HBC in OZ about to make 303 projectiles????

[ssj]

Trying to confirm this but someone verbally told me on Saturday that this is the case. Hope so as Sierra Matchking's are $1 each here in NZ

Information

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[brnom2]

It may be a wise decision on HBC's part business wise, as I gather they have lost the contract with NRAA (National Rifle Assoc of Aust) to supply the projectiles for the .308 match grade rounds used by those that shoot Fullbore Target and don't hand load ("factory rounds" as most fullbore shooters call them) And I believe the .308 match proj were their only line of manufacture, although I may be mistaken about the last point

[ssj]

I use the HBC's here in NZ getting them via NRAA NZ they are proving popular. For 1000yds the BC is so much better I can stay supersonic over the Nosslers for the same ADI 2208 load and the accuracy is damn good.

I think there is a big following for 303british worldwide and its been seeing a resurgence and teh Sierra have got obscene in price. It used to be 2 maybe 3 of us popping away at Trentahm a few years ago, now 6+ Together with Criterion making new barrels woo hoo.



Now if they only decided to make a 223 as well.

[brnom2]

HBC's were very popular here in West OZ fullbore shooting up until about 12 months ago with many now going over to the Berger

I have also seen a rise in popularity of Service Rifle Shooting over last few years (which is good to see) and the increase in demand for .303 reloading components

[Bruce_in_Oz]

The HBC bullets are perfect for Schmidt Rubins as well, especially the K31 and Zfk55 that have very short throats and need a secant ogive bullet.

"Fullbore" shooters tend to be, as the Kinks sang; "Dedicated followers of fashion".

[ssj]

Hi Steven

Thanks for your interest - yes, we will be manufacturing the .303 Mk V11 (flat based, hollow point, x174gr) hopefully by the June. Just waiting for tooling for this to arrive from the US.

All the best

David Gifford
CEO - Optimus Projectiles

[Patrick Chadwick]

David, if you are going to make bullets suitable for a .303, please make some arrangement for export to Europe without a chain of middlemen sending the price into the stratosphere.

I have had great success with the Hornady 3130s (round nose, flat base, 174gn), but these now seem to be unobtainable through dealers, and command an excruciatingly high price if they appear on an online auction. It has reached the stage where one has to save on practising to eke out the dwindling stocks to cover competition needs.

With all respect to the enthusiastic Antipodean Enfield market, the total number of shooters of Enfields (and Mosins and 7.65x53 Argentine/Peruvian Mausers) over here is probably far, far greater. Again and again I have demonstrated that someone with a "worn out" barrel only needed to ditch the boat-tails and use a properly sized bullet to shoot well.

In a business sense, think of us...

[Bruce_in_Oz]

If the weight, external profile and balance are a near-match for the good old Mk7, then we will have a winner.

Engineering grade "juggling" of jacket thickness and the weight of the core will allow an "air space" at the pointy end. This will eliminate any need for a fancy (and potentially precision-reducing) "nose plug" as fitted to "real" Mk7 bullets, whilst fairly closely maintaining the "balance" of the original.

I'm up for a thousand to feed the family "fleet".

[muffett.2008]

Gotta say, running a NRAA club and using thousands of the HBC's per year, as well as the assembled rounds, I have not heard or seen any indication of a move away from HBC.
would appreciate a reference to this effect...........or will wait for clarification from the Association.
As we are now mostly reloaders, we are allowed to use several different projectile brands in the 155gr weight range, HBC is still the projectile of choice from some of the top shooters.........I'm sure there would be immediate comment if this move away was true.

[Bindi2]

To duplicate the Mk7 it will need to have a soft plastic ball in the nose to make the length right and the open base stays as it should.