hand loading for a 1917

[Jim in Salt Lake]

Hey Phillip,

Last time out, I used 38.0gr of Varget. Varget is pretty dang hard to find now, it's the long range powder of choice and all those shooters are after it. I've also used 37.3gr of IMR 4895. Both these loads are below minimum. I started with the minimum loads and worked down until I hit 2400fps and didn't have any problems on the way.

[RC20]

If you are going to stay in the Mil Surplus rifle area it would be a good idea to get a Throat Erosion Muzzle Wear gauge from Steven Mathews.

If the throat is gone you may not get any better results. I am happy with 4 or 5 inches at 100 using iron sights.

Hornady does make a 180 gr flat based bullet that can work. Also you can try 303 bullets that have a larger diameter. I have had good luck with 4350, 4831 , R17. I take them about .030 off the lands. I don't go by the book as the 1917 tends to be shorter than a 1903.

that said 3 inches at 100 is pretty darned good.

What I would do is pick you best load and then adjust COAL. Try finding the lands first (get a Hornady comparator gauge for that is my best tool) and then set back.

what I do is go long, take my old RCBSD Junior press to the range with me, bolt it to a bench and then I can seat the bullets back a bit at a time.

I use a completion seating die for that as you can dial it down in known increments.

[tbryan]

I think the throat might be bad. It won't consistently shoot 3 inches. The flat base 200 grain bullets didn't do much, and I bought a box of 150 Hornadays today. The hunt continues.

[kcw]

I think the throat might be bad. It won't consistently shoot 3 inches. The flat base 200 grain bullets didn't do much, and I bought a box of 150 Hornadays today. The hunt continues.

Are you getting consistently "round" groupings? No "flyers" going off any which way on a predictable basis (ie. one out of five?) What powder/charge wt. are you using? Is it possible to recover any spent bullets so as to look for evidence of issues such as "blow-by"?

[PhillipM]

Hey Phillip,

Last time out, I used 38.0gr of Varget. Varget is pretty dang hard to find now, it's the long range powder of choice and all those shooters are after it. I've also used 37.3gr of IMR 4895. Both these loads are below minimum. I started with the minimum loads and worked down until I hit 2400fps and didn't have any problems on the way.

Thank you, I never thought to go that low.

What are your thoughts on the powder charge laying even against the bullet, or against the primer? Mag or std primers?

[Jim in Salt Lake]

I use large rifle primers and only extruded (stick) powders. I stay close enough to the minimum that I don't get big swings in muzzle velocity, I use a Magnetospeed chronograph to measure, if I get high standard deviations, I go back up. The loads I've used don't seem to get the powder charge so low that I'd have the concerns you're talking about, I have them, too. I think if I wanted to go lower/slower I'd look at something like Trailboss powder but I haven't been there, yet. It's amazing how much recoil is reduced by dropping 400fps in muzzle velocity and 40gr in bullet weight.

[tbryan]

well, shot the Enfield today, using 150 gr Hornadys over 48 grains of IMR4064. I tried three different seating depths. It would put 4 in about 2 inches, with one out an inch or so.
the seating depth didn't seem to matter that much. That surprised me some. I am encouraged by this and will work with more and less powder charges and some other flat base bullets. I think I can get it to 2 inches. It would put 3 into an inch and a quarter, with the other two opening up the group. It's a neat old rifle.

[steved66]

tbryan,
Have you tried low velocity cast lead bullet loads? The bore on these rifles varied somewhat so a .308 jacket bullet might not be the best fit for the bore of your rifle. You could try using 16gr of Alliant 2400 pushing a .309 or .310 gas checked lead bullet. The slightly oversized lead bullet will really engage the rifling. This might tighten up your group.

[tbryan]

I might try some cast later. Right now I want it to shoot the jacketed bullets. I just bought a Garand last Friday. Now I have two to work up loads for.

[RC20]

If you want to check the throat a not cost way to do it is to load up a round with no power or primer and seat way long, as close to falling ouit as possible. Good long 200 gr .30 works well.

Tricky part is to get the firing pin out of the bolt as too much cam action with it in.

If you know how to do that you are then good. There is a knowledge groups who says to remove th extractor but I don't find that to be needed.

Round gets put into magazine, run bolt forward carefully and feel for resistance. If no resistance with it long your throat is eroded and you need a gauge to see how far.

If you get resistance and hopefully before even the bolt handle starts to turn down, seat the bullet .020 deeper and repeat until it goes in smoothly and the bolt handle goes all the way down easily

Measure the COAL and you have some ideas of where you stand.

Best I can do is 3 inches 5 shot groups at 100 yds, but my eyes are an issue