Need .311 or .312 bullets to feed my Lee-Enfields. Sources?

[Tengoo]

So the two L-E rifles I've acquired have barrels sufficiently worn that the .310 [yes, I miked it] bullets in my PPU .303 Brit ammo don't engage the rifling. They will produce a keyhole in the target _every time_. I obtained a half-dozen Winchester cartridges that still wouldn't work in my ROF Enfield, but would in the sporterized Long Branch gun.

Since commercial .303Brit ammo is almost unobtainable these days, does anyone know where I might find .311 or .312 bullets for reloading? I'd prefer jacketed, naturally, but hard-cast lead would do if that's all I can get.

Thanks in advance for any info or suggestions...

 

[just having some fun]

Have you tried powder coating to increase dia ?

Do a search for 314299 .. there are companies making 4-5 or 6 cavity moulds
also called 314-210-RN-M4 by a different company
314 at the base 303 on the nose app wt 210g
if really worn
there is also 316-213-RN-O1
316 at the base 305 on the nose

 

[mbogo3]

Jet Cast Bullets in Wetaskiwin AB

 

[bigedp51]

So the two L-E rifles I've acquired have barrels sufficiently worn that the .310 [yes, I miked it] bullets in my PPU .303 Brit ammo don't engage the rifling. They will produce a keyhole in the target _every time_. I obtained a half-dozen Winchester cartridges that still wouldn't work in my ROF Enfield, but would in the sporterized Long Branch gun.

Since commercial .303Brit ammo is almost unobtainable these days, does anyone know where I might find .311 or .312 bullets for reloading? I'd prefer jacketed, naturally, but hard-cast lead would do if that's all I can get.

Thanks in advance for any info or suggestions...

Hornady makes .312 bullets for the Enfield rifles. If they do not work you will need to make or buy larger cast bullets.

I use the Hornady .312 bullets in all my Enfield rifles. BUT the British used cordite powder that burned very hot and was very hard on barrels causing barrel erosion.

I used the Hornady 174 round nose flat base bullets that had more bearing surface to grab the worn rifling. If these bullets do not work you will need to use larger diameter cast bullets.

https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/303-cal-312-174-gr-interlock-rn#!/

 

[Potashminer]

Not sure that I can help where to find them today? But maybe knowing brands might help?

On my shelves are .312" Woodleigh Weldcore - No. W68A - 174 grain PP SN; also Hornady .312" Interlock - No. 3130. I do not have any, but my Sierra V manual shows 125, 150 and 174/180 grain that are all .311". From the Hornady #9 manual they are showing .310", .3105", and .312" bullets in 303 British. For extreme, I do know Woodleigh made some Weldcore bullets .318" - I had bought some, thinking I was getting a "J" bore 8x57, but was not the case - it turned out to be the "JS" bore - .323" bullets.

If you go to Accurate Molds - I think they list a "stock" clone for the 314299 Lyman mold - I had one for some years - was gas checked. I never did get into the powder coating - stubborn old school with the bullet lube, etc. From an acquaintance, I understand they will make a "custom" mold to about any specifics that you give - no clue today about length to delivery, etc. - I am sure that I had both Lee push through sizer at .314" and then had a .314" die made for the Star lube-sizer - not so much to size cast bullets down - was as much to seat gas checks and to make those cast bullets to be "round", as anything.

I ended up with a Lyman #7349005 - 31 Long "M" Die - was not much drama to seat cast bullets in 303 British after that thing arrived.

If you chose to go the commercial jacketed bullet route - might be helpful to know they are not all the same nominal diameter - as above, some makers chose to go different diameters for different bullet weights (Hornady), or even the same bullet weight, but different style (Hornady 174 grain - FMJ versus Interlock RN). Is shown in the loading manuals. Also on the boxes that I have here. Good Luck to you to find some!!

 

[jethunter]

I sell 210gr and 180gr gas check cast bullets in .311, .312", .313, and .314" sizes. Cast bullets need to seal the entire bore not just touch the lands, so bullet should be oversize. For .303 more people buy .313" than other sizes.

 

[mbogo3]

There ya go

 

[kjohn]

I sell 210gr and 180gr gas check cast bullets in .311, .312", .313, and .314" sizes. Cast bullets need to seal the entire bore not just touch the lands, so bullet should be oversize. For .303 more people buy .313" than other sizes.

^^
Therein lies the answer!

 

[Tengoo]

I sell 210gr and 180gr gas check cast bullets in .311, .312", .313, and .314" sizes. Cast bullets need to seal the entire bore not just touch the lands, so bullet should be oversize. For .303 more people buy .313" than other sizes.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Thank you! If the .313 works for most people, it will very likely work in both my rifles. Their rifling is still reasonably good [esp. now that I've cleaned out 95% of the copper fouling] but obviously the bullets need to be slightly oversized. Order incoming!

 

[PPCLI-Jim]

when Henry at Budget shooter supply returns from vacation check his site.

 

[Suther]

Intersurplus has some reloading supplies for Euro cartridges. They might have bullets for 303.

 

[Potashminer]

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Thank you! If the .313 works for most people, it will very likely work in both my rifles. Their rifling is still reasonably good [esp. now that I've cleaned out 95% of the copper fouling] but obviously the bullets need to be slightly oversized. Order incoming!

Some time ago I had read to make sure there was NO copper jacket fouling in a barrel, when switching over to cast lead bullets. As it happens, I believed that, and went through much commotion to remove last vestiges of copper from barrels, before trying cast lead bullets. So, I have no clue how clean you have to get - or if that is even a thing to worry about, at all. Maybe a thing to watch for, if your initial results are not so good?

