Patching a 303 Brit

[Castaway]

Hunting season is over and I have time to do some range work.  Tried last year to get my combination right for patching my SMLE but didn't have any luck.  I'd appreciate any suggestions.  I'm using a Lee, 170 grain 30 caliber bullet.  What powders would you suggest for 100% case fill that stay within pressure limits for the Enfield?

[charlie45]

:grin: Sure wish someone would help out! I could use some guidance also. Please help!

[charlie45]

I looked it up in mt Lee Modern Reloading book, H4350 jacketed 180 gr. @43.0 to start and 46.0 compressed. I'am trying the 43.0 this weekend and will advise.
ps; 43.0 = 2182 fps :grin:

[lgm270]

How about patching .308 cal bullets in a 303 Brit?  

Ross Seyfried wrote about doing this in Guns & Ammo mag some years ago, only with a .318" 8mm Mauser.  Said it was a good way to take an oddball caliber out of mothballs.  Used paper patching with a .308" 200 Grain Nosler partition.

[Dan Cash]

I have had reasonable luck with the Lee 170 cast 20:1 and R15.  Have not patched it as it fit the bore of the one SMLE I used it in and it shot as well as a jacketed .311 bullet.  A judicious charge of 2400 and the same bullet work better.

[Brithunter]

Hi Dan,

     Hmmm I am wondering if your the same Dan Cash I know? Moving from Kentucky up north into the cold? If so them I guess you would realise who I am. You friend and fellow Gun Nut from England.

[charlie45]

Well its been some time but the 4350 and my patching style did not work. I have not given up just put the project away for a while'

[curator]

I have had moderately good results using paper patched Lyman 311291 (175 grain GC) and a case-full of WC860 surplus powder. I am getting about 2050 fps with very low pressure. WC860 is a .50 Caliber MG powder, and it burns very slowly. There is some unburned granuals in the bore afterwards, but they don't appear to cause any problems if you keep them out of the chamber.

 I run the bullets through a Lee push through sizing die (.308) to crimp on the gas check and reduce their size slightly. I am patching with two wraps of 9 pound onionskin paper then when dry, sizing them in my RCBS Lubrisizer to .3155 diameter. Bullets are cast of wheel weight alloy and air cooled. They test BHN8 the day after casting and BHN12 after about two weeks. The sizing puts a very light coating of bullet lube on the paper patch. I am neck expanding cases with a .315 expander and lightly flaring the case mouth. I seat the bullets out to just touch the origin of the rifling when I close the bolt.

 This is a lot of extra effort with the paper patch but getting an extra 400fps with good accuracy is worth it. Air-cooled wheel weight bullets expand nicely on deer and hogs and are VERY effective.

[JBMauser]

So you are hand seating the bullets?  no crimp?  neck sized .315 would need a bullet of .3155 to seat normally or at least .315 after some spring back for some pressure.  I have the powder you list and I would like to replicate your load but I am not sure about having no neck tension with all of that slow power.  I have found a lot of powder still in the case and barrel after shooting it wiith normal neck tension.  JB

[iiranger]

Hunting season is over and I have time to do some range work.  Tried last year to get my combination right for patching my SMLE but didn't have any luck.  I'd appreciate any suggestions.  I'm using a Lee, 170 grain 30 caliber bullet.  What powders would you suggest for 100% case fill that stay within pressure limits for the Enfield?

I have not gotten to this, just did alot of reading. Wolf Publishing has a pretty thorough (did have) book on paper patched bullets. From what I have read, your .308 bullet is too big/wide for enough good paper to do the job. For the .308 rifles, I have seen mentioned the .300 molds for the old 7.35 Italian. Then there are tons of others--many designs, old and new. And last, but not least, you can take any bullet you want and run it thru a "ring" die to reduce its diameter to that of the die... II). You need some rag content paper. Convention is two wraps. That is almost the thickness of a post card X two sides of the bullet. The old way was to put the paper on wet and twist the tail below the base of the bullet. Then when the paper has dried, some size the bullet. Some lube. And loading with a die that bells the mouth. Lyman 310 tools does this and Lyman makes the "m" die for this in a press (or get an adapter for the 310 die..)... Much as I like "smellys" (SMLE), I prefer my P14s. .303 was originally loaded with black powder. I suspect you could start with the black powder subs ... How much bullet weight do you think you want. ?? As indicated, the super slow smokeless powders in these small cases don't make great pressure, but leave residue. Lyman leans heavily on pistol/shotgun powders...small charges/clean burning...  but every now and then a mid range smokeless appears. I was shocked at the lead bullet loads with 748 in several calibers and at substantial pressures --circa 40K CUP. Another thing I have not gotten to trying... (oh wellll)... luck

[Sir Charles deMoutonBlack]

Try most moulds for the .308 bore, wrapped in one turn of gsafitters TEFLON tape.  Don't bother to size, either before or after wrapping.