Trouble reloading .303

[joem]

I had the same problem with .303. I have 2, one 1942 English and the other Idian built in 1967. I retired the English one as I would only get 3 reloads out of it even with neck sizing. Indian one must be tighter and I find once fired brass once in a while at the range.

[emmagee1917]

If you want to try .308 bullets you might try replacing the expander plug with one out of a 30-30 , .308 , 30-06, etc. die . Worst case would be neck sizing only in a shortish .30 die after resizing .
Chris

[Liam]

The PPU stuff is good. I bought several hundred a couple years ago. Rick, I'd suggest slugging your bore to see where you stand with your .303 rifle. Here is a tutorial (if you need):

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinSlug.htm

The above link is for slugging a Mosin Nagant, but the process is the same. Once you know what your land/groove parameters are, you can shop for appropriate bullet diameter- .308, .309, heck, Hornady even makes a .3105 bullet, so there are choices out there to fit your need.

[Parashooter]

Folks, please be leery of those bore-slugging instructions. Two big problems -
1. Fishing sinkers are unknown alloy, may be too hard and might have grit inclusions to scratch bore. (Buckshot, designed for barrels, is safer.)
2. A stack of wooden dowels can break up and wedge inside the barrel and make a real mess that's sometimes very tough to remove.

Here's a safer way, using a short wooden dowel only for getting started, then finishing with a good steel rod -

[psteinmayer]

I might be coming to this party a bit late... but .303 uses the same bullet as the 7.7x58 mm Arisaka round, which is a .312 dia bullet. This is because the Japanese designed the ballistic characteristics of the Type 99 around the .303 Enfield rifle. Hornady makes a good 174 gr FMJ BT bullet which is designed for both the .303 British and 7.7 rounds. They are available from Midway and Cheaper than Dirt (I just ordered and received 200 from Midway two weeks ago).

[dogtag]

I shoot nothing but my own cast bullets @ 314.
With my homemade lube - no leading.

[Rick the Librarian]

I think I'll start with .311 FMJ bullets and see where that leads me. Parashooter, what type (size) of buckshot is that you use?

[Parashooter]

0, 00, 000 ok.

[Rick the Librarian]

I don't have access to any place I can get these (I assume, if you can get to a place that can supply reloading supplies for shotguns, they would have some of these?), so I have some .311 FMJ bullets I'll start with.

[Parashooter]

Local gun shop or rural hardware store - about $5 - 45 pellets in 5 waterproof containers, bonus powder, primers, wads.

[psteinmayer]

LOL too funny Para

[Rick the Librarian]

Not to keep throwing up roadblocks, but didn't some localities outlaw lead shot?

[Parashooter]

Seems you don't care much for the buckshot idea. OK, do you have any reasonably soft .38 pistol bullets? (Most commercial lead pistol bullets are swaged or cast from fairly soft alloy.) A little tougher than buckshot, but still safer than fishing sinkers.

[psteinmayer]

I think Lead Shot is only banned in wetlands (i.e. hunting geese and ducks)... but I could be wrong about that.

[Art]

I think Lead Shot is only banned in wetlands (i.e. hunting geese and ducks)... but I could be wrong about that.

You are correct. Buckshot is perfectly legal for taking bucks almost everywhere.

Of course if one has a muzzle wear gauge for .308 rifles the "2" equals about .310 bore diameter and the "3" is .311, more or less. As I said my NOS No 4 Mk 2 measured just under "2" on my CMP muzzle wear gauge which means it would be fine with .308 bullets. In fact both of my Enfields easily pass the "bullet test" with .308 bullets.

So Rick, if you have a .308 M/W gauge you can use it, which would actually be a bit easier than slugging the barrel.