Military zeroing of the No. 4 - inconsistent data?

[Rick]

The bayonet on gives correct POI at 300yds off gives the correct POI at 400yds. With the long range sight up bayonet on POI is 500yds off is 600. A sneaky way to work simple made sights. Using a slider sight the bayonet still makes those differences.

That's an interesting piece of information. I received a bayonet in paper wrap with my Long Branch, but I've never taken it out of the wrap, much less fired the rifle with the bayonet fixed.

In fact, I can't remember a single time during my 30 years in the infantry where we fired on the range with bayonets fixed. Other than a few times when we still had the FN, when we did live fire assaults on ranges, the only time I've ever given the order to fix bayonets or been given the order to fix bayonets was for a parade march past/general salute/feu d'joie.

I guess zeroing with bayonets fixed died with the No.4 Mk1 in the Commonwealth. I think I may remember some old, old pams laying around regarding battle procedure at the section level where bayonets were to be fixed if the enemy was within 200 yards (but I also might be dreaming in my hazy old age). If so, zeroing rifles with bayonets fixed perhaps has some merit behind it.

I suppose more than a few Long Branch's had fixed bayonets at Kapyong...

Using hand loads or commercial ammo you will have to make your own range/drop sheet. Even using pulled Mk7 projectiles you cant match cordite with any other powder close but not matched.

My friend who has embarked on this project was also a Small Arms Instructor/Urban Ops Instructor prior to falling down the Lee-Enfield rabbit hole, so I'm pretty sure he's aware he will need to make up his own dope sheets with whatever he arrives at for a load. The last time I phoned him prior to Thanksgiving, he had purchased a bunch of Privi Partisan's 174 gr. bullets (from Graf's, I think).

It's actually a change from the Frankenguns he used to make out of badly Bubba'd Lee Enfields and other rifles that he would pick up for pocket change and drag into his basement lair. The last one I saw he had made kind of Mexican Mauser out of to serve as a camp Bear Wrench when out hunting and fishing on the coast. Ultimate result was something like a 40-65 Maynard, flinging a 400 grain or something like that lead bullet somewhere around 1800 fps.

Trying to emulate straight out of the book is quite a change of pace for him.

I don't even know if there's a G1/G7 ballistic coefficient for Mark VII ammunition - never thought to do a Web search to find out if one is available. Maybe I'll do that later tonight. G1 somewhere around .42?