.303 Jungle Carbine Sell or reload

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lobo9er

lobo9er

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Just seeing if there are any opinions here. I have a Jungle Carbine in a Fagen stock set up for hunting, but commercial ammo is 10-20 dollars more than .308. So I was thinking of selling it off to buy another .308... or I could start to reload... or I could sell it off, buy a 308 and reloading stuff for that....
Any thoughts...
 
I think you outta reload for 303 Brit.

308s are a dime a dozen. There's something special about tripping the trigger on a critter with a rimmed cartridge and a cock-on-close action.
 
Ive always loved the jungle carbs, especially with sporter stocks...yeah, im one of those guys....

Anyway, if you dont feel any great attachment to the rifle or round you probably want to move it along. If cost is an issue, the .308s gonna be cheaper, even reloaded. You can probably go strait into a decent 308 hunting rifle from the JC.

Personally id probably keep it and reload for it, but im also one of, those guys....
 
I live in the NY where our fearless leader coumo has made mail order ammo illegal and I haven't been able to find any .303 wolf or anything cheap locally, only pritzen and winchester which is running around 33 a box while the hornady american 308 is 21ish a box. (my current go to 308) so to me it didn't make sense to buy any... I removed its scope so I figure sighting it could could cost me a box or 2 if I run into any issues... Any how I am leaning towards keeping it and reloading. I love its action, I would buy a 2a/2a1 enfield in 308 if one popped up locally and then problem solved :)
 
lobo9er said:
Just seeing if there are any opinions here. I have a Jungle Carbine in a Fagen stock set up for hunting, but commercial ammo is 10-20 dollars more than .308. So I was thinking of selling it off to buy another .308... or I could start to reload... or I could sell it off, buy a 308 and reloading stuff for that....
Any thoughts...
Click to expand...
If you reload .303, neck size the cases only and DON'T load hot.

The .303s almost all have excessive head spacing so they work well in muddy environments. And thus the cases don't last but a few loadings. I'd get fresh brass, and use Unique or some pistol powered with plinker 100 gran bullets to fireform the cases to the chamber. Then neck size the cases only so they last a while.

Deaf
 
For guns i know have long chambers (usual in belted magnums), ill size my brass up a cal or so, then size back down to a crush fit. keeps the cases from stretching too much at the back on the first shot.
 
If you decide to reload .303, let me mention that I've had far, far more case failures with PPU brass than any other brand. Case head separations.

Just wanted to toss that out.....
 
Speaking of case head failures.. if it happens, use a pistol cleaning rod with a .45 brass brush to take the offending case out of the chamber.

Deaf
 
you guys are awesome. This week coming I'm gonna buy some dies I have a lyman spartan press that has been collecting dust for many years that belonged to my grandpa. I suppose its time to learn. I have a refurbished leupold rifleman and some warne rings I will top it with.
 
I too have seen case failures with PPU brass on 303 and 30 WCF.

My RP and Winchester brass though has been great. Just necksize and you are good to go.

I really like 145 gr gas checked cast bullets and 4198. Easy shooting in my #4Mk1.

Cool thing is if you find some culls or pulls from AK or Mosin ammo then you can use the bullets generally...same diameter at 311-312. I'll play around with the 123 gr and some Trailboss powder for some VERY low recoil and low report plinking ammo. Of course a jungle carbine will be a bit louder I am sure.

My next step is casting my own bullets...I have the lead just need the equipment.


Have fun!
 
I live in New York and load for my two Enfields. Both are good shooters. I neck size only. I have had good results with lead and copper bullets.
 
My many reloaded .303 cases always indicate excessive stretch (wear) when you see a pale/beige-colored ring by the rim.

The colored ring goes around the case at the rim.
 
Deaf Smith said:
Speaking of case head failures.. if it happens, use a pistol cleaning rod with a .45 brass brush to take the offending case out of the chamber.
Click to expand...
That might work for a case head separation, an actual case head failure, especially in an SMLE, is more likely to send you to the ER than it is searching for a way to remove the remnants of the case from your shattered rifle.

Let's be clear with our terminology, due to generous chamber dimensions the SMLE in .303 is known to have a higher than average number of case head separations, especially with excessively resized reloads, but I don't think it's known for having any more actual case head failures than other military rifles of its day.
 
