Reloading .303 British

[Lariatbob]

I just picked up a nice '47 Enfield MKIII. Starting to compile the dies and stuff. I have been reloading a long time, so I'm very familiar with many different calibers and loads.
I have never reloaded (or at this point shot) a .303 round. Thought I'd ask and see what any of you have found to be good loads. Nothing special, just killing some paper targets and such.
Different powders/bullets/primers, etc., pretty much the same old info.

Thanks for your input!

 

[oldgold]

Got a Brit this spring. Came with dies and cases. I had some 123 grain FMJ bullets [.310] from a SKS project just gathering dust so I thought I'd give them a try. Loaded them over Bluedot and to my surprise got two inch groups @ 100yds.

Very little recoil. Shoots right to the sights.

 

[dirtman]

The 303’s are quite popular up here and some of my friends have got awesome groups with them... I have never loaded for one... I am just to darn hung up on 308’s 223 and a bunch of other cals... good luck, those Enfield’s are good ole guns...

 

[charadam]

I reload for my 1909 SMLE No1 Mk3.

Everything from cast bullet plinking loads (20 grains of almost anything medium to slow burning) though to my own replication of the full service load using the 215 grain FMJ bullet.

Its a joy to shoot with any load and very rewarding to the handloader.

 

[MMCSRET]

I shoot a P-14 Enfield and use Hornady bullets because they are .312 dia. and a modest charge of IMR 4895. Approx. 15 years ago Hodgdon published a 1 page data sheet for older military cartridges. Great data and safe to the older rifles. I do not know where you would find a copy today and mine is gone, but I put all my working loads on 3x5 card anyway. I have some cards that are 35 yrs old, marked good, bad or whatever the result were as I was testing and working up.

 

[armoredman]

My '43 No4Mk1* loves the Hornady 174 gr FMJ/BT over 32gr H4895, COAL 2.950, CCI 200 primers. I can often get 1" groups at 100 yards with this load, benched.

 

[nbkky71]

Check out this link:
http://www.303british.com/id1.html

 

[JeepGeeek]

I have one as well- mine is a sporterized SMLE No4Mk1 bought as a "meat gun".

Will likely be getting one non-sporterized, too. Just something about them...

I would think that the old guns would probably respond well to firelapping. Thoughts?

 

[kragluver]

+1 on the 303british.com link -- good info there. The key to reloading for 303 is NECK SIZE ONLY. The generous chambers in the Enfields are really hard on brass. I use a Lee Collet neck sizing die.

 

[Lariatbob]

Thanks a bunch to everyone. I will take all into consideration. Sunday will be my first shoot, I'll be using Remington factory stuff for that. Then we'll see.....
Can't wait- feels like Christmas Eve.
Anyway, thanks again. Nice response from this board.

 

[JeepGeeek]

so how'd it turn out, Bob?

 

[Lariatbob]

Well, I still "Can't wait- feels like Christmas Eve."
Had to put rear struts on the wife's car....THAT was a fun weekend.

Anyway, Got a for-sure date with the rifle NEXT weekend, so now the
anticipation gets to build a bit more.

Thanks for asking, though. I'll be sure to share the outcome in only 5 more days...but who's counting?

 

[peterotte]

SMLE No4Mk1

It can't be both.
I have a No.4 Mk1 with a two groove barrel and a sporter stock. I haven't fired it yet. It is a project rifle waiting for something like a 6.5x55 Swede chambering (or a 6mm Musgrave - a 7x57 is appealing too).

I have a 1902 LMLE with its original bolt shroud. I fitted a No.4 barrel to it as the original long barrel was 'somewhat' rusted. With a sporter stock and scope fitted, it shoots just great! 1 MOA is a given.

 

[davecampperry]

This may have been said before, if so I apologize. SMLE bolts lock at the rear, so when the ctg fires, the neck seals, but the bolt body compresses, causing the case to stretch. This will cause the brass to separate in 2 to 3 loadings. I shoot only milsurp in my SMLEs and when I get good 303 brass, I size it for my 30-40 Krag.

 

[mkl]

Don't know if this is true nowdays, but many years ago there was a ton of berdan primed ammo out there for the 303 British.

When I first began reloading around 40 years ago, I "discovered" berdan primers by breaking off the decapping pin in my 303 die.

If you have any cases of unknown origin you may want to check to assure they have only one flash hole.

