Flight of the Bumble Bee |
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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I have located a donor reciever and I have a 2A1 7.62x51mm barrel and a Sterling 7.62mm conversion magazine.
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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I have one No5Mk1 Santa Fe Special and I am not using that for hunting. I will still pull all the 215's and send them to you if you want them.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Wasn't the original 215 Gr load a B/P one? Asking for a friend you unnerstann. "
.303 British in the BeginningThe .303 British started as a blackpowder, jacketed-bullet cartridge- not the best combination. The bullet was a long, 215-grain FMJ RN over a pelleted charge of blackpowder. Most sources state the muzzle velocity was 1,850 fps from a 30-inch test barrel, the length used in original Lee-Metford Mk1 service rifles. Note that I included "long" in the bullet description. That bullet placed demands on rifle chambers that affected future development of .303 service ammunition." |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Goosic, a generous offer but I'm going to pass. Please keep us posted on your latest project!
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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I am in the process of switching out my 45 ACP converted No4Mk1/2 to a 7.62x51mm. I just finished indexing and headspacing the barrel. I will have the action body and barrel repolished and reblued tomorrow.
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Pukka Bundook
Senior Member Joined: February 02 2015 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 1369 |
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I'd buy those 215 grain projectiles, Goosic.
If you didn't mind sending them north... So sorry to hear of the mishap!! Richard.
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britrifles
Senior Member Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Atlanta, GA Status: Online Points: 6539 |
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43 gr Re 15 with a 215 gr bullet seems a stout load to me. I’ve used 42.5 with a 174 gr SMK and concluded it was a bit hot based on chrono readings (about 150 fps over Mk VII Service ammo IIRC). I backed off to 40 gr for the 174. I’d suggest 39 gr with a 215 gr bullet. Same goes with Varget. |
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303 Hunter
Senior Member Joined: December 14 2019 Location: Alberta, Canada Status: Offline Points: 316 |
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According to my Lee reloading manual Reloader 15 with a 180 grain bullet has a maximum charge of 42 grains for 2479 fps.
Sorry to hear about the rifle Goosic, glad you are all right. |
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The Lee Enfield is to the Canadian north what the Winchester repeater was to the American west. Cal Bablitz
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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Thank you. Better the rifle than me.
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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On another note, when I was looking into purchasing 215 gr .303, I came across a forum on another brand that made them. In the forum, they mentioned some failures similar to Goosics. Everything was going good, then, not. They mentioned erratic pressure spikes possibly being caused by too soft of jacket. I didn't read about a definitive cause, so I don't want to mention the brand name. I mentioned I purchased, loaded and tested some Hornady 174 gr RN with excellent accuracy @ 100 yards. The H4895 powder load is below maximum, but probably still produces a bullet speed of 2375-2400 ft/sec. After reading about what combination of speed/round nose bullet design works best for big game, and as 200 yards and under is a typical distance for whitetail for me, I may back down the load to produce a speed of 2200'ish, hoping accuracy is still "palm of hand." Winter project!
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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The first nine shots were all inside a three inch circle on a 12"×18" target. The tenth and final shot hit 4 inches above and to the left of the target.
I just finished bluing and assembling the newly converted No4Mk1/2. I did a thorough search of any cracks in the wood from yesterday's incident and have found none, which i am extremely grateful for. It looks very much like the same rifle but it is not unfortunately. I have a 0700 range time on the 14th. |
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Goosic. What product do you use to blue barrels/receivers? Also, do you think the "gas port" on the receiver helped in damage control?
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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Casey's Birchwood Perma Blue. The headspacing had alot to do with it. It kept the bolt locked up proper. Everything happened in the chamber where the case head separated. In my minds eye, I believe that everything kept going forward past the gas port resulting in that extra kick i felt. The pressure built up enough to damage the bolt but i do not believe in made it back to the gas port. What i thought was a crack in the reciever was actually a scratch mark i left trying to remove the bolt. I cut the reciever and bolt, boxed it up and threw it in the trash.
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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I couldn't wait! Yesterday I annealed, trimmed, tumbled 20 twice used PPI brass, loaded with 36 grs H4895 and topped off with a Hornady 174 gr RN. I did a similar load prior with 37 grs H4895. OAL of both are 2.94". I just came back from the range and was very happy with the results. Using my No5 with original sights, I produced a five shot group of 4.12". This combo will be my whitetail bush rifle and I would have no problems taking a poke at a standing broadside deer at 150 yards. The other load I mentioned will be used in my 4x scoped cammoed Sporter and again, I would have no problem lobbing one out at an animal at 200 yards, probably a max distance where I hunt. My hunting buddies both shoot .308's and use some kind of plastic tipped 150's. Both had shoulder shots last year that absolutely hand grenaded on impact. They think I'm nuts using the round nose.... and loading it sub 2400 ft/sec!
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Goosic
Senior Member Joined: September 12 2017 Location: Phoenix Arizona Status: Offline Points: 8792 |
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I pulled everything i had 215grn. Pukka Bundook is going to get 86 of the projectiles. I took the remaining 45 and reloaded them using a starting charge weight of 36.0grns of IMR3031, still using the magnum primers. The data suggests that the top speed will be 1886 maybe 1911 fps.
I know I did something very wrong the other day and I have to rectify this situation. The only way I know how to do that is to take out the only No4Mk1 I have left as a hunting rifle and retest.
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Best of luck and be safe! If travel from Canada wasn't restricted, I'd send my wife down to pull the trigger!
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