Reloading advise from the LGS reloading isle

[Bang!]

Stopped at LGS to do a quick 'shelf check' of available reloading components and had an interesting conversation. Fellow reloader had interesting method of reloading for his Lee Enfield in .303. He pulled expander from .30-06 (or words may have been, "just about any .308 expander") resizing die and used it in .303 resizing die. Benefit was to use .308 bullets that are more readily available and also in more variety of weights and shapes than the .303. Claimed good 200 yard accuracy.

I've been reloading for a little over a year and don't deviate from published recipes (and not planning to anytime soon). What are THR thoughts on this? Bullet bounce from side to side on it's way down the barrel? Too much room for undersized case neck to expand? ...splitting neck? Fewer reloads of brass? Damage leads, throat, barrel, my hand/face? Other possibilities? Good advice?

Giver of advice and location not important here. He seemed honest and was trying to be helpful. Just curious about theory and practical.

 

[WestKentucky]

It's close enough it should work but will have a lot of blowby. Probably a ton of copper fouling. I wouldn't do it but that's just me...but I do regularly shoot .357 lead (for 9mm) through a 357 in 38 spl loads. It works...and since I never reloaded for 9mm but had a thousand bullets...now for .308 through a .311 bore your still paying for jacketed bullets and I would certainly be looking for the right size.

 

[blarby]

There are lots of .308 bullets shot through .309-.312. ( and further !) bores with boring regularity. Pun intended.


The results seem to vary widely, but i checked again this weekend and winchester still loads .308 bullets in the WWB for x54R, so it cant be that bad !

 

[MrBorland]

I'm no expert, but I'll offer my $0.02:

How much use will your .303 see? In my case, with all the rifle calibers available for serious work, I don't have any plans for my .303 other than some occasional funzies at the range, so I don't have to have an extensive selection of .303B bullets to fine-tune a load*. On top of that, it was my understanding that many .303 bores are actually over-sized. I slugged my .303 and found that, indeed, my bore is even a bit bigger than .312", so a .308 bullet would just rattle on down that bore (and yeah, leaving a lot of copper behind ).


*Matter of fact, I very rarely shoot my .303, so when I do, I just shoot factory ammo.

 

[Bang!]

I'm no expert, but I'll offer my $0.02:

How much use will your .303 see? In my case, with all the rifle calibers available for serious work, I don't have any plans for my .303 other than some occasional funzies at the range, so I don't have to have an extensive selection of .303B bullets to fine-tune a load*. On top of that, it was my understanding that many .303 bores are actually over-sized. I slugged my .303 and found that, indeed, my bore is even a bit bigger than .312", so a .308 bullet would just rattle on down that bore (and yeah, leaving a lot of copper behind ).


*Matter of fact, I very rarely shoot my .303, so when I do, I just shoot factory ammo.

Same for me. I haven't shot it in probably 6 years. It's the only firearm I have that I don't reload for. That came to mind during my 'shelf check'. Light bulb went off and and it was like, "oh yeah, this will be some new fun!".

This rifle is unmolested (not sporterized). It has seen slight to heavy use during it's service period with the expected stock dings. 1916 date and all numbers matching with a kangaroo cartouch(sp?). It's one of those things you pick up and feel the history. I want to pull it out of the back of the safe where it has slowly migrated to and shoot it on occasion. This reloading addiction/affliction/curse means I no longer care for factory ammo. I think I'll stick with correct dies and bullets but was curious about this .308 idea. Might try it with a lesser Lee Enfield but not this one.

 

[TexasDon]

Myself I don't reload for the 303, don't shoot it much either.
Thats about like my 6.5mm Carcano Carbine....Don't shoot much or reload for it.
Just buy factory ammo every several years....

The 303 has an interesting history, also a variety of bore diameters.
Always slug old guns, you get everything from worn out to bored out..!!!

TxD

 

[MrBorland]

My .303's been sporterized, and factory ammo is a handful. Anytime I've actually thought about reloading for my .303, I've thought about cast bullets and low-power loads. In fact, to just get the satisfaction out of occasionally shooting my .303, I've thought about buying a .32acp adapter, and loading some low-power .32acp bullets. I've also thought about re-barreling it to .45acp, but it's a family heirloom and prefer not to molest it further.

 

[morcey2]

I've got an Argentine 1909 that was reamed out to 31-06 (30-06, but with a 0.312 groove dia) and it shoots very poorly with most 308 dia bullets, but it shoots quite well at 100 yards with some 180 gr RN loads I found, so it's definitely doable. It's on its way to becoming a a 6mm rem, so I don't worry too much about it.

On a related note, if you look at the 7.62x54R data from Hodgdon, it is all done with .308" bullets although almost everything chambered in 7.62x54R will have at least a .311" groove with the exception of some Finnish rifles.

Matt

 

[GooseGestapo]

Some .303's with tight bores will shoot the .308" bullets ok, others with larger bore's won't.

Some bullets will also do better than others. A FMJ with open base will typically expand to bore. Same for Nosler Partitions.

I'd just go to Grafs's and order the PrviPartisan bullets and call it good for "plinkers".
For match grade, get the .311" or .312" bullets from Sierra or Hornady.

I just had an hour ago a friend tell me about a deer he shot with his .303 Carbine with some loads I loaded for him with PrviPartisan 150gr Spt's. I tweaked the load to get it to shoot to POA with his gun and front sight. He shot a ~200lb buck in the top of the shoulders at base of neck while deer's head was down facing him. Dropped it in it's tracks and bullet exited leaving a ~6" exit wound.
Load was 44.0gr of RL15 and WLR primer. Seated to cannulure and crimped w/Lee FCD.

 

[Kp321]

Sorry, but a .308 bullet in a .311 or even .312 bore does not ""rattle down the tube". Assuming standard .004" deep rifling, the .311 barrel will still have .0025" deep engagement on a .308 bullet, assuming no upset.