.303Br with Cast/Preliminary Results

[kragluver]

I too have had good luck with between 19-22 gr of SR4759 under a 180 gr CBE bullet sized .315 (air cooled WW; no filler). Easy on the shoulder and great for punching holes in paper (my kids can shoot it too). I've tried PSB filler in the past with no luck; however, I may give it another try with this load and see what sort of differences it makes.

Also, take care when using filler as you need to account for the weight of the filler when working up your powder charge. Add the filler weight to the bullet weight (e.g., 180 gr bullet + 20 gr filler = 200 gr) and keep your max charge weight at or below the published max load for the heavier weight (200 gr in my example). Never use filler with a "slow" powder as this can lead to excessive pressures.

[billw_willy]

I use 13 grains of Unique under the Lyman 314299 bullet unsized but lubed with a gas check. This is very close to a max load with this bullet according to the lyman manual. I have found these bullets are more accurate unsized than sized.
I have also found that one martine 303 and two No.4 rifles will cause the bullet to tumble with every cast bullet I have tried. All have bores larger than 0.314".

I'm just now reading this thread on the 303 Brit. I have a #1, #4 and #5 that taught me many lesson on bullet size after I slugged the bores and used Cerrosafe to cast the chambers and throats. The #1 5-groove worked perfectly with the 314299 casting at 0.313/0.303 body and nose, and lubed in a 0.313" size die. The #4 Long Branch 2-groove bore was 0.317"/0.303" and although the 314299 shot OK sized in a 0.314", it wasn't as accurate as I wanted and so I had a custom mould made in 0.318"/0.305" with a 0.318" lube/size die and incidentally this bullet solved the #5 keyholing with the 314299. Temporarily, I shot the #5 with Nabisco Instant Cream of Wheat (COW), granulated, not flake as a filler with a carefully reduced load of rifle powder and this took care of any keyholing. I was so happy I kept pushing the target frame from 50 out to 400 yds and got a 14" group on the 24" square frame. The #5 5-groove bore was of normal 0.313"/0.303" dimensions but the throat was larger and longer than the #4 rifle but tool marks indicated that the throat was not worn. I have not shot a jacketed bullet in any of them although I have some modern factory loads. I had no trouble getting the bigger diameter bullet to shoot in either rifle. I used Lee Collet dies to only neck size in order to preserve the limited brass I had for 3 rifles. The #5 had been "bubba'ed" by cutting off the rear sling attachment and the barrel was blued; all else was about normal other than 4 tapped holes on the left side apparently for a mount of some kind. After having cataracts and didn't know it, I designed a scope mount of aluminum to fit a Weaver base for a scope in order to see better. I now have lens implants and have distant vision vs. severe myopia (that has its advantages) and have to use reading glasses to see the FS. I made a tool to loosen the #4 FS set screw in order to adjust the FS; it is the reverse image of a flat head screwdriver made from a junk screwdriver. The #1 and 5 FS must be forced to move with the proper tools and a vernier caliper is useful to measure the amount of adjustment. I use a drift and mallet.

My powder charges have ranged from 12.0 gr Unique or AA#2(two), 17-4227, 18 gr 2230-S with COW (no airspace!) and all loads were about 1400-1500 fps and comfortable to shoot. I really like these old warhorses and I have a bunch of other military rifles and handguns I load with cast bullets.

I have found some alloys (wheelweights with arsenic) can be hardened with water dropping from the mould or heat treating in my kitchen oven at 450F for 45 minutes and quickly quenching in tap water, aged for at least 30 hours and then lubed and seating of gas checks. I usually add an equal amount of soft lead sheeting lead to my WW metal to get the sprue cuts cleaner and sharper without any tears or bumps. If the bullet needs any major sizing or other forming, it should be done prior to heat treating with gas checks seated (my best method) or immediately after heat treat with gas checks seated and lubed. The hardening process starts within 30 minutes of quenching and final hardness is reached between 30 and 72 hours. An oversized bullet after aging is a booger to get through a size or taper die and I know that for sure.
Bill McGraw

[gerry303ca]

Lee have a .32 SWC 90 gr pistol bullet mold sized .314. I wonder what that one would do in a Lee Enfield. Has anyone tried it? The Hornady .32 cal (.312) 85 gr HP/XTP handgun bullet works well in most of my Enfields with 40 gr of H4895 at 50 metres with little recoil, great for the kids or wife.

[muzzle flash]

The 90 gr. might work but I doubt it. You need to have cast bullet's snug up against the land's. With this short bullet you will most likely be .500 thou. off the lands. But you dont know until you try.

[smelly sam]

Best thing in developing tight groups is slugging out the barrel, although measuring a five groove barrel can be a bit tricky as no two grooves or lands line up across the diameter of the projectile.

Then me thinks why not fill them in... insert the slugged lead into a low speed drill, drill into a block of soap or wax, remove and then measure.

Found that .001" over groove size worked best.

Best moulds come from CBE in Australia and he has a new range for .303 Brit.

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