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Custom No4 Range Testing Complete

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Goosic View Drop Down
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    Posted: October 14 2020 at 9:30am
I went to the range this morning not exactly knowing how well the .308 180grn Vulkan hunting bullets would perform, especially in my newly converted to 7.62x51mm No4Mk1/2 Maltby. I used the minimum charge weight of 39.0grns of Norma 202 powder and WLRM primers. My velocity was 2337, as averaged from ten shots. After the sighting in was completed, I set to work.  The first two shots were fouled and printed low from the target board being blown forward. The third shot was fouled and printed high from the target board being blown backwards.  I had to wait for a cease fire to reset the target. My remaining seven shots placed neatly inside the red bullseye. This was all done at 100 yards and is acceptable for my hunting conditions. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Honkytonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 10:16am
All I can say is... WOW!! How does it feel to create a rifle with the "heart" of a Lee Enfield that can shoot MOA's up there with some pretty pricey and exotic rifles? Well done!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 12:38pm
Honkytonk, in the grand scheme of things, all I did was thread a 2A1 Ishapore barrel onto a Maltby No4 reciever.  The powder and bullets are from Norma Precision and the scope is made in Japan.
  The barrel is free floated from the knox form outward simply because i did not want the wood influencing the true layline of the barrel. The striker,sear,and trigger have been polished enough to allow for a smooth pull off while still retaining  the two stage trigger pull. The trigger pin was polished and the pin opening on the trigger was beveled as well. Both sides of the trigger was wet sanded using 440 grit and then cleaned up on a honing stone. The area the trigger sits in was cleaned up and filed smooth to eliminate any possible friction. The bolt body and the channel it slides in was polished along with the feed ramp. Thats about it as far as my influence goes. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 1:39pm
Well done, as usual!
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Frameman 1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 2:19pm
Happy for you. Well done!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Honkytonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 3:00pm
Goosic... You lost me at "Honkytonk, in the grand scheme of things"... way, way above my pay grade... awesome work and thank you for sharing your knowledge!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MJ11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 6:08pm
Nice job !


The Spartans do not ask how many the enemies are but where they are
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 6:13pm
This is a very interesting (and important) result.  Conventional knowledge has it that free floated No. 1 (and No. 4 barrels).did not group well at all.  The fit of the forend (barrel bearing points) in the SMLE took several iterations in the design development process to shoot accurately, and accuracy was only “satisfactory”; hence the heavier barrel on the No. 4 rifle.  Trials and development showed the No. 4 rifle required a muzzle bearing giving upward pressure to shoot well.  

Is the Ishapore 2A1 7.62 barrel the same outer contour as the .303 No. 1 (SMLE) barrel?  That barrel is like spaghetti, it’s amazing it shoots MOA with it free floating forward of the chamber reinforce.  Who would have thought?  It may be that the load you shot was perfectly tuned to the barrel harmonics. 

Goosic, please do keep us posted on how this rifle continues to shoot, it may build a case that free floating the barrels is the key to turning these rifles into a match grade target rifle.   It’s far easier to fit a forend with lots of clearance than it is to maintain the standard barrel pressure.  It certainly worked with the 4 lb heavy L39/L42 barrels.  








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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 8:18pm
  This rifle was never intended to be a target rifle but a hunting rifle, no more no less. The flatbase design of the Vulkan bullets might be lending a hand in stability while in flight. That and the minimum charge weight producing a mear 2300+ fps with a 180grn round.
Yes to your question about barrel contour.  It is identical to the No1Mk111 barrel. 
Conventional knowledge in my honest opinion does not apply to this weapon in that it was never designed as such from the factory. Leaving the barrel free of the forend,"such as it is" eliminates any warping and flexing of the wood during firing and after. Bedding the barrel would only add unnecessary weight to an already lightweight rifle as well. As a hunting rifle, the first shot is the most important, anything required after the fact is out of shear desperation to complete the kill. I am waiting on new brass and bullets but will update as soon as I can...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MJ11 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 9:10pm
What and where will you hunt it ?

I have a good reason to ask.


The Spartans do not ask how many the enemies are but where they are
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 14 2020 at 9:31pm
Mule Deer in and around Skull Valley or elk around Chevlon Lake, northeast of Mormon Lake.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Honkytonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 15 2020 at 6:51am
In the south west part of our province (the border is 60 miles south of us, North Dakota is our neighbour) there is a pretty good population of mule deer developing. It's not legal to hunt them yet. Ive never seen one in the flesh but have watched videos of them. They kinda bounce when they run, have bigger ears and a smaller tail. Not sure I'd be able to tell the difference if they were feeding in a pasture a couple of hundred yards away. Good luck on your hunt, Goosic!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote klr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 15 2020 at 4:35pm
Wow, that's great. Great shooting, too!

Where did you get that barrel? 
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Goosic View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 15 2020 at 4:53pm
Originally posted by klr klr wrote:

Wow, that's great. Great shooting, too!

Where did you get that barrel? 
The barrel is a used 2A/2A1 Ishapore that can be purchased from Numrich Gun Parts for roughly 70.00 dollars.  It is not a plug and play however. A tiny amount of machine work has to be done to the breeching up face of the barrel so it indexes to the No4 reciever correctly and the bolthead has to be machined shorter than a #0 bolthead for correct headspacing along with shortening the firing pin to correct pin protrusion. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote klr Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 15 2020 at 6:55pm
Thanks for the info. I'll check it out.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BMP Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 05 2020 at 7:04pm
Nice shooting!

Brad
1917 NO1. MKIII ShtLE
1942 NO4. MK1 four digit BSA

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