.303 British bullets

cycleguru · February 8, 2011, 06:26 PM

My son has this .303 British rifle and wants me to reload some for him. I've checked all over the net and I find everything I need except bullets. Either some other caliber works or they're just not available. Does anyone know??

Brian Pfleuger · February 8, 2011, 06:50 PM

IIRC, there is virtually no standard size for .303 British bullets. I think they're "supposed to be" .311 but bore diameters range from like .308 to .319 or something. You'd have to slug the bore and see which size is correct.

cycleguru · February 8, 2011, 06:56 PM

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks

cornbush · February 8, 2011, 07:36 PM

Standard .311 diameter usually work fine, my 7.7 jap also shoots .308 diameter pretty good too.

dreamweaver · February 8, 2011, 07:45 PM

go over to buffalo arms. they have what you need.
btw, the old stock lee dies work as well and any.

armoredman · February 8, 2011, 08:11 PM

Look in Midway USA, under '7.62x39mm, 303, 7.7mm Japanese". http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Brow...9785***9016***
I used the .3105 Hornady 175 grain FMJ/BT for 303 with great results when I was loading for that caliber. Heck, I just found the unused broken shell extractor for it!
Edit, found the search page, and they don't stock that bullet at Midway anymore, darn it.

howlnmad · February 8, 2011, 10:07 PM

The new Midway catalog has 303 bullets listed from Hornady, Remington, Sierra and Speer.

cycleguru · February 8, 2011, 10:09 PM

Yeah. Checked Midway earlier and couldn't find anything either. Maybe he (my son) should just go buy some factory loads.

howlnmad · February 8, 2011, 11:11 PM

When you say "couldn't find anything", do you mean out of stock?

**44 AMP** · February 9, 2011, 12:42 AM

The .303 British, 7.7mm Jap, and 7.62x54R Russian all use the same size bullets. Nominally .311-.312 jacketed slugs, in weights ranging from 150gr to 190somthing being the most common. Every major bullet maker in the US has some in their line.

Since the bores of the old rifles do vary a lot, you should slug the bore to find the precise size that will give the best accuracy.

jdscholer · February 9, 2011, 09:06 AM

And--- ya might just try some .308" bullets and see how they do. Nothing unsafe about it, and you might be surprised. jd

wogpotter · February 9, 2011, 09:28 AM

If you're looking for ".303 bullets" that may be the problem, there aren't any.

Please don't shoot undersized bullets unless you want to erode your rifling at high speed.

High temperature, high pressure gas will bleed past undersized bullets & your bore will soon be ruined. You need .311, or .312 diameter bullets, use the right tool for the job.

Try Hornady # 3120 150 Gr flat base interlock they work fine have good recoil & are accurate. You can use any .311, or .312 diameter bullet, no matter what "gun they are for". Enfields are picky about boat-tailed bullets too, to avoid issues stick to flat base loads like the one above.

oldscot3 · February 9, 2011, 10:07 AM

Graf & Son has Hornady 150 gr. soft points in stock for $22.00 they have 174 gr. bthp for $26.00, they also have Privy ammo in the same weights for $16.00 a box.

cycleguru · February 9, 2011, 12:08 PM

Great. This is the info I was looking for. Thanks so much!

zippy13 · February 9, 2011, 04:41 PM

As a last resort, there's always home cast bullets sized to your specific needs.

cycleguru · February 9, 2011, 05:10 PM

Yup. Casting my own would be the last resort. Don't think I'm ready for that just yet, but thanks.

**44 AMP** · February 9, 2011, 09:49 PM

I would recommend only using cases fired from your son's rifle rifle, or new brass to make your reloads. SMLEs have "generous" chambers, and since it headspaces on the rim, actual chamber size can vary a fair amount.

Expect short case life, compared to most other rounds. The rear locking SMLE action has a reputation for "flexing" and allowing cases to stretch. Since a number of SMLEs have been made in .308 Win (7.62x51mm NATO), without problems I think this is more likely myth than fact, when it comes to case life. I think the "generous" chambers often found (to insure function in battlefield conditions) is the more likely culprit of short case life, due to the difference between the chamber and the sizing die working and allowing the cases to stretch.

I have had issues with "once fired" .303 brass I bought, getting a complete head separation of a case (and a commercial case, at that) the first firing after I loaded it. I did full length resize the once fired brass, and that may have been just enough to cause that case to fail. I haven't shot the the rest of that batch, and will pull the bullets and trash the cases.

I would use only brass fired in your son's rifle, and then only neck size it. Pay attention to the brass after each firing, looking for the bright ring warning of head separation, and keep an eye on the case length also. A lot of growth means an early case failure. Careful loading (not pushing the case shoulder back when resizing) and other reloading tips should allow more than a couple reloads from quality brass. Also don't try and get the last possible fps from the .303, you won't get anything useful, and you will ensure the shortest case life if you load it to the max. Duplicating military ammo velocity and bullet weight, with a soft point bullet and the .303 British is a good short/medium range hunting gun. You can shoot longer ranges, but the sights and the difficulty mounting a scope on an SMLE make it much more of a challenge than many other rifles.

Deer, and even elk and moose under the right conditons are within the capabilities of the .303 British, and it has been used for this class of game all over the world for many generations now. The .303 British filled the role for the British Commonwealth that the .30-06 did for the US, and while not quite as powerful as the .30-06, had done its job well, for over a century when the shooter does their's.

jdscholer · February 9, 2011, 11:12 PM

This thread is very coincidental considering what happened to me just today.
I was on my way home from the salt mines, and stopped at a new gun shop that just opened up. Browsing the racks, I spotted bags of bullets (quantity 50) marked 303 British; $3.00 per bag. I'm thinking what a deal!! Snagged two bags, and for six bucks headed home to check them out.
First thing I did was put the calipers on a few of them and--- .308, or maybe even .307.

Well, I load for .308 Win., so I can put them to use. Tossed a few on the scale and --- 147 gr.

Hmmm... Grabbed a magnet off the fridge, and --- steel core.

Well, I'll stoke a few of them for the 308, and maybe even the SKS, and see how they shoot. I do already have a couple hundred .311's that I picked up at the last gun show that I'll use in my 303.
Once again, I find that ya get what ya pay for--- if you're lucky. jd

armoredman · February 10, 2011, 12:37 AM

Neck size and don't load hot, extends brass life a LOT.

Sport45 · February 11, 2011, 04:08 AM

Quote:

Grabbed a magnet off the fridge, and --- steel core.

Steel core or steel jacket?

As for the .303, my Arisaka likes the Hornady 174gr .312 bullets that Graf's normally has in stock.

Travis Two · February 11, 2011, 02:03 PM

www.pennbullets.com offers a 180 gr bullet sized to .312 or .313 for the 303 Brit and 7.7 jap.

Gbro · February 11, 2011, 09:18 PM

Quote:

I was on my way home from the salt mines, and stopped at a new gun shop

Salt Mines? And you can own a GUN! We send our criminals to the salt mines.

I work in the Iron Mines and after reading this thread I am going to go to the local gun show tomorrow looking for a SMLE! I was trying to talk myself into staying home and shovel snow but thats history now! It will melt in a couple months.

February 8, 2011, 06:26 PM	#1
cycleguru Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: Orygun USA Posts: 184	.303 British bullets My son has this .303 British rifle and wants me to reload some for him. I've checked all over the net and I find everything I need except bullets. Either some other caliber works or they're just not available. Does anyone know??

February 8, 2011, 06:50 PM	#2
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	IIRC, there is virtually no standard size for .303 British bullets. I think they're "supposed to be" .311 but bore diameters range from like .308 to .319 or something. You'd have to slug the bore and see which size is correct. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

February 8, 2011, 07:36 PM	#4
cornbush Senior Member Join Date: September 29, 2008 Location: The retarded place below Idaho Posts: 1,408	Standard .311 diameter usually work fine, my 7.7 jap also shoots .308 diameter pretty good too. __________________ The best shot I ever made was an accident

February 8, 2011, 07:45 PM	#5
dreamweaver Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2008 Posts: 713	go over to buffalo arms. they have what you need. btw, the old stock lee dies work as well and any. __________________ http://takdriver.com/

February 9, 2011, 12:42 AM	#10
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,820	The .303 British, 7.7mm Jap, and 7.62x54R Russian all use the same size bullets. Nominally .311-.312 jacketed slugs, in weights ranging from 150gr to 190somthing being the most common. Every major bullet maker in the US has some in their line. Since the bores of the old rifles do vary a lot, you should slug the bore to find the precise size that will give the best accuracy. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

February 8, 2011, 06:56 PM	#3
cycleguru Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: Orygun USA Posts: 184	That's what I was afraid of. Thanks

February 8, 2011, 08:11 PM	#6
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Look in Midway USA, under '7.62x39mm, 303, 7.7mm Japanese". http://www.midwayusa.com/browse/Brow...9785*9016* I used the .3105 Hornady 175 grain FMJ/BT for 303 with great results when I was loading for that caliber. Heck, I just found the unused broken shell extractor for it! Edit, found the search page, and they don't stock that bullet at Midway anymore, darn it.

February 8, 2011, 10:07 PM	#7
howlnmad Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: Harriman Tn Posts: 424	The new Midway catalog has 303 bullets listed from Hornady, Remington, Sierra and Speer.

February 8, 2011, 10:09 PM	#8
cycleguru Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: Orygun USA Posts: 184	Yeah. Checked Midway earlier and couldn't find anything either. Maybe he (my son) should just go buy some factory loads.

February 8, 2011, 11:11 PM	#9
howlnmad Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2009 Location: Harriman Tn Posts: 424	When you say "couldn't find anything", do you mean out of stock?

