Best Powder for the 03A3

[Hylander]

What are you guys useing ?
I will be loading Sierra 165gr. SBT for hunting.
Looking for a very accurate Load.
looking for a starting point so I don't end up with a dozon Powders laying around.

So what are your Pet Loads ?
Details Please

Information

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[Edward Horton]

Please make your checks or money orders payable for this information to:
Ed wants to get a new Enfield fund.

Article by
Mike Venturino
Handloader Magazine
Aug 2008







If its good enough for Uncle Sugar, its good enough for you.

50 grains of IMR-4895 and a 150 grain bullet

[chainsaw]

I shoot 56.5 grains of H4350 behind a 165 gr Sierra boat tail soft point out of my M1917,not an 03a3 but it might shoot real well out of one.My 1917 shoots this load pretty good,JUST under 1" at 100 yrds.It shoots just over an inch shooting 150 gr steelcore fmj's using 56.0 gr. of IMR 4350.It only shoots the steelcore good because they are the same length as a 165 gr bullet.Regular 150's aren't so good in it.

[TDH]

Thee are three different powders I use. Varget, H4895 and IMR4895 I've tried H 4198 as well. I use 47 grains of any of them pushing a 147 to 150 grain bullet out of my Smith Corona. With better eyes than mine at 100 it has grouped 5 shots under a quarter.

The Hornady data says minimum load of Varget at 47 grains with a max of 50.5 H4895 starts at 43 and ends at 47.5
Lyman says for Imr 4895 that start is 43 grains with a max of 48.5.

My suggestion is pick one of the three or some other powder to your liking start in the middle and work up and down a half grain at a time till you find the best load for your rifle.

All three are excellent powders and I load .308 7.62x39 and .223 with them as well.

[Claven2]

The USGI powder was, if I recall, IMR4895.

[Calif-Steve]

I like Varget, 4064 and then 4895. I think Hornady is using Varget to make their very nice .30-'06 match load. Try their 168 gr. bullet with 46/47 gr. of Varget to duplicate that load.

[bacarnal]

While no mention is made of Winchester powders, 48-48.5gr of Win 846 or or W748 works well with a 150gr, though I can't remember what I used for a 165gr. I did work up a load to try to get my 1919A4 to fire inexpensively using cast bullets. Used the 165gr RCBS silhouette w/gc (actual weight of 174gr w BH of 22) backed by 43.5gr of Win 846. Got a group of 2" at 100yds out of a Savage 111 until the scope (Simmons) failed. Could only get the 1919 to function 1 round at a time with the .30-06 booster and 2 rounds at a time with the .308 booster. It DID function well out of a 1903A4 and at 100yds would put a 1/2" dia hole through a 1/4" steel plate. Bruce.

[Hylander]

OK;
I got some H-4350 and here is my first range report with it.
Bullets: Sierra 165SBT
Primer: WLR
OCL: 3.280

We tried 56.0, 56.5 and 57.0
These were the best loads of the day, 56.5 of H-4350
However 56.0 was not far behind and 57.0 we both had a flyer but we beleive they were shooter error.
Also we both notice a more pronounced Recoil at 57.0 gr.
Primers are flattening, but not bad, extraction is easy.
We are goign to go back to the range with the same loads again to see how they fair again.
will also take the Chrony to see what we are at.

This is from my 03A3 Sporter
56.5 gr. .56 MOA



This is from my brothers Savage 116FHSS BGH
56.5 gr. .43 MOA

[hammonje]

48.0 gr IMR-4895
155 gr Nosler CC BTHP
HXP Brass (2.490")
CCI 34 primer
COAL 3.28"

47.0 gr IMR-4895
168 gr Nosler J4 CC
HXP Brass (2.490")
CCI 34 primer
COAL 3.34"

M1 Garand loads are 1.0 gr lower for each projectile. These are accuracy loads for CMP rifle matches.