I've read somewhere that there's a bunch of .303 british based wildcats down where you live. Do you have any experience with them? any data, information, free chamber reamer ...?
I've read somewhere that there's a bunch of .303 british based wildcats down where you live. Do you have any experience with them? any data, information, free chamber reamer ...?
Kg you've come to the right man ! The 303 wildcats went from 5 types of 22 from the IMP ,Sprinter, falcon ,220swift-303to the 224improved ! then there were converstions of 243,257,257improved ,6.5, 270,270improved & a 35-303 that has been lost to the mists of time ! I have used most of the converstions at some time as they were readily avalibe in Factory ammo !
I have used & still own the .25-303 for 35+ years I do'nt own a reamer but Sprinter arms still make barrels & Simplex still sell Dies for most of the old rnds including forming dies (which puzzles me as forming 25 brass is done with a single pass through the Full lenght resizeing die! ) The 22 versions were a little more time consuming as the IMP was as memory serves me only the lenght of about a 25-20 case !
Loads are 22sprinter 45gn pill max load =34gns of VARGET, 50gn =33 gns Of Varget
55gn=32 gns Varget for vel ranging from 3450fps down to 3000fps
22swift 45gn=36 gns Varget for 3500fps , 50gn =35gn Varget for3250fps , 55gn =34gns Varget for 3050fps
22Falcon 45gn =37.5 for 3600 fps , 50gn =35.5 gns Varget for 3350 , 55gn 34.5 for 3100fps
243-303 75 gn =33.5 Varget for 3200fps , 80gn = 35 gns Varget or 40gns H4350 for 3100, 90gn=33gns Varget or 38gnsH4350 for 2900 fps , 100gn =32 of Varget Or 37 of H4350 for 2700 fps
25-303 87gn =37of Varget or 40 of H4350 for3100 fps , 100gn= 36gns of Varget or 38gns of H4350 For 2850fps 117-120 gns= 31 Of Varget or 36 of H4350 for 2700 fps (my personl fav is 87gns =30gns of ADI AR2206 ! It puts Roos down for the count out to 300 yrds)
270-303 100gn=39gns of Varget or44gns of H4350 for 2750 fps , 130gn= 36.5 gns Of Varget or 42.5 of 4350 =2500 fps, !50gn= 33.5of Varget or 40gns of H4350 for 2350fps
It may well be noted that for #3 SMLE actions these loads should be reduced by at least 2-3 gns as max
Hope this sheds some light on your Question Dave
All times wasted wot not spent shootin
Did they ever do one in 8mm/303?
DANIEL/BS JR.
(Reminds me of what I do to my brothers)
To be quite honest Dan I have no idea I would'nt think so as the 303 is 7.7mm . But on saying that some weird & wonderfull things have been done with the .303 . At one stage as it was illegal to own a exmil fire arm in New South Wales Enterprising Gunsmiths cut 1/8 of a inch of the thread off the barrel or two threads to be presise & renamed it the 7.7x54 ! It looked exsactly likea .303 from the out side until you tried to chamber a round ! (I know cause I got caught myself & was puzzeled until it was pointed out to me what I had)Originally Posted by Bullshop Junior
Dave
All times wasted wot not spent shootin
Thanks for the infos d-o-k.
Sometimes we almost feel like thanking the administration for the boost in creativity they give us...
that 7.7x54 is the essence of a good wildcat: it uses very available components and simple tools like a hacksaw , not even a chamber reamer like for the 8x60, 8-06 or the 30-284.
I think the French recently got the point as I found a 30-06 short on their latest reloading table.
kg
D-O-K,Originally Posted by d-o-k
I was just curious, because we have a old enfield with a 8mm bore!!!
DANIEL/BS JR.
(Reminds me of what I do to my brothers)
Dan that don't supprise me in the slightest ! The Old .303 Brits are not known for ....What you'd call true bore They say a .303 runs .312 -314 in the grooves ! But I've miked em out at as high as .321-323! I think it depends on how much work the barrel has done & how worn the reamer was when they bored that batch of barrels !
Dave
All times wasted wot not spent shootin
Some stuff on .303 and .303 Improved (Epps) here:
http://www3.sympatico.ca/shooters/303Page.htm
Great site ! I found it very interesting ! I might look at the .303EPPS next time I have to Rebarrel !Originally Posted by kg42
Dave
All times wasted wot not spent shootin
Dan .I was talking wth my Father today & thought to ask if he'd ever heard of a 8mm/303 as he dates back to when they first started wildcatting .303's after WW2 & he assures me there was work done on both a 7mm& a 8mm /303.These were never factory standard ,only ever Wildcats .As well there was 375/303s attempted in the early days .He knew of at least one .225 &228 -303 rechamberings as well ! But in his words these were only done by "show offs" & disapeared into the mists of time !It must of been a wild time for Wild caters after the War as there was a never ending supply of Enfields on the Market Dirt cheap & a supply of Gunsmiths trying to make a name for themselves I mentioned to him that I'd writern that there were 5 303-22's & he scoffed & said there was probarly that number again everybody had a try at making them & named them !Originally Posted by Bullshop Junior
Dave
All times wasted wot not spent shootin
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |