question about .303 british

[Expendable Nate]

I'm fairly new to reloading and even newer to reloading rifle so please bare with me. I started loading 303 this evening for the first time and I have noticed that some of my projectiles slip right into the case. Now the brass I'm using is mixed and the projectiles are seirra
150 grain .311 diameter. Am I missing a step? How can I fix this? Thank you all for your time and insight in advance .

 

[mwjones]

For some reason the case neck is not being sized properly. I would guess it's the die.

Put your shellholder in the ram of the press. Extend the ram to its highest position. Screw your sizing die down until it contacts the die. Lower the ram. Screw the die down another 1/4 of a turn and tighten lock ring.

Try that and see what happens.

 

[migrant hunter]

Are you using a collet die or full length die to size? A collet die can deprime a case without sizing it
if it's not screwed down far enough.

 

[Expendable Nate]

 

[migrant hunter]

That's a full length die, should work. Measure inside the case mouth before and after.
You want to be one or two thou smaller for neck tension.

 

[LeeEnfieldNo.4_mk1]

Is that how the de-priming pin sits when you use it? Its protruding quite a bit. It should only protrude about 1/4 of an inch or so. If you were using it like that it would have prevented a full stroke that might have been enough to prevent the neck from being fully resized.

Thats by guess anyway.

 

[migrant hunter]

Well spotted, that's probably going to bottom out inside the case. I like to make a big black mark on my case necks with a sharpie
so I can see how far down the neck I'm sizing. Some I size to the shoulder, some I only size 1/3 of the neck, depends what it's for.

 

[bigedp51]

Do yourself a big favor, raise the decaping spindle as stated earlier but understand this. If you full length resized British .303 cases and shoot then in a military Enfield rifle you will have very short case life and case head separations.

Below is a fired .303 British case resting in a Wilson case gauge and if you full length resize your cases you will pushing the case shoulder back the same distance the case is sticking above the gauge.

You want to forget the case has a rim and let the case headspace on its shoulder and the shoulder will hold the case against the bolt face.

If full length resize the case per the dies instructions as mwjones stated your cases will stretch and have case head separations.

The Enfield military chambers were reamed larger in diameter and longer to the shoulder location in 1914 because of the dirty muddy conditions of trench warfare. These larger chamber standards were kept after WWI and the Enfield rifles chamber is like parking a MINI Cooper in a hangar for a 747.

So do not relearn what other Enfield owners have already learned, buy a neck sizing die and your cases will last much, much longer.

 

[Expendable Nate]

Thank you all for your help. Like I said I'm painfully new at this and instead of heckling you provided advice. Thank you

 

[Donny Fenn1]

Are using the right sized bullets?

 

[Expendable Nate]

Are using the right sized bullets?

I hope so

 

[Surplus1]

My lee enfields like the 150gr sierras. If you do neck size only the casings will probably only fit in the rifle it was fire formed in. I neck size for mine and i am up to 7 or 8 reloadings on my brass i think you would have better results neck sizing instead of full length resizing for the lee enfields

 

[Doors of Perception]

My lee enfields like the 150gr sierras. If you do neck size only the casings will probably only fit in the rifle it was fire formed in. I neck size for mine and i am up to 7 or 8 reloadings on my brass i think you would have better results neck sizing instead of full length resizing for the lee enfields

Would this apply to loading for a ER P14 in 303 British as well?

 

[Surplus1]

Im not that familiar with the p14 but you generally should get longer brass life and better accuracy with fire forming your brass and neck sizing it 8n a bolt action rifle

 

[Donny Fenn1]

Ok, just checking. Lof s of guys throwing 308 bullets in 303 and wondering what's up (and some have no problem at all).

 

[sunray]

Lee-Enfield barrels really need slugging before you buy bullets. They can vary in diameter between .311" and .315" and still be considered ok. A .311" won't a shoot well out of a .313 + diameter barrel. A .308" bullet is the wrong diameter in any Lee-Enfield.
Don't worry about the decapper being down so far. It's adjusted after you set up the dies correctly. That'd be so the shell holder just kisses the bottom of the die with the ram all the way up.
Pattern 14's are an entirely different thing. No daft barrel variations for one.

 

[rookie wildcat]

Lee-Enfield barrels really need slugging before you buy bullets. They can vary in diameter between .311" and .315" and still be considered ok. A .311" won't a shoot well out of a .313 + diameter barrel. A .308" bullet is the wrong diameter in any Lee-Enfield.
Don't worry about the decapper being down so far. It's adjusted after you set up the dies correctly. That'd be so the shell holder just kisses the bottom of the die with the ram all the way up.
Pattern 14's are an entirely different thing. No daft barrel variations for one.

Set up the dies with no case to touch the shell holder in this case and I can PROMISE you the expanding mandrel will bottom out on the case web. Where do you find your mis-info?

OP, you mentioned that the brass is mixed brand. It is mixed "range" brass or mixed from your rifle? Range brass presents a whole 'nother deal in that the necks may already be hardened and won't spring back to provide neck tension after re-sizing.
I'd go with the die set-up first.
Check the case length of the cases that have no tension against those that held the bullet. I'd be willing to bet that they are shorter than the ones that held. How I'd fix this problem is to now set the de capper pin up into the die so that it won't push out the new primers, but will resize the case and expand the necks properly, and run the batch again. You'll probably wind up with serviceable ammo when you seat the bullets next time.
Let us know how you make out.

Ted

 

[tokguy]

17 posts and not one 'O' ring trick mention?
Cool, 1st one up!
It's your friend, google that topic.

 

[H4831]

17 posts and not one 'O' ring trick mention?
Cool, 1st one up!
It's your friend, google that topic.

He has quite a way to go, before he gets to talking about the O ring trick!
Firstly, screw that dam decapper up to where it belongs, then properly set the die, as to how hard it hits the shell holder, or if it should clear the shell holder.

 

[bigedp51]

17 posts and not one 'O' ring trick mention?
Cool, 1st one up!
It's your friend, google that topic.

That is why I didn't post the o-ring trick, I didn't want to overload the subject.

Depending on your rifles headspace if its on the long side you can slip a rubber o-ring over the case and down to the rim. This holds the case against the bolt face and when the o-ring is compressed it centers the rear of the case in the rear of the chamber. American made .303 cases are on the small side in diameter and they have thin rims.

"BUT" as H4831 stated get the die straightened out first and maybe try partial full length resizing and not bump the shoulder.
And as I stated before your better off with a neck sizing die only and make your brass last longer.

You can also try fire forming your cases with .312 pistol bullets using Trail Boss powder and reduced loads.