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I’m looking for bullets to reload .303 British brass. Can anyone tell me what the original military configuration is and where i can order them? I’ve been reloading my 30-06 with M2 FMJ 150 gr flat base .308 bullets. Are the .303 British also FMJ 150 gr flat base .311 bullets? They are available in soft points but I’ve not found them in FMJ.
The standard bullet was a 174 gr. FMJ .311 diameter. A standard 180 sp. works fine instead of the FMJ. The 150 flat base sp. shoot very well in my #4. The bullets are the same for the .303, 7.7 Japanese, 7.65 Argentine and the 7.62x54 Russian. Most all old rifles shoot best with a flat based bullet. Any good soft point will outshoot the standard FMJ accuracy wise. Hornady did make a 174 FMJ bullet but I don't know if they still do.
Hornady did make a 174 FMJ bullet but I don't know if they still do.
I think they still do, having seen some on the shelves in the past few months,
however, like most things now, they are bought as soon as they arrive,
IIRC Sierra makes a good bullet for .303 cannot remember the grain or type
The cartridge primarily used in service rifles from WW1 until the demise of the Lee Enfield family of rifles in the late 1950s was the Mk VII round a 174 gr flat base spitzer with a cordite powder charge. The problem is you can't get the original projectile configuration because under the jacket was a two piece core, the back 2/3 or so was lead but the front part of the core was aluminum, or sometimes, for economy reasons, some sort of fiber. This made for a longer bullet with a higher ballistic co efficient but more importantly to the Brits it yawed on impact with soft tissue producing some really nasty wounds. There was a machine gun round, Mk VIIIz that used (among others) a 174 gr. boat tail spitzer bullet with a solid lead core over nitro cellulose flake powder. Mk VIIIz was loaded a bit hotter than Mk VII but was still well within the accepted limits for rifles and authorized for such use.
To get, more or less, the equivalent of the Mk VII you could use any of the 180 gr flat base spitzers available, however there are several companies that make 174 gr boat tail bullets you can use to approximate Mk VIIIz ammunition.
I have loaded the 174 gr. Sierra Match King, BTHP match available from Midway with excellent results in my No. 4 Mk 2 for years. They also sell the 174 gr. Woodleigh Weldcore (.312") which is pricey but worth it if you want a spitzer flat base hunting bullet in that weight. Woodleigh also makes a 215 gr Weldcore which is, I believe, the only 215 gr bullet currently available suitable for the Lee Enfield rifle for folks who want to go really "old school." 180 gr. flat base hunting bullets are available from Speer and Sierra as well.
One word of caution. Lee Enfields with worn barrels sometimes don't stabilize boat tail bullets well.
As Lyman stated above, Hornady makes a 174 gr FMJ, boat tail that measures .3105. Still available.
https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/303-cal-3105-174-gr-fmj-bt%23!/#!/
"...the .303 British also FMJ 150 gr flat base .311 bullets?..." Nope. 174 grain Boat Tails at 2440 FPS after 1938.
You must slug your barrel first. Not all Lee-Enfields have a .311" barrel. (Up to .315" is considered ok.) Problem is there are no .313" to .315" jacketed bullets.
Bullet makers use .311" or .312"(with Montana Bullets making larger .313", .314" and .315" cast bullets at reasonable prices.).
Hornady makes a 174 in their 'Traditional/FMJ line. However, it only comes in .3105" diameter. They make .312" RN's and SP's too. Sierra makes .311" Matchkings. Speer uses .311".
The Mk VII round was replaced in 1938 with the Mk VIII. Used a 175 grain BT at 2440 FPS.
"...Woodleigh also makes a 215 gr..." Yep. The 215 RN was used at 2050 FPS until 1910. Lotta moose put into freezers, up here, with a 215 SP.
http://www.303british.com/id19.html
computermedic
10-22-2020, 02:23
This what I use https://www.hornady.com/bullets/rifle/303-cal-312-174-gr-interlock-rn#!/
It's all about that particular rifle's barrel diameter. You must slug your barrel. Then use whatever bullet is closest.
Johnny P
10-23-2020, 04:12
Years ago we got some of the .303 military with the aluminum tip under the jacket. We were unaware of the configuration, but shooting targets in front of the berm we found that the bullets turned backwards upon striking the berm. Should have made a heck of a wound channel.
Years ago we got some of the .303 military with the aluminum tip under the jacket. We were unaware of the configuration, but shooting targets in front of the berm we found that the bullets turned backwards upon striking the berm. Should have made a heck of a wound channel.
Several years ago I bought some WWII vintage .303 ball. The stuff was British manufacture with Mk VII bullets. They were really cheap and I bought them only for the bullets. I pulled the bullets and loaded a bunch of them with my standard .303 British load of IMR 4064 powder and they shot very well indeed. I actually primed a few cases and used the cordite from the cases I'd pulled the bullets from (I don't know how the Brits got it in but I couldn't quite get every strand in) I think I used Remington brass for this experiment and CCI large rifle primers. I did replace the cardboard disc over the cordite. It actually shot pretty well. Cordite isn't corrosive but it is very hot burning and a bit hard on the bore so I just did a few and wouldn't recommend it unless I was completely out of powder and unlikely to get anymore for a long spell but it worked better than I thought it would.
If you want as close as you'll ever get to the real original Brit military stuff and don't mind pulling bullets from geriatric old Brit loads this will work, thought a bit expensive in the end. A lot of later .303 military ball loads weren't Mk VII. If it isn't marked Mk VII it's probably plain old lead core.
Several years ago I bought some WWII vintage .303 ball. The stuff was British manufacture with Mk VII bullets. They were really cheap and I bought them only for the bullets. I pulled the bullets and loaded a bunch of them with my standard .303 British load of IMR 4064 powder and they shot very well indeed. I actually primed a few cases and used the cordite from the cases I'd pulled the bullets from (I don't know how the Brits got it in but I couldn't quite get every strand in) I think I used Remington brass for this experiment and CCI large rifle primers. I did replace the cardboard disc over the cordite. It actually shot pretty well. Cordite isn't corrosive but it is very hot burning and a bit hard on the bore so I just did a few and wouldn't recommend it unless I was completely out of powder and unlikely to get anymore for a long spell but it worked better than I thought it would.
If you want as close as you'll ever get to the real original Brit military stuff and don't mind pulling bullets from geriatric old Brit loads this will work, thought a bit expensive in the end. A lot of later .303 military ball loads weren't Mk VII. If it isn't marked Mk VII it's probably plain old lead core.
when loading cordite,
the case is formed, as in drawn to length
the cordite is dropped in
then the neck was formed
and the bullet seated
when loading cordite,
the case is formed, as in drawn to length
the cordite is dropped in
then the neck was formed
and the bullet seated
Now that is really interesting. I had no idea. Thanks :icon_salut:.
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