Acceptable Groups

[mausernut]

Hodgdon' s max is 40 grains and Hornady is 38.9. Lyman does go to 42 grains. Will keep trying and hopefully will get better. BTW I use Caldwell shooting bags filled with corn cob media form this benchrest.
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[browningautorifle]

I use Caldwell shooting bags filled with corn cob media from this benchrest.

All details we are just hearing now...

[CINDERS]

Ditch the corncob and put Garnet in there (sand blasting media) corn cob will always move on ya where as the garnet is heavy and when the bags packed to a good level as there has to be a little give lest you burst the stitching it is a very stable platform as thats what I use in my Farley rest my BR rest and protektor rear bag.

[Ovidio]

Well, 2" at 100 meters is not bad at all, well beyond the specs.
You might be able to still improve that, but it's already a good result.
I might take my No. 4 out one of these days and try it at 200.
Never done it before.
A guy shooting in my same range was among the best 3-4 shooters in the North-East of Italy with a Long Branch last year.
Consistently at that level, but at 200!
I have his reloading data;-D

[ireload2]

In Lee Enfields, 1891 and 1898/09 Mausers I get the best results with the 174 grain RN Hornady .312 and the Sierra 180 grn spitzer .311 bullets. The longer bullets have longer bearing surfaces and the lengths match up to the rifling twist better. Like you I will use Fed 210 primers when I can get them. When Federals are scarce both Rem 9 1/2 and WW WLR primers work well too. I use either of the 4895 powders.

The rifle had a Parker Hale mount with it when I bought it. Scope is a Bushnell Elite 3200. I shoot off of bags at a bench. The loads are with H4895 running from 36 to 39.5 grains. Federal 210 Match primers 150 grain Hornady bullets. I am using 150 grain bullets and a little faster burning powders because this gun has had a 20.75 " barrel put on by Parker Hale. Thought I had better groups with this gun using the same recipe with 210 primers but the info was lost during renovations. Was trying the match primers because of 70 to 80 fps velocity variations. Just for information here is a group from my 6.5 x 55 1899 Oberndorf with iron sights and PMC target ammunitiiion.


Attachment 82954

[TDH]

If you look at the burn charts Varget falls right between the two 4895's

[CINDERS]

Funny my charts say Varget in the USA (ADI's AR2208) is the same as IMR 4064 where as the quoted 4895's your talking about Hogdon 4895 and IMR 4895 is equivalent to ADI's AR 2206H which is a faster powder than the 2208.

Even though the ADI handbook lists 06H with the 174grn its not a powder I would like to use it may replicate the harmonics with how fast it burns but the trade off is felt recoil thats why allot of the guys I shoot with load with including myself use AR 2209 (Hog 414 or Hog 4350 or IMR 4350) a slower powder but is more comfortable to shoot especially when the courses of fire over the day comes to 106 rounds.
I use 174SMK 46gns AR 2209 RP case, BR 4 or Fed 210 Match primers

[Bruce_in_Oz]

With a 150gn bullet in a .303, 4064 / Varget / 2208 are all too show.

Try (OZ) ADI AR2206H. The ADI / Thales website will have current load tables. See also 4895, 3031 and a couple of the Winchester Ball powders.

Also be aware that the original, military acceptance spec was nothing to get excited about.

Viz:

42. Rifle, testing of, - Every rifle will be fired at a paper target, with full sight, leaf and slide down, at a range of 100 feet, from a mechanical rest. trial shots will be fired, if necessary, and the foresight will be adjusted for lateral deviation, or will be replaced by another foresight to correct vertical deviation. Then five rounds will be fired from the magazine; if the rifle fails to put four shots out of the five into a rectangle 1- inch broad and 1 1/2- inch high, or if the blade, foresight, requires to be set more than .03-inch to one side of its normal position, the rifle will be returned to the manufacturer.

Note that the distance is FEET, not yards.

And with SELECTED Mk7 ball.

Once you remove all the bedding features built into a "stock" SMLE fore-end AND change the ammo completely, all bets are off.

2MOA (ish) is well UNDER most mil-spec rifle acceptance figures for standard service rifle / ammo combinations around the world. 3MOA crops up quite regularly in the original numbers.

If you are pursuing something the size of a Red deer, and can sneak within 50m, you will put your bullet within ONE inch of its intended mark. See also "zero range" / "point-blank". Caveat - (buck fever allowing). Be also aware that the higher the sight-line (scope) is above the bore-line, the wackier things get at normal (SHORT) deer hunting ranges.

If you are chasing feral pigs from a bouncing Land-Cruiser, and shooting at ranges from five to thirty metres..................?

[browningautorifle]

a range of 100 fee

So...that's 35 Yds isn't it? The pistol range at the back of camp so to speak...out of the Enfield rest.

[CINDERS]

You forgot the most important one Bruce the PWF = Personal Wobble Factor which we all posses!