303 British Load

ArchAngelCD

ArchAngelCD

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OK, I have an Enfield in 303 British and I have several loads which work fairly well. I have a few pounds of a powder I'm not using for anything else right now and would like to use in for the 303. BL-C(2).

Normally I would go through the usual process to develop a good and accurate load but with LRP being extremely difficult to fine I was wondering if anyone here has used BL-C(2) and a 174gr JSP bullet combination.

I know every gun is different but I'm hoping for a place to start so I can conserve components.

Thank you in advance.
 
I haven't tried the 174 gr. bullets with BL-C(2), but I got good accuracy with that powder and Hornady 150 gr. Interlocks. My Lyman reloading manual doesn't list any loads for the 174 gr. bullets. For those, I was loading IMR3031 and got acceptable accuracy. I hope you're fortunate in finding a load .
 
My Hornady manual shows a starting load of BL-C2 of 32.4 grs with the 174 gr RN at 2,000 fps and a maximum load of 38.8 grs at 2,300 fps.
 
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I wish we were closer, I have only one load for 303Brit. Uses Sierra .311 bullet 180gr Spitzer / IMR-3031. BC L2 hard to come by around here. My 222 powder, 3031 much easier to find.
 
Hodgdon 2018 has BL-C(2) data using a 174 grain Sierra HPBT. 43 start, 46.5 MAX. MV = 2442 to 2616; looks like the highest velocity of all powders tested with this bullet. I haven't checked, but SIerra stopped manufacturing many slow-selling bullets a few years ago. The 174 gr. may have been one of them.

I haven't loaded .303 in years; sold both guns. I never loaded anything but cast bullets, but it seems like a long time ago the 174 grain jacketed bullets were fairly popular and load data was not scarce.
 
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I used the same powders in my 303 British as I used in my 30-06 Garand loads (different charges of course). IMR 4064, IMR 4095, Varget, BL-C(2), etc..
 
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You may have no interest in cast bullets, but the .303 is much like the .30-40 Krag in that you can develop near full velocity loads with a bullet of around 215 grains, the weight for which the the cartridge was orignally designed.

However, if you're limited to commercial cast bullets, I can't make any recommendations. I don't know what's available, but perhaps others do.
 
Don't know where Richard Lee found the data, but his 2nd edition shows BL-C(2) to be a top performer in the 303 with 174gn. jacketed bullets.
 
SGT ROCK 11B said:
Only thing I would add:

I found Neck Sizing preserved my brass better than Full Length Sizing.
Click to expand...

all SMLE's have a long throat to allow the muck of trench warfare to go some place while chambering a round in a filthy gun!

I started on 303 and a Lee Loader (Wack-a-mole) using 180 grain Hornady and IMR-3031. Then I bought a press and RCBS dies and FL every loading. The FL loads are far more accurate in the 7 rifles I have owned over the last 44 years. After around 4 reloadings you get the last load from Winchester brass! The head/rim just comes out and leaves a brass sleeve in your chamber. Case extractors were a common military surplus accessory in the 80's. But you don't see many today! You can use either a 30-06 or 303 case extractor. I carry in my range bag a large flat blade screwdriver that is long enough to send the widest part of the blade about halfway into the stuck case (and still stick out the back of the receiver about 4". Gently stick the screwdriver in the center of the headless case, a good rap to set it into the brass, and one good twist and the case comes out about 95% of the time!

The amazing thing about IMR 3031 is by weight a good load is equal to the British load of Cordite! (Grain for grain)

Ivan
 
My late younger son got infatuated with SMLEs & the .303 round. A board I was on at the time had a lot of Canadian members who advised me that THE powder for the .303 was BL-C2.

Load data can vary surprisingly, I expect depending upon barrel source and condition and if rifle or test barrel/universal receiver.

The Hodgdon data in post #5 is accurate, 44 gr duplicated Remington factory ammo velocities with the Hornady RN 174 gr in whatever test rifle we used. [Federal cases, Remington 9 1/2 primers] It apparently shot acceptably close to the sights. The one deer he used it on didn't notice any deficiencies.

Admittedly, that velocity is rather low on the charts (IIRC somewhere around 2400 f/s) and certainly doesn't get anywhere near the velocities produced by some some military ammo produced in one of Britannia's former colonies. How far you might want to push it is up to you.
 
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Thanks guys, that will give me a place to start and possibly save on using a lot of LRP developing a good load...
 
Many may be aware that .303 cases can be reformed into .30-40 Krag. Except the neck will be shorter. I recently sold several hundred fired .303 cases to a person who planned to do that. He could not find any .30-40 cases.
 
One of my manuals with a .303 British dia. .311 180 gr gas check
has a maximum load of BL-C(2) 34 grs at 2004 fps with a 24" tube.
( use with caution )
It does not list any starting loads.
 
@DWalt,
Thank you... Usually when only the top load is listed we drop back 10% for the starting load.

@Nevada Ed,
As for 303 British brass formed from 30-40 Krag brass, luckily a friend gave me 300 pieces of once fired 303 brass.
 
ArchAngelCD said:
@DWalt,
Thank you... Usually when only the top load is listed we drop back 10% for the starting load.

@Nevada Ed,
As for 303 British brass formed from 30-40 Krag brass, luckily a friend gave me 300 pieces of once fired 303 brass.
Click to expand...

You can form 303 British, 30-40 Government, 7mmx57R, 8mmx57R and 8mmKrag from each other! 444 Marlin can be made from these also.

Ivan
 
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