Reloading cast bullets in .303 - suggested loads

[dodgyrog]

Downloaded!
I bet nobody in an enclosed range would have fillings or eardrums left if we all stuck to the original Elmer Keith recipes for the 357 & 44 magnum cartridges....and the guns would fall apart at a rapid rate too due to the maximum pressures.

It'd be a hoot

Au contraire, in the pistol days full house loads were the norm!
We were getting 130gr jacketed bullets going at 1700 fps out of .357 Magnum revolvers for practical comps.
You're all a bunch of wooses these days.

[dromia]

Downloaded!
I bet nobody in an enclosed range would have fillings or eardrums left if we all stuck to the original Elmer Keith recipes for the 357 & 44 magnum cartridges....and the guns would fall apart at a rapid rate too due to the maximum pressures.

It'd be a hoot

Of course Elmer used to shoot at outside toilets.

[hitchphil]

phil,

things were getting a bit heated the other night, I was saying we should get recertified, but i think I may have misunderstood something previously mentioned on here, or via others, as I thought individual clubs had their own range cert and not just the all encompassing range cert. I keep saying we should get the range looked at by a NRA range assessor, but keep being talked to like a small petulant child, the guys running our club are too scared to push for more, in case we are told no, and then have other things taken away from us, like cartridge use and blackpowder. I gues this is the issue with not owning your own range, they see it as we have to do as the council and Steve Beadle decree.
hell, I was told I couldn't shoot the mateba I bought down the range at first, I then pointed out it is on my ticket as a rifle, and as such can be used same as any other. It also meant it could be used by other club members. they then decided that I could not fire it pistol style, I had to have a hand on the barrel and one on the grip, rather than remove the buttstock conection it has (still maintaining 12/24") and shoot weaver style etc, as LBR's are not allowed... when I pointed out that it is still a rifle, i've just removed the stock piece, this fell on deaf ears, even mentioning that putting a 10/22 in a side folding stock, and shooting it folded is perfectly fine, why wouldn't this be... too much hassle, and not enjoyable, so I ended up selling it

You mentioned something - '....as the council decree and ....' have the range owners signed up to something over & above the range cert? if so do you have a copy?

Possibly others can comment? - The range has a certificate issued to the range owners (who lease it from Beds Council) Range certificates are place specific not club. However - My understanding is a club could have a range independently surveyed & assessed for an alternative safety advice? but as its not their property, they cant then go ahead & use it within that if it exceeds the owners certificate. If they did they can be ejected for breaching any terms of use / sub lease etc............ They would need to convince the owners that the advice is valid & they can use it.

Question - do range owners need to submit their range certificate to any NGO (NSRA / NRA) or their insurers?

[Dombo63]

The Lyman 49th Edition quotes loads for 200gn cast bullets with Unique for the .303 as follows.

Start load 11.0gn Unique, suggested M/v 1310fps

Never exceed load 14.5gn Unique, suggested M/v 1549fps

No pressures given.

Test rifle No.1 Mk.3*

ukrifleman.

Thanks for that. What does it say for the OAL? I noticed the OAL for 180 and 185gn bullets was considerably lower than for FMJ as the bullets themselves are much shorter and with longer ogives.

[ukrifleman]

Lyman quotes an OAL of 2.930 with the Lyman 200gn bullet, mould No. 314299.

ukrifleman

[Dombo63]

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I made up some rounds with HXP cases, 190 grain cast bullets, checked and lubed, ahead of 12 then 13 grains of Unique. Testing at 100 yards I had the rear sight set around 550 to get on target (for reference PPU factory was spot on at 100 yards at the lowest of the Singer sight setting). Very little recoil, as expected. Finally, either by sheer luck or due to some magic dust the cast bullets left in the barrel, my last 5 rounds of Privi factory ammo then managed a group of 2 inches, admittedly sat at a bench with a sand bag supporting my front hand. Quite chuffed at that so called it a day.

[bradaz11]

There is a lot of discussion on it I assure you.

I find N320 a good Bullseye equivalent as it is a tad slower, work up from 5 gns to around 8 in 2/10ths of a grain increments.

My 25 yrd load with 115 gn bullet over 5gns of N320 does me well out to 100 I only bother with a heavier, longer, bullet if I think the wind will be an issue.

Flat shooting bullets aren't so important at known distances.

I loaded up some of Rog's 215gr boolits the other day, I have no idea where they were shooting with 5-7 gr of N320 at 100yrds.

I also loaded some up with 11gr unique, with the sights set to 600 yard I got 3 onto an A3 target, although it was top and bottom of it, plus an edge around middle height.

I think I need lighter boolits

[Alpha1]

You don't need lighter boolits you just need to get the right powder and load. I guess you have slugged your bore and the boolits are the right size.

[bradaz11]

yes, I have checked it.

I just want something that shoots near the sights at 100yrds, thats all

[dromia]

You really need to shoot first at 25 or 50 yrds to get the sight settings these are slow loads with a goodly trajectory so you need to get them printing on a target to understand that for setting the sights. Also chronographing the loads is very helpful. Was there any fouling after shooting?

Unless there is some target information we are just speculating, if the rifle is scattering them, then it could be poor bullet fit, poor quality bullets, wrong lube, alloy too hard, copper fouling not being totally removed from the rifle before shooting cast. The list goes one.

Really need more information to help, too many unexplained variables.