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Lapua D166 and the Lee Enfield Rifle??

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Goosic View Drop Down
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    Posted: February 03 2020 at 8:00pm
I broke down and bought two boxes of the Lapua .310" diameter, 200gr D166 bullets. They have a sectional density of 0.301 and a ballistic coefficient of 0.483. I have 100 unprimed Herters cases that have a rim thickness of .0615,a trimmed to length of 2.21", and primer pockets cut to exacting depths of 0.130". My go to powder charge of 40.0grns of  the Norma 202 will be right in the middle of minimum and maximum charge weights when compared to the Woodleigh 215grn bullets. The only thing I can compare these to when the time arises will be my Hornady .312" 174grn BTHP Graf bullets with a ballistic coefficient of 0.470 and a sectional density of 0.258. Case length, primers,and powder charge will be identical between the two test loads. I will update when I actually have the Lapua bullets loaded. They should be here next week...

I need to note here that,I chose the Herters cases because of their similarities to the original military cartridges as far as thickness and hardness goes.
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Zed View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 4:15am
That looks like an interesting shape to the bullet base. There won't be muchactually held in the neck by the look of it.
Look forward to the range report.
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
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Pukka Bundook View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pukka Bundook Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 6:06am
I'm pleased you are trying these, Goosic.
 
You will definitely wring the most out of them, I know that!
Some like to crimp these because of the shorter bearing area on the case, but the rebated boat-tail works extremely well.
As you know, this bullet and the D-46 have been International winners in Olympic competition, and winners "at home' in Finland since the 1930's.
This style of bullet went through a long and painstaking development process, and the rebate does remove most of the problems that can occur with boattails.
 
Looking forward to seeing your results!
 
Richard.
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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: February 04 2020 at 6:28am
I am very interested in how well they will do at 200 yards compared to the Hornady GRAF bullets I have been using. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 7:36am
Originally posted by Zed Zed wrote:

That looks like an interesting shape to the bullet base. There won't be muchactually held in the neck by the look of it.
Look forward to the range report.

Its a "Rebated Boat Tail" I'd be careful with them! That was the design of the legendary Mk-8 Barrel killing bullets!
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 Pukka Bundook Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 7:49am
Sham,
 
They have managed to Not kill Finnish barrels since the early 1930's.
, and were used until they sold off most of their M-N's in the 1980's/90's.
I believe they still retain some for sniping, and this is the bullet used.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 303 Hunter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 9:50am
Another bullet to compare it to would be Rhino bullet's .311 200 grain penetrator bullet. It's made of pure copper, designed for both hunting and target shooting, it's advertised to have a BC of .577! That should make for a heavy hitter out to two/ three hundred yards.
The Lee Enfield is to the Canadian north what the Winchester repeater was to the American west.   Cal Bablitz
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 12:43pm
 I,unfortunately only have the 174grn BTHP GRAF bullets to test against. Cry
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 2:30pm
True, but the Finnish M-Ns don't have Enfield Rifling!
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 (1) Thanks(1)   Quote britrifles Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 3:16pm
Sham raises a good question. 
 
Goosic, what rifling does the barrel have that you intend to shoot this thru?  2 groove, 5 groove, or something else? 
 
After looking again at Enfield rifling, I now understand why undersized bullets (even .308) worked well in the two groove Enfield barrel, the majority of the circumference is 0.303 (or what the actual bore diameter is).  The two groove eliminated three of the grooves leaving two very wide lands.  The groove widths were kept the same as in the 5 groove.  I'd be leery of pushing a solid copper bullet measuring .311 or .312 down such a barrel.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 04 2020 at 4:25pm
1943 Savage No4mk1* with the No32MkI scope and a two groove barrel. 
The bullets are FMJ's with a lead core britrifles. The calculated data suggests that they will have a MV of approximately 2460.
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