Another thing - both read about and discovered (I think) - the cast bullets likely best to fit snugly within the throat - usually is a smidgeon larger than your groove size - but was a guy - Veral Smith - i think he was quite adamant about fit in the throat - to the extent he advocated and perhaps sold "throat packing" kits to establish that size?

I suspect if your bullet is too "fat", then the loaded round might not chamber - unless case neck walls get thinned?

 

[Hmatt]

Intersurplus has bullets in stock.

 

[mbogo3]

In my win 92 44-40 I have to use Win or Starline brass as Rem is too thick for my .430 bullets........custom barrel not .427

 

[Tengoo]

Thanks Hmatt...Intersurplus is an interesting site I was unaware of. All they seem to have are .311 PPU bullets that I'd be leery of, given my difficulty with loaded PPU ammo. Possibly their product will shoot okay in a new test barrel...but not in a 60-y-o rifle that may have literally 'gone through the wars'. Not a bad price however, so they may be worth experimenting with.

 

[Tengoo]

Some time ago I had read to make sure there was NO copper jacket fouling in a barrel, when switching over to cast lead bullets. As it happens, I believed that, and went through much commotion to remove last vestiges of copper from barrels, before trying cast lead bullets. So, I have no clue how clean you have to get - or if that is even a thing to worry about, at all. Maybe a thing to watch for, if your initial results are not so good?

I'll be giving my guns more of a cleaning before I fire them with reloads. My cleaning patches after repeated Wipe-Out applications went from coming out entirely blue-black to merely streaky black. I'll work away at it, keeping your advice in mind. Thank you.

 

[Potashminer]

I'll be giving my guns more of a cleaning before I fire them with reloads. My cleaning patches after repeated Wipe-Out applications went from coming out entirely blue-black to merely streaky black. I'll work away at it, keeping your advice in mind. Thank you.

I clean my barrels almost exclusively with foaming WipeOut - I was going that any "blue" was from copper that was being acted on - when no more blue, that meant no more copper in there. I think the blacks and the browns are from gunpowder ash and soot?? Worst for me by far was the Father-in-Law's sporter M1917 - he had got it in 1960's or 1970's and made no bones that he had never, ever attempted to clean that bore - just shot things with it. Was like going through layers - would get no more blue - lots of black and brown - keep go a couple more cycles and then the blue was back again. As I recall was 14 days - 12 hour soak starting in morning, then scrub out and patch out in evening and another 12 hour soak over night, and repeat. Finally, I was getting "wet", but more more or less "white" patches. Is other ways to do it - pour boiling water though a funnel down the bore and then scrub with cleaner of choice, brake cleaner, carb-out carb cleaner, soak with various things over-night (Varsol, acetone, etc.) with plug on end of muzzle, etc. - I tried most at one time or other on really filthy, "rusty crusty" milsurps, but keep coming back to that foaming Wipe Out.

I am very convinced is different product / procedure required to remove corrosive primer salts, versus bullet jacket copper, versus bullet jacket "cupro-nickel", versus powder soot - I know of no "one thing is good for all".

 

[Tengoo]

Heh..my club gunsmith suggested plugging the muzzle and a 24-hour application of brake cleaner. Could happen...

 

[Snider shooter]

The PPU bullets work well. I have tried them in multiple 303’s, only one rifle didn’t like them. That rifle has a tight bore which will shot 0.308 bullets into 2” groups at 150 metres consistent.
I have a couple different moulds which i most of my 303 shooting is done with. The Lyman 205 gr and Lee 160 gr both shoot excellent. I size then to 0.312. The Lyman bullet shoots better with SPG lube and Lee with RCBS lube. Same alloy and gas checks used.
A fellow I sell my bullets has a load worked out with 160’s and IMR4227. He has sent me pictures of his groups at 75 metres with all 5 bullet holes touching. He is slightly anal on the load testing but definitely worked for him.

 

[Potashminer]

Heh..my club gunsmith suggested plugging the muzzle and a 24-hour application of brake cleaner. Could happen...

"plug the muzzle" - Was what I had tried - thinking that I wanted the juice to actually act on rifling and lands right up to muzzle, so did not think that a "plug" would work - if tight enough not to leak, then some amount of rifling and grooves not getting soaked, right at muzzle. Many of my rifles either did not have front sight, or I had removed at time of the aggressive cleaning, so I made a "sleeve" that got clamped over end of muzzle end of barrel - had barrel pointed down in soft jaw vice - left soak like that. The first version shown has a brass threaded plug in end of 5/8" heater hose - I decided that brass might be causing false readings, so second version (which I can not find just now) has a plastic "bung" like used to replace cork in a wine bottle - it turns out there is not much need for "re-bunging" partially full wine bottles, around here. Other versions attempted included a bung made from wood dowel - which held for some time - but the soaking "juice" eventually would seep through the endways grain and drip out.



And to be clear - I do not recall going through that commotion to remove "copper" residue - in my case was often actual rust - could see it in the bore scope - many times see "pits" that have that rust and crap sit in bottom of it. I got anal enough to want to get "clean pits" - which seem to promptly fill back up in the first few subsequent shots. But I have hunting rifles with multiple pitting along the bore - seem to still shoot good enough for my purposes. I did retire a 308 Norma Mag barrel though - was "cracking" - "alligator skin" - for perhaps 4" ahead of the chamber - pretty much "burned out" / "shot out", I thought - I screwed on a replacement barrel.