303 HPBT 174 Gr.

[enfield303t]

I know everyone agrees the flat base .303 are the most accurate but guys I am wondering why I am having such great results with 174GR. Sierra Match King HPBT projectiles.

I know how accurate many lots of surplus flat base will shoot as I shot countless rounds many years ago. I being a Lee Enfield fanatic made the decision to reload a couple of years ago and to be honest overall the Sierra Match Kings are to me amazingly accurate.

I was out with my son a couple of weeks ago and thought my Savage No4 was off a little and needed a scope adjustment. This gun is in the pictures I have posted in a different thread, it has a old 6X Leupold scope in a S&K no drill mount.

It has always been a pretty accurate gun and you have to understand I am OLD and can't shoot good groups as consistently as when I was 17 however it shot a 1" group at 300 yards. I was using a reactive target we had just repainted and had a hit, called low left by my son, took another and again a low left call. Said to him I was going to adjust the scope and he said, no try one more as I think you are getting a decent group. Well took the third and we drove to where we had hung the target and 1" and it was hard to believe. I am glad I had a tape measure in my vehicle and my son was with me as otherwise no one would believe me.

I shot a 1 1/2" group a few months ago and thought that was never going to be repeated but this one is the best I could even dream of shooting. The gun is one I bought from bearhunter a couple years ago and to be honest has always been a very accurate gun, the thing is I have always reloaded with Match King HPBT 174Gr .311DA.

I am using 40 or 41 Gr of Reloader 15 and weigh each load to a max tolerance of 1/10 of a grain. From what I have always read BT's just don't perform as well a FB projeciles. I am not saying I am a fantastic shot, as before I am now OLD so why should I get excited about reloading with FB projectiles?

I am sure hoping for comments of why I am having such great accuracy with the Match Kings, and believe me on any given day those loads are accurate to the point of being hard to believe.

Every person who has shot the gun with those reloads is amazed at how accurate it is. I can't understand why it is so accurate with what most say are not the right projectiles for that rifle.

Await comments.

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.

[Parashooter]

The 174 MK normally shoots very well in barrels with reasonably tight interior dimensions and relatively little throat erosion. The flat-base bullets often help solve accuracy problems in worn throats or oversize bores simply because they are less liable to yaw when poorly supported.

[muffett.2008]

I tried to respond to this yesterday, but we were going through a heat wave, the computer crashed just when I hit send, let's see if I can do better today.
I've been pumping these pills for several years now, had a fair bit of success in prize meetings to.
The advantages of these projectiles is the long bearing surface, the soft jacket that allows adaquate bump for sealing and their consistant weight/diameter, all plus's when it comes to getting the best out of a barrel.

I have pushed them out of all my L.E's with good results, finding the solution to any slight innacuracy was either bedding or the need to push the pill slightly harder if the barrel was near totalled.

The only times I have had a yaw problem in any rifle was always due to low velocity or incorrect twist and only ever in sporting rifles.

I have only good things to say about this projectile, it overcomes all the problems that were supposedly there about boattail v flatbase.
Attachment 38648 300yds.Attachment 38650Attachment 38651 this is target rifle qualityAttachment 38654

[waco16]

I've had some really good results with the Sierra bullet in my No4T (see pic).
Using neck sized HXP brass containing 43 grains of R15 it gives me pretty much service velocity.

I also got very good results from the Hornaday flat based bullet but thats a soft point and over here in the UK you have to have special permission on your Firearms certificate to have those now.

[muffett.2008]

Woops, massive stuffup, it's a wonder no one picked it, the target shown as a 300yd is actually 500yd and a sight in at that.
Here's the correction........Attachment 38675

.......and here's the right one.Attachment 38676 this possible at 300yds, 2 sighters and 10 to count.
This is the rifle, 1918 Enfield Sht. LE in target rifle configuration.
Attachment 38677 and groups at 100yds.Attachment 38678Attachment 38679

[Snowy Owl]

Same conclusion here - from a rather limited use of that bullet at 100 yards (Lee Enfield No.4 Mk II rifle with a like new barrel).

Remarkably precise bullet but I would not bet my bottom dollar that it would replicate the trajectory of the Mk VII bullet all the way up to 800 yards - using the Mk I backsight of my rifle. I want to be able to use my backsight as far as possible.

Hence, the search for a true "new manufacture" Mk VII bullet (see other thread) but I am not going to hold my breath meanwhile. The experimentation with the Sierra Match King 303 HPBT 174 gr. bullet will be carried on come next spring.

[muffett.2008]

No one will replicate the trajectory of the original round, you are living in a dream world there.
Unless some manufacturer decides to stoke them with cordite.

[Snowy Owl]

My dear muffett.2008,

Come hell or high water, I will still try to replicate the trajectory of the original Mk VII round as long as I live - and with "non-cordite" powders.

That's the kind of challenge that I cannot decline - and shooting is always fun, anyway ! Who knows ? Maybe I will be successful ?

Snowy Owl

[bigduke6]

This is the rifle, 1918 Enfield Sht. LE in target rifle configuration.

Whats the sights ?

[muffett.2008]

PH5A rearsight,modded to 1/4 adjustments, Kiwi modded nosecap with PH tunnel inserts, Motty barrel, bedded with armagrout and rubber nose mod.
Attachment 38698Attachment 38699Attachment 38700