I've seen new, brass cased, boxer primer ammo for 303 for about $10-12 box. I sold my 303 a few months ago to fund another project that still hasn't happened. I'll regret that one for a long time.
 
You can never tell what's going to happen with surplus ammo prices.

About a year and a half ago I picked up three cases of "Grade B" .303 ammo from Cheaper Than Dirt. The product description only said that it was "Grade "B" military surplus of mixed headstamp ammo on stripper clips. I took a chance and ordered a case. When the first case was delivered, I examined the ammo and immediately ordered two more cases.

The ammo in all three cases turned out to be 1969 and 1976 dated Greek HXP in Boxer primed reloadable brass cases. Only a few of the cases showed anything more than a light patina and the rounds all polished up fine after 40 minutes in the tumbler.

Total cost with tax and shipping was only 27 cents a round and it came on brand new looking "British Pens" marked stripper clips worth about a buck each.

I've fired about 100 rounds out of my Pattern 14 with no duds and decent accuracy. I gave half a case to a another member here and he's had no problems with it in his SMLE.

Sometimes you just get lucky, I always figured the era of decent, reasonably priced surplus .303 ended 20 years ago. :D
 
I had a real nice Jungle Carbine, when I lived in Toronto. Never fired it.
Lent it to my cousin, he fired two rounds, did not clean it, kept it for two months! ruined the barrel! Last time I ever lent a firearm, ever.
I did see one with a .308 barrel. Is that feasible, cost wise?
 
I have had the odd case head separation---

412819793.jpg

---and it's no big deal.
Swampman is correct---"Let's be clear with our terminology, due to generous chamber dimensions the SMLE in .303 is known to have a higher than average number of case head separations, especially with excessively resized reloads, but I don't think it's known for having any more actual case head failures than other military rifles of its day."

-----krinko
 
Ya know....i just remembered smles were rear locking.....hrrmmm might need to get one to keep the memory jogged
 
lobo9er:

There is a huge amount of information on reloading the .303 British round to shoot in Lee Enfield rifles. For a starter try Steve Regwell's website: www.303british.com

You should be able to reload accurate ammo for your No5Mk1 carbine for only a little more than .308 Winchester ammo. Watch for sales on .311 diameter bullets. This spring, Midway had a sale on the Hornady .312-174 RN bullets so I bought 600 just to have them in stock. Privi Partisan brass is available at Graffs or you can back order some from Mid-South or Midway.

To make your brass last a lot longer, fire-form new cases with a thin "O" ring under the case rim. That will take up excess military head-space and insure only the front part of the case expands. Neck size for subsequent reloads and avoid setting the shoulder back. Don't "hot-rod" you reloads but stick with military issue velocities and bullet weights and you will get 15+ reloads from your cases.
 
Reload for it. The .303 is a good round. As noted fire form and then neck size. I've read adding a O-ring rolled down to the rim for the first firing holds the case firmly against the bolt face and helps center the case for that first fire form. Good luck.
 
lobo9er said:
I live in the NY where our fearless leader coumo has made mail order ammo illegal and I haven't been able to find any .303 wolf or anything cheap locally...
Click to expand...
Have you tried talking to any of your LGS's to see if they could order ammo for you on a "cost plus X percent" basis? Even if you had to pay shipping plus an extra 10 or 15 percent, you should be able to get good reloadable.303 ammo for less than $20 a box if you buy in quantity.

http://ammoseek.com/ammo/303-british?from=resultspage

If you do decide to reload, I highly recommend the Hornady 174 grain round nose .312 bullet.

It's easy to work up accurate loads with this bullet, even when your rifle has some throat erosion or a less than perfect bore.
It has a poor ballistic coefficient, but kills well at short to medium range.

It seems like boattails are a lot harder to get good accuracy with. The 174 grain Sierra MatchKing's don't shoot as accurately as the cheap RN Hornady bullets in most of the .303 rifles I've loaded for.

I have a bunch of pulled .311", 7.62x54R, 147 grain Czech steel core boattails that I bought cheap years ago. They shoot OK out of my PSL, but print patterns rather than groups out of the .303's I've loaded them for.

Cheap Hornady Z-Max bullets shoot pretty well even though they're only .310" in diameter, but I wouldn't use them for hunting anything bigger than a coyote, especially at .303 velocities.
 
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