 25 grains IMR 4227.
O.A.L" 2.930" (as per Lyman 49th edtion but their listing the 200gr bullet)

At fifty yards my target looks like a high school dance floor ( some on the right and some on the left) no real grouping.
Other "non" Enfield shooters that cast bullets were saying that I'm not seating the projectile deep enough but mine (like most Enfield rifles) have room to spare in the chamber.

Are there any "Cast" .303 shooters that would offer some advice please.
 
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.314" is a much more likely size for a 303 bullet. Read up on slugging a bore and start with that.

If your bullets are casting under size for your bore, you can open up that Lee mould by taking some of those cast bullets and coating them with some fine valve grinding composition and rigging a way to spin them in the closed mould. With an aluminum mould it should not take too much work. Worst thing that might happen is that the bullet base that takes the gas checks will become enlarged and you will have to get custom checks made.
 
Check out http://www.303british.com . If you dig around a bit on this website there is some good info about loading cast bullets in the 303.
I picked up a bunch of 180 grain ( lubed and gas checked) from the bullet barn. Load is CCI200 primer, 18 grains of H4198 and some old IVI brass. Some of it I have loaded 8 times now. I find the few I have had to discard has been from small splits at the case mouth caused by repeated case mouth flaring using a Lyman Neck expanding die.
I load it to 2.82 OAL which seems to work well in the MKIII Ross that I am shooting. I do recall some advice on the 303British site that recommended seating the bullet out until it just touched the lands.
 
I got 2"+/- for 5 shots @100yds using Lee's .303 bullet sized .314 of ww + 2%tin and 17gr of H110 powder in a mk4 Lee Enfield using the issue sights. Brass was neck sized only.
Grouch
 
I have a dumb question that might be effecting your accuracy with cast bullets.

Why isn't there any lube in the grease grooves..........................I gots to know. :slap:
 
Slug your bore. You need to find what size of boolit your gun needs to shoot.

I didn't lap my molds with anything. Instead, I used aluminum muffler tape and `Beagled`one of my molds.

Non permanent way to increase the size of a boolit.

Tiny snips of the tape surrounding the cavity where the boolit sits. Easy peasy
 
Advice here is sound. Slug that barrel, and then cast bullets that are .001" to .002" larger than groove diameter.

You may be shooting those .311 bullets through a .314 [or even larger] groove diameter. A recipe for lousy accuracy.

Regards, Dave.
 
Yep, my "ole ugly" (Enfield #4, Mk 1) as the wife calls it, has a .3165" bore! I to might try the powder coating process to increase the size of those cast bullets. I wonder if it would work on some Jacketed bullets that I have?
Hmmmmm....
 
Great discussion here. As others said there does not seem to be any consistency in the 303 bore size. I have bores measuring from 308 and up. Unfortunately it probably means one needs molds specific to certain firearms to really get good accuracy. Powder coating and paper patching deserve some research as well.
 
I just finished slugging the barrel. 314.5 seemed to be the answer. by-jove, that they be the problem.
Thanks to everyone for there input.
I appreciated it.
 
I was sure I had a back issue of Reloader Magazine with an article by Mike Venturino on cast bullets in the .303 but so far I can't seem to find it. I did find this article on moulds for the .303, though. CBE in Australia make excellent moulds, although they are not cheap & shipping will run you about $30. I believe Jim Allison has retired from running CBE now but they're very much still in business.
 
I read about paper patching being an acceptable way to bring up bullet diameter and to reduce leading. this might prove to be a profitable avenue of research. let us know if you learn much :)
 
You can order a Custom Lube and Sizing Kit from Lee in a size suitable to your bore: h ttp://leeprecision.com/custom-lube-and-size-kit/

I like the NOE 316365, which would be special order, but they have others in stock: h ttp://noebulletmolds.com/NV/index.php?cPath=31&osCsid=nmu0r361kbvccbuak71ho36lp7

The next question is the bullet to use. I've sized down 8mm cast bullets to 0.316" and still had sufficient lube grooves.

I've also sized down 8mm and 32 Special bullets as well to 0.316" and lower: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...314-quot-and-0-316-quot-Bullets?highlight=316

218gr_FMJ_323_312_zpsfpozeako.jpg
 
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For my 303 British and a 7.65 Argentine that slug .313"+, I bought a mold from Accurate Molds that is based on the Lyman 314299 design- - with my wheel weights it throws a bit over 200 grains @ >.314" - that is, the bullet's driving bands are just nicely "rubbed" when being run through a 314" die in my Star lube sizer. I have a No. 1 Mk III that needs more - I plan to get a Lee sizer that I can open up to about .316" to see if I can just get the gas checks seated with minimal or no sizing to the bullets
 
grouch said:
I got 2"+/- for 5 shots @100yds using Lee's .303 bullet sized .314 of ww + 2%tin and 17gr of H110 powder in a mk4 Lee Enfield using the issue sights. Brass was neck sized only.Grouch
Click to expand...

Grouch, do you use filler?
 
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