 

[Lariatbob]

Well, finally got to shoot it for the first time. Me, Wife and kids loaded up .22 MkIII, .38 S&W, .357 Gp100, Ar15 and the Enfield. Headed to our favorite spot close to Lyons, Co. It's a bit into the foothills, very nice drive. On the way there, the wind picked up quite a bit. Almost there, and the misty rain starts. Finally there, Damned if it's not SNOWING.
Still sunny, a bit chilly. I told the family I'm not going home without shooting the Enfield.
Carry it to the site. Load up 6 rounds. Blam! Holy Sassafrass! Quite a difference from the AR. Yep, feels alot like a 30.06 I shot once. Second shot- Blam! Damn! That feels good! Seems it shoots a bit high at 50 yards. Shot four more, started to get used to it.
Loaded another 6 rounds. Tried various ranges. Seems to shoot very nice.
By then, snow was coming down a bit harder, the girls (all of them) are starting to whine. No one wanted to shoot it or any of the others.
Drove home. I think I smiled the whole way. Got home, unloaded the car. Started to clean the gun. Cleaned and Lubed. What a breeze. Still amazed how nice the rifling is in the barrel.
Got the brass cleaned. Dies should be here tomorrow. I am picking up some brass and bullets tomorrow. Can't wait for next range day.....

 

[glicerin]

Is your 47 MK111 made in Australia or India? England was making No4 Mk1 by that date. My lee-enfields of all models go from 1896 to 1950's. Neck size only or get a broken case removal tool! Have fun.

 

[JeepGeeek]

can you recommend a neck sizer die, preferably Lee (cheap!)?

 

[Galil5.56]

AA 2460 and bulk Rem 180 grain "303" RN bullets have worked well for me out of a No 4 Mk II. Velocity was around 2450, and Rem factory 180's went 2515 fps. Never slugged the barrel, and would not surprise me if the slugs were a bit on the small size. As far as sizing, I guess you could back off the sizing die from the shellholder a bit to lessen sizing.

 

[kragluver]

JeepGeek: I use a lot of Lee dies and have had no problems. They are well worth the money. I particularly like the collet neck sizing die that Lee makes as it is very gentle on the brass.

 

[Lariatbob]

"Is your 47 MK111 made in Australia or India? England was making No4 Mk1 by that date. My lee-enfields of all models go from 1896 to 1950's. Neck size only or get a broken case removal tool! Have fun."


It's an India creation.
I should be getting my Lee Neck Size dies and Collet crimp die today.

I understand that if I find once-fired brass I need to full length size?

I have 5 lbs of Hodgdon Varget that I use for my AR. The .223 loves it.
There are loads Varget shows for the .303. Has anyone had any experience with Varget?
I appreciate all of the other suggestions from this thread. I'll be sure to post my findings if (when) I try the Varget.

 

[JeepGeeek]

thanks for that last question, as I am going to be loading 223 as well

 

[peterotte]

'Varget', aka AR2208 is all I use. It is almost impossible to overload the case. There is a powder that produces higher velocity in the 303 but who needs more performance? 'Varget' produces all one needs and seems to be quite accurate too. Good starting point powder in my opinion.

 

[Lariatbob]

Great News! Thanks!

Now again I ask the experts- I have found a source for once-fired brass. Do I absolutely need to full lenghth re-size or do I just need to verify it will chamber? Then neck size and let it fire-form again from the second shot?

I'd hate to have to buy another set of dies since I won't be using the .303 as much as my AR, but whatever I need to do it right.

-thanks again.

 

[Slamfire]

I would neck size, being very careful not to bump the shoulder. Then see if the case fits your chamber. If not, just a little more sizing, then check. I hate bumping the shoulder in the 303.

The reason is that shoulder angles, shoulder shapes, and shoulder length are not controlled in the 303 Brit.

One of these days I will take a picture, but I have a bunch of once fired brass, fired in the various 303's I have owned over the years.

I decided to load cast bullets, so I needed to size the cases. That was when I found out that the cases had all fire formed themselves to a potpourri of different shapes depending on the rifle they were fired in.

I had rounded shoulders, angled shoulders, short necks, longer necks, a lot of varibility.

I am only through the first reloading of my 303 brass, all the stuff has fireformed to the chamber of one rifle. And it looks like to get more than a couple of reloads out of the brass, I am going to have to use it only in that one rifle.