Reloading 303 brit with 7.62x39 .311 bullets?
- Thread starter Power Pill
- Start date
Yup.
I collect all the dud 7.62x39 I find at the range (good primer strikes, ftf) and pull the bullets. I load them in either 7.62x54R for my Mosin or .303 British for my P14 or No.1. The bullets are normally 120-125gr but I use 125gr load data using H4895 off of the Hodgdon site. Good for plinking at the range but not the optimum bullet weight for either calibre.
My only issue so far is that my No.1 doesn't like anything under .311" so a lot of the .310" bullets tumble and keyhole. My Mosin and P14 eat them up just fine though.
I collect all the dud 7.62x39 I find at the range (good primer strikes, ftf) and pull the bullets. I load them in either 7.62x54R for my Mosin or .303 British for my P14 or No.1. The bullets are normally 120-125gr but I use 125gr load data using H4895 off of the Hodgdon site. Good for plinking at the range but not the optimum bullet weight for either calibre.
My only issue so far is that my No.1 doesn't like anything under .311" so a lot of the .310" bullets tumble and keyhole. My Mosin and P14 eat them up just fine though.
I've seen several Lee Enfields that keyholed 0.311" bullets and a couple did the same with 0.312". Even though their bores often slug to 0.313" and higher, a 0.311" or 0.312" bullet with a long bearing surface (i.e. heavy Round Noses) often shot without keyholing. A light 0.310" bullet might shoot well, but you need to be prepared for it to not.
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- Location
- Lac Pelletier Sask
yep,, been using Barrys Bullets for my SKS, Mosin, and a friends Enfield. 123gr @.313 /.3125 seems to work just fine in all three.
I use a lee C312-155-25 and the CTL312-160-2R in .303 British and 7.62x54R. They seem to shoot decently. They drop from the mould a little over .312 (the sizer JUST BARELY touches them). They're SUPER cheap (about $35/1000 after you factor in lube and gas checks). Free time is free 
Enfield rifling as used in the entire Lee-Enfield series of rifles, the P-14 and the US M-1917 always works best with flatbase bullets in the 150 - 220-grain weight range.
You are shooting these rifles with bullets which are at LEAST .001 undersize and almost 30 grains below the normal minimum weight AND which have (mostly) boat-tailed bases.
It is a massive tribute to the RIFLES that you are getting decent groups at all.
I just WISH that someone would make a plated bullet in the 150-grain area..... one in the 180 area..... and one in the 215-grain weight for all those older rifles.
Most of us don't NEED a 45-cent bullet (plus tax) for massacring empty dog-food cans or pieces of paper.
You are shooting these rifles with bullets which are at LEAST .001 undersize and almost 30 grains below the normal minimum weight AND which have (mostly) boat-tailed bases.
It is a massive tribute to the RIFLES that you are getting decent groups at all.
I just WISH that someone would make a plated bullet in the 150-grain area..... one in the 180 area..... and one in the 215-grain weight for all those older rifles.
Most of us don't NEED a 45-cent bullet (plus tax) for massacring empty dog-food cans or pieces of paper.
I use gas-checked cast or flat-based Hornady 174 gr RN, but I've also tried the "Frontier" bullet sold by Marstar.
Frontier Bullets / CMJ (Copper Plated Bullets) for Long Guns
| Caliber | P-Type | P-Wt | Size | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| .303 Game Ranger | FP | 230grs. | 0.311 | 150 |
It's a 230 gr plated bullet that's essentially a long "tube", and though undersized, it shot well. About $50 for 150.
I pull lots of FMJ bullets out of the surplus cases and seat a hunting tip of varying weights, so I use them in my .303s and 91/30 for plinking.
Andy,
Got my heavier bullets from Steve Redgewell over at 303British.com. He made several runs at varying weights of .314"/".3145" but no one wanted them. I got several boxes of each and they worked great!! No longer interested in making them since he could not sell them and now I need more.
Andy,
Got my heavier bullets from Steve Redgewell over at 303British.com. He made several runs at varying weights of .314"/".3145" but no one wanted them. I got several boxes of each and they worked great!! No longer interested in making them since he could not sell them and now I need more.
I have some of his 195 gr bullets, which are now "my precious".
I have also made my own 0.312", 0.314" and 0.316" bullets by sizing down pulled 218 gr FMJ BT 8mm bullets from the 8X63 Swedish ammo that Marstar used to well. It shot well. I'm pretty much only using cast now.
The thread is here: http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...-0-312-quot-0-314-quot-and-0-316-quot-Bullets
The pics are not up (my ISP went belly up), but it gives the idea.
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Perhaps we could convince him to set up for a limited run of some 200gn bullets f we ordered several thousand and pre-paid? I am in for 500.
