Question about 303 British Cartridge

[GeneRector]

  Howdy! I know that commercial ammo for the 303 British Enfield are usually 150 gr and 180gr bullets. Was there ever a "190 gr" bullet ever made for the 303 British? I want to say I ran across some commercial ammuntion years ago that was 190 gr loads; however, I have not seen any in my searches. Would like to hear from you. Always, Gene

[BBF]

It wouldn't surprise me since the original bullet was 215 gr. then the next official military load was with a 174 gr  projectile.

[CannonKrazy]

Don't remember who made the mold but a friend of mine used to reload 190 grain cast bullets. Before he got the mold he bought (FMJ) bullets from somewhere. This was back in the early 80s.

[atitagain]

Check and see what Norma Ammunition offers.

[BBF]

Check and see what Norma Ammunition offers.

Looking at an old Norma loading booklet I see they offered info on 180 and 215 gr bullet loads.

[.22-5-40]

The original military Mk.1 & Mk11, used a 215gr. cupro-metal jacketed round nose.

[iiranger]

There was also a .303 Savage cartridge. It is so much like the .30/30 that a discussion is not worth it. BUT the "claim to fame" was better killing on Canada's largest, elk, moose, etc. And this was because it used a 190 grain bullet, not the 170 standard of the .30/30. Some extremely ignorant confuse the two. Could you have been looking at a box or .303 Savage?

Otherwise, as said, many bullet weights have been loaded in the .303 Brit. I don't recall a 190 in my reading but my research has been "shallow." Nice cartridge and in P14 equal to .308, but ... Luck.

[GeneRector]

   Howdy! I was surprised at the 215gr size bullet for the .303 British. I don't recall ever getting ammo greater than 180gr, but something made me wonder about a larger bullet and thought it was 190gr. My Dad used to call the .303 Savage, a .303 Civilian. I have only met one person that ever owned one. I appreciate all the info!  Thanks!!  Always, Gene
 
 

[george6308]

Remington used to load a 215 GR round nose SP for the 303 British but it was discontued over 20 years ago.
There is no relationship between the 303 Savage and the 303 British.

[Brithunter]

The 215 Grn RNSP bullet would be the MkV ammunition later in MkV1 it became 215 Grn RNFMJ due to soft points being seen as not fair in "Civilised" war making. It was still OK to use the SP's against rebels and such as that was not civilised war.


Kynoch loaded 130 grn, 150 Grn 174 grn and 215 grn bullets in the British 303 cartridge. IN 215 grn alaone they made at least 4 different tyrpes including tube points where there is a hole down into the core of the bullet. For different game there was different amount of lead exposed at the tip of different sized holes into the core. On the native Roe and Fallow deer one required a softer bullet that expanded on the Roes light frame the same bullet used in India, Africa or Canada on Moose, Buffalo or Samba would likely over expand so a tougher bullet was offered.


So you see selecting the right bullet construction of the job in hand is not a new idea but as old as the British Empire at least.


Norma, Dominion, Remington and Winchester used to offer the 215 Grn loading. One commercial British 303 rifles the sights would be marked as to which Mk of cartridge they were made for, this of course is the tangent type or the express type.

[Mikey]

Gene:  I think remington once loaded a 205 gn bullet for the 303.  I think I still have about half a box. 
Nope!  215 gn RNSP Remington Express 303 British.  Good for Moose, Elk or Bear I would think, but the 180s also fit that bill (imo).