British Enfield's...How Good Does Yours Shoot?

[Driftwood Johnson]

With regards to cast bullets, I assume you slugged the bore. I once had a NO.4 with a .315" groove dia. Accuracy was hopeless as my largest bullet was .314". Then I tried shotshell buffer which made a HUGE difference. I've no idea why, but it definitely worked.

35 Whelen:

Yeah, but I don't still have the one that keyholed so badly, so I don't remember what it slugged at.

As I said earlier, the Savage gun has just two skinny little grooves. They are very deep, I seem to recall the slug came out with two tiny fins on it that were .317 in diameter. The biggest bullets I have are .314 in diameter. I really don't think a larger bullet would make any difference, other than perhaps raising pressure too much. Since the grooves are so thin, I think the bullet is simply stripping as it goes down the bore, the two grooves are too narrow to get a good hold on the lead, although they get a good bite on the harder copper jacket of a jacketed bullet.

I slugged the Australian gun that shoots so well with anything, but off the top of my head I don't remember what size it slugged to. But I was using the same .314 bullets.

Now I have a question for you.

What in the dickens is shotshell buffer? I have never heard of that.

 

[madcratebuilder]

madcratebuilder: Beautiful rifles, what butt cuff is that on the second rifle? Also what scope mount and scopes are you using on yours? They look great.

-Jenrick

Thanks

The cheek pad is from HERE

The scope mount is a older S&K unit. The older ones use the Leopold style rings, the newer ones have a Picitinny rail and the scope sets a fraction higher.

 

[stan rose]

Hi Doug,
There was quite a bit of sarcasm in my post. I like Enfields and was complimenting the groups posted. If I offended anyone I apologize, sometimes I forget sarcasm sounds better than it reads.

 

[MJ]

150g Game King, these are not 100 yard target rifles so this in my 300 yard round after that it's the 174g Match King.

 

[Rapidrob]

Once you find the bullet diameter your rifle likes, you can get very good long range accuracy. All of these targets were fired with open sights from the bench.

.410 Enfield shotgun at 50 yards using .40 pistol bullets stacked.


7.62 NATO 2A1 rifle at 300 meters-hand loads


600 yards, hand loads,calm wind


SMLE at 200 yards, hand loads,from the prone


SMLE with a .313c bore shooting .311 bullets


.7.62 NATO ball left target and hand loads right 2A rifle


1916 SMLE 200 meters Britt surplus ball



I have had good luck using rifles with very good bores out to 800 meters using MK VII Ball ( same lot number ). With worn bores or over-sized bores, I hand load using .312 or larger bullets and get results as you have seen. None of my rifles are bedded or otherwise accurized in any way other than stock screw tension.

 

[stl_303]

This was my first time ever firing centerfire, first time on an Enfield, and my first time with this particular rifle (44 Lightgow SMLE MkIII*)

crap "POF" Pakistani ammo.. about 1965...



started on the right target and moved to the left.

I was happy enough with it myself. I'm not that good of a shot to begin with.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I have a no 5 sporter (real no 5) bsa that was sporterized. When I first got it, it grouped like a shotgun at 50 yards. I didn't give the old gun much of a chance. My buddy told me about J & B bore paste and I went to work. I wore out 2 brand new brushes and the groups shrank a whole bunch. I worked on the barrel some more and started reloading. For some reason my rifle loves my handloads and reloads. It doesn't matter if I use ak bullets or 180 Remmies. It likes IMR4064 & H335. On an average day I can hold most shots at about 3" (scoped) and I have shot under 2" too. I usually don't let the barrel cool off and my shots don't string like my mini 14. It does not like factory ammo for reasons unbeknown to me.

 

[Jenrick]

madcratebuilder: Thanks for the link to the butt cuff. What type of glass are you using, I love the look.

-Jenrick

 

[35 Whelen]

35 Whelen:

Yeah, but I don't still have the one that keyholed so badly, so I don't remember what it slugged at.

As I said earlier, the Savage gun has just two skinny little grooves. They are very deep, I seem to recall the slug came out with two tiny fins on it that were .317 in diameter. The biggest bullets I have are .314 in diameter. I really don't think a larger bullet would make any difference, other than perhaps raising pressure too much. Since the grooves are so thin, I think the bullet is simply stripping as it goes down the bore, the two grooves are too narrow to get a good hold on the lead, although they get a good bite on the harder copper jacket of a jacketed bullet.

I slugged the Australian gun that shoots so well with anything, but off the top of my head I don't remember what size it slugged to. But I was using the same .314 bullets.

Now I have a question for you.

What in the dickens is shotshell buffer? I have never heard of that.

The thin/skinny grooves you're talking about is simply 2-groove rifling. I have a Savage No. 4 and two 1903A3's that have 2-groove rifling and they all three shoot cast bullets very, very well.

Shotshell buffer comes in several forms, but PSB (now called PB) is available from Ballistic Products and is very, very fine plastic. I mean fine like the sand in an hour glass. When I used it, I'd load a starting load with IMR4198 or SR4759, fill the remainder of the space in the case to the bottom of the neck with buffer, then seat the bullet. It worked miracles in oversized bores. Some people also use Cream of Wheat instead of buffer.

35W

 

[ironhead7544]

With good ammo and sights I expect 2 inch or under groups from a good bore. Some of the surplus ammo is very old and accuracy suffers. Handloads really perk up these rifles.

 

[MJ]

1 minute 4 shots at 100 yards on air rifle targets. I did not win this one,,,lol I was third out of six. Eveyone shoots at the same time so there is a little pressure and it was lots of fun being the only vintage rifle.