Changing .303 projectiles

[JohnB40]

I'm hoping you guys who reload can help me with a question. I occasionally like to shoot my collection of old Enfields. I have used all my good surplus .303 and purchased a fair bit of PPU 174gr as a replacement.The problem is two of the said Enfields keyhole these rounds at 100 yards,which never happened with the military mk7 rounds. I measured the PPU projectiles and they measure out at .308,the Enfield bore needs .312 + non boat tail bullets . Here is my question .... If I buy one of the Lee hand presses,dies,312 bullets,IMR 3031 powder and bullet puller,can I safely pull the under size bullet,remove the powder leaving the primer in place and reload the round with the new powder and .312 flat based bullets. I have a good stock of factory ammo for my other firearms so initially I just want to take care of the 303 problem
Thanks for any advise

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Welcome to the forum. Simple answer, yes. I've done lots of that. You'll need to neck size to ensure tight grip, so remove the de-capping rod complete and only neck size. You may not even need lube for that, it's just a touch. Then charge and seat as per normal.

[Buntlineguy]

try hornady 3130 bullets. worked for me.
B

[Brian Dick]

I wish S&B and PPU would make proper Mk.7z ammo with .311 flat base projectiles. It seems all of the imported, new manufacture ball ammo is to Mk.8z specification which isn't any good in many well used but serviceable rifles. I think Remington UMC is the only American made .303 ball that's made to Mk.7z specification but it's difficult to find and has gotten quite expensive when you do find it. Winchester made tons of Mk.7z during and after WWII and you'd think there would be a market for new manufacture under their USA brand name target/ball ammo line but they don't offer it.

[bombdoc]

The reason that S&B and PPU make .311 boat tails is that this is what you use in 7.62x54R which is the most popular calibre in their part of the world.. though I wholly agree I wish they would press some flat base .311 FMJ bullets.. Ballistically the boat tail should not make that much difference whilst the bullet is supersonic... the main difference in .303 is that the trajectory is flatter past around 1100M as there is less drag and the bullet does not begin to yaw as much with the boat tail form..

Whoever sold you .308 for loading in a .303 needs reaming with the broad end of a bugle IMHO!

btw it's the bullet that is a Mk 7.. the "z" just means that the cartridge is not loaded with cordite! The bullets in Cartridge Ball MkVII and Cartridge Ball MkVIIz is identical! We Brits loaded everything from .38 to 18" with cordite from 1900 to 1950 so the convention was to mark any ammunition not loaded with cordite!

[25-5]

I had bought a bunch of PPU for my No.4 Mk2. FMJ BT 174gr. Though not as good as reloads, they worked fine, at least to 200yds. I just put the caliper on one and it measures .311. I tried Hornady .3105 and .312 BT and they were not liked. I thought BT was the way to go, but after what I've just read I must try some flat base for some improvement. Thanks guys.

[enfield303t]

I have had excellent results with Sierra Match King 174gr. They are HPBT's but sure work for me.

Product - Sierra Bullets - The Bulletsmiths

[Bruce_in_Oz]

The Russian "outlet", Barnaul, lists loaded ammo and projectiles of the 174gn, FB type. Oddly enough, this is under the 7.62 x 54R listing.

Maybe they prefer to deal with Northern Hemisphere folk as a priority.

Unless your barrel is MINT and TIGHT, do NOT load up with boat-tails, Mk8 or "aftermarket.

[CINDERS]

Where to start with this lot,
I have used the 150gn Hornady Spire points which are .312 FB these fly well to @400m out of my No.4's & MkIII's but lack the puff at 600m I once shot on a Fig.12 at 200m sitting a 48.07/50.10 & 50.04/50.10 for a 98.11/100.20 think I had 42ns AR 2208 sat the projie out till the lip of the neck was level with the bottom edge of the cannular then gave it a medium crimp. So they work not to bad.

Highland 174gn I brought the last 400 from the gunshop here and they are sitting for a rainy day competition they worked really-really well but highland no longer make them so that's a dodo right there.

Taipan 170gn HPFB .312 the creme dela creme of the 303 bullets no longer made by Malcolm Bone (I have 1 packet left of a 100 for posterity) well he wont make them any more as it costs to much he has I think the original gear from the Lithgow Factory I have rung him on 4-5 different occasions asking but he has said to me that as before will not be happening.

Sierra's 174 SMK's are a HPBT which work well in my rifles and everyone else using them has good results I just speck up the ogive the same as the ogive on a Mk VII round seems to work I use 46gns AR 2209.

The Bullet Factory 174gn HPFB not had much work up on these just did as above with the same charge seem to group well so results are promising our club has a service rifle/sniper shoot on the 26th Nov against the SASR so will report the results after that on the bullets performance, the winners are a for gone conclusion we have beaten them once but only just by a couple of points I was lucky enough to be part of that team now they are very hard to get near.

So many variables the main being the age and cond of the rifles, a persons loading habits like a slap and dash she will be right cobber within a grain is close enough and jump crikey as much as a Kangaroo hops at full tilt, what works for my rifle may not work in yours the only way is to batch them how you wish remaining in the safe zone and go from there range time-range time-range time and then more range time experimenting as you go till it all gells together, we have all had to do it working up loads that work.
I have been at these things for 30 years experimenting but there is so much more to it than having a good bullet things extra like bedding, trigger control, environmental factors, shooters ability, kind/unkind markers! yada yada on it goes........

[Omark]

The Russian "outlet", Barnaul, lists loaded ammo and projectiles of the 174gn, FB type. Oddly enough, this is under the 7.62 x 54R listing.

Maybe they prefer to deal with Northern Hemisphere folk as a priority.

Unless your barrel is MINT and TIGHT, do NOT load up with boat-tails, Mk8 or "aftermarket.

We use the barnaul 174s down here in New Zealand and they seem fine. They are a flat base and need to be weight sorted but with 39gns 2208 they shoot well out to 300yds
They do a 185 boat tale as well. Both are made for the russian 7.62x54 round