February 9, 2011, 09:06 AM	#11
jdscholer Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 1,197	And--- ya might just try some .308" bullets and see how they do. Nothing unsafe about it, and you might be surprised. jd __________________ "We're all dummies, just in different ways." Old Okie Philosopher

February 9, 2011, 09:28 AM	#12
wogpotter Senior Member Join Date: September 27, 2004 Posts: 4,811	If you're looking for ".303 bullets" that may be the problem, there aren't any. Please don't shoot undersized bullets unless you want to erode your rifling at high speed. High temperature, high pressure gas will bleed past undersized bullets & your bore will soon be ruined. You need .311, or .312 diameter bullets, use the right tool for the job. Try Hornady # 3120 150 Gr flat base interlock they work fine have good recoil & are accurate. You can use any .311, or .312 diameter bullet, no matter what "gun they are for". Enfields are picky about boat-tailed bullets too, to avoid issues stick to flat base loads like the one above. __________________ Allan Quatermain: “Automatic rifles. Who in God's name has automatic rifles”? Elderly Hunter: “That's dashed unsporting. Probably Belgium.”

February 9, 2011, 10:07 AM	#13
oldscot3 Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2007 Location: texas Posts: 997	Graf & Son has Hornady 150 gr. soft points in stock for $22.00 they have 174 gr. bthp for $26.00, they also have Privy ammo in the same weights for $16.00 a box.

February 9, 2011, 12:08 PM	#14
cycleguru Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: Orygun USA Posts: 184	Great. This is the info I was looking for. Thanks so much!

February 9, 2011, 04:41 PM	#15
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	As a last resort, there's always home cast bullets sized to your specific needs.

February 9, 2011, 05:10 PM	#16
cycleguru Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: Orygun USA Posts: 184	Yup. Casting my own would be the last resort. Don't think I'm ready for that just yet, but thanks.

February 9, 2011, 09:49 PM	#17
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,820	couple more points.... I would recommend only using cases fired from your son's rifle rifle, or new brass to make your reloads. SMLEs have "generous" chambers, and since it headspaces on the rim, actual chamber size can vary a fair amount. Expect short case life, compared to most other rounds. The rear locking SMLE action has a reputation for "flexing" and allowing cases to stretch. Since a number of SMLEs have been made in .308 Win (7.62x51mm NATO), without problems I think this is more likely myth than fact, when it comes to case life. I think the "generous" chambers often found (to insure function in battlefield conditions) is the more likely culprit of short case life, due to the difference between the chamber and the sizing die working and allowing the cases to stretch. I have had issues with "once fired" .303 brass I bought, getting a complete head separation of a case (and a commercial case, at that) the first firing after I loaded it. I did full length resize the once fired brass, and that may have been just enough to cause that case to fail. I haven't shot the the rest of that batch, and will pull the bullets and trash the cases. I would use only brass fired in your son's rifle, and then only neck size it. Pay attention to the brass after each firing, looking for the bright ring warning of head separation, and keep an eye on the case length also. A lot of growth means an early case failure. Careful loading (not pushing the case shoulder back when resizing) and other reloading tips should allow more than a couple reloads from quality brass. Also don't try and get the last possible fps from the .303, you won't get anything useful, and you will ensure the shortest case life if you load it to the max. Duplicating military ammo velocity and bullet weight, with a soft point bullet and the .303 British is a good short/medium range hunting gun. You can shoot longer ranges, but the sights and the difficulty mounting a scope on an SMLE make it much more of a challenge than many other rifles. Deer, and even elk and moose under the right conditons are within the capabilities of the .303 British, and it has been used for this class of game all over the world for many generations now. The .303 British filled the role for the British Commonwealth that the .30-06 did for the US, and while not quite as powerful as the .30-06, had done its job well, for over a century when the shooter does their's. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

February 9, 2011, 11:12 PM	#18
jdscholer Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2008 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 1,197	This thread is very coincidental considering what happened to me just today. I was on my way home from the salt mines, and stopped at a new gun shop that just opened up. Browsing the racks, I spotted bags of bullets (quantity 50) marked 303 British; $3.00 per bag. I'm thinking what a deal!! Snagged two bags, and for six bucks headed home to check them out. First thing I did was put the calipers on a few of them and--- .308, or maybe even .307. Well, I load for .308 Win., so I can put them to use. Tossed a few on the scale and --- 147 gr. Hmmm... Grabbed a magnet off the fridge, and --- steel core. Well, I'll stoke a few of them for the 308, and maybe even the SKS, and see how they shoot. I do already have a couple hundred .311's that I picked up at the last gun show that I'll use in my 303. Once again, I find that ya get what ya pay for--- if you're lucky. jd __________________ "We're all dummies, just in different ways." Old Okie Philosopher

February 10, 2011, 12:37 AM	#19
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,299	Neck size and don't load hot, extends brass life a LOT.

February 11, 2011, 02:03 PM	#21
Travis Two Member Join Date: September 27, 2006 Posts: 63	www.pennbullets.com offers a 180 gr bullet sized to .312 or .313 for the 303 Brit and 7.7 jap.