New guy looking for some help

[Alan de Enfield]

Thank you for the info. I realize these are really basic questions and I appreciate you taking the time to answer.



I did a little more reading, and it sounds like magazine feed issues can sometimes be specific to the round being fired. I currently have 4 rounds of Winchester Super that came with the gun. They have rather mashed up soft tips and aren't what I will buy if and when I can actually find ammunition for it. (Going to look at local stores today and hope I get lucky.) I'm thinking I will wait until I have the proper ammo before adjusting. I am now a bit paranoid about not damaging the magazine, so I'd like to adjust it as little as possible.

Thanks Again

Forget Winchester, Remington or S&B ammunition.
If you cannot get hold of any original MkVII ammunition (HXP etc) then the Modern commercial by Prvi Partisan (PPU) is about the best 303 in the market and performs fairly closely to the original MkVII and is manufactured with mil-spec cases.

I've posted these before, but see a comparison of both Rim Thickness and case wall thickness of Win & PPU cases - guess which is which :

[CINDERS]

Just be very wary of faffing about with the magazine ears as they are very apt to snapping off they may only need a smidgin of adjustment so I dare say seek out Peter Laidlers article on this site and look up adjusting a magazine and feed lips, heed his words of hard won wisdom. 'Cause if you snap them feed lips off your done new mag body straight up, unless you can mig/tig it back on then dress it up.....

[scottsmich]

Forget Winchester, Remington or S&B ammunition.
If you cannot get hold of any original MkVII ammunition (HXP etc) then the Modern commercial by Prvi Partisan (PPU) is about the best 303 in the market and performs fairly closely to the original MkVII and is manufactured with mil-spec cases.

I've posted these before, but see a comparison of both Rim Thickness and case wall thickness of Win & PPU cases - guess which is which :

Thanks. Any recommendations on brass? I wasn't going to reload this caliber, but it looks like that's the only choice right now.

[CINDERS]

I use 303 RP brass Privi Partisan has taken over here as we have not been able to get 303 RP brass for about 6-7 years.
SMK's fly well as do the old Highland projies (Think they are PPU now!) plus reloadings cheaper and you can find a load that the rifle really likes.

[scharfschutzen63]

If you are going to reload 303, I have had very good luck with a Lee collet neck sizing die. The accuracy is outstanding and it works the brass a minimal amount. This should help with the number of reloadings/longevity of the brass.

[smle addict]

I will confirm what Alan de Enfield and Cinders have said in regards to PPU brass. It is the best, second only to HXP. However, the only caveat I will add to their comments is beggars cant be choosers. ANY 303 brass is hard to find, regardless of makers. If you cant find PPU or HXP, you shouldnt turn your nose up on a bag full of remington or winchester brass, should it become available.

Same applies to bullets. At least in the west, I havent seen a box of .311/.312 bullets for sale anywhere in a very long time.

At the last gunshow I attended, I chanced upon 100 rounds of winchester factory 174 gr loads (white box). Seller let me have them for $80, so I got very lucky. Some guys were selling 30 cal HXP in 80 round badoleers for the M1 Garand. They were asking $200 per bando.

Prices are still at insane levels, and the availability of components is scarce as well. Just my .02 cents.

[CINDERS]

I've used the Hornady 140 grain FBSP out of both my MKIII's and No.4's with success on the range up to 400m they are .312" I seat them as shown in the pic and a medium crimp into the cannular so the projie wont move under recoil or being shoved into the feed ramp loading.

[scottsmich]

Thanks to all!

Until the current shortage loosens up my goal for the rifle is just going to be to get a decent zero with a reasonable group size and at least 20 rounds of ammo. Even that is probably unrealistic right now. I'll hold out for a while and try to find the PPU ammunition.

It's going to be a struggle though. This is the first gun that I have ever owned for more that a week without shooting, and I can hear it calling to me from the gun safe on sunny days with calm winds.

BTW, I did let the friend who gave this to me know that it is a good rifle with good value. He said he just wanted me to have it, so I graciously accepted. Don't want to be rude after all.