Question, search your memory banks

[Edward Horton]

In the old Jouster forum I think it was Terry in Victoria who brought a noted Canadian National Enfield shooter into the forum to post his comments and answer a few questions.

1. Was this shooters name Jim Bullock?

2. Did this shooter say he re-chambered his .303 Enfield’s using a .308 chamber reamer to a wildcat cartridge .303/.308 (.303 bullet and .308 Winchester case)

3. Did anyone remember to copy these postings?

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Alan de Enfield]

Here is an article written by JB on 308's

http://www.smellysmleshooters.net/ammopressure.htm

[Edward Horton]

Thanks Alan I had the Smelly SMLE Shooters bookmarked for some time, what I’m looking for is exactly “who” and “what” this person said about .303 cases.

I thought he said he re-chambered his Enfield’s to use .308 brass because of the poor quality of currently made SAAMI American made .303 British cases and reloading them.

If it was Jim Bullock then he was also involved in pressure testing .303 ammunition and the information he posted would be very interesting to read.

Look at the current load data from Hodgdons with their lower chamber pressures, the Enfield is rated at 45,000 CUP or 49,000 PSI transducer method.

Below from 2008 Hodgdons annual reloading magazine.

[Bindi2]

Ed the varget numbers are exactly the same as the ADI data (2208 no pressure) with the pressure included in Hodgdon

[Edward Horton]

Ed the varget numbers are exactly the same as the ADI data (2208 no pressure) with the pressure included in Hodgdon

Bindi2

Your Australian ADI company is making some of the “new” DuPont IMR series of powders, it has the same loadings and pressures as the photo above.

Remington and Winchester .303 British factory loadings are approximately 43,000 CUP and lower which is the same pressure loading for the first smokeless powder loading of the Enfield Rifle at 17 tsi.

H4227® (AR2205)
H4895 (AR2206H)
H4198 (AR2207)
Varget (AR2208)
H4350 (AR2209)

And Hodgdons is owned by General Dynamics who makes the other half of the old DuPont IMR line of powders in Canada and also owns the Winchester line of ball powders.

Below Hodgdons MSDS sheet for their powders.

MSDS

[Bindi2]

So we are getting higher velocity for lower pressure using 2208 or other powders than cordite.

[Gibbs505]

2. Did this shooter say he re-chambered his .303 Enfield’s using a .308 chamber reamer to a wildcat cartridge .303/.308 (.303 bullet and .308 Winchester case)

Can you do that? I thought that the base of the 303 round was larger then the base of the 308 cartridge?

[Edward Horton]

Can you do that? I thought that the base of the 303 round was larger then the base of the 308 cartridge?

The .308 Winchester base diameter is .470
The .303 British base diameter is .455

Please note that even our American beer cans are larger than Canadian beer cans.

American 12 fluid ounces equals 355 ml
Canadian 12 fluid ounces equals 341 ml (12 imperial fl oz/341 ml)

And sadly even your Canadian coffee cups are smaller but that’s because that side of the family stayed loyal to King George.

[Edward Horton]

So we are getting higher velocity for lower pressure using 2208 or other powders than cordite.

Sorry Bindi2 I use Hodgdons BL-C (2) a double base powder like Cordite which is actually Winchester WC846 and I get higher velocities with lower chamber pressures than Varget-2208.

[Bindi2]

I used 2208 as an example. So if i could measure pressure and load to it the 303 would be equal to and more likely superior to the 7.62 NATO military load that replaced it. I remmeber the sales pitch to the rifle clubs what a con