.303 canuck
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Reloading
Forum Name: Reloading .303 British
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URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2614
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 8:19pm
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Topic: .303 canuck
Posted By: canuckhunter
Subject: .303 canuck
Date Posted: January 13 2009 at 10:04am
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i have a rifle that was built by dean knolton. the chamber is in .303 canuck magnum, its a .303 blow out to minimal taper and a 40 degree shoulder, but what sets it apart is that it uses a .308 bore instead of .311, so i can fire the more common "true" .30 cal bullets. i was wondering if anyone out there knows if the .303 canuck goes under another name and if there is more widely availible dies. does the .303 ackley or the .303 epps use .308 bullets ------------- is common sense realy so common these days |
Replies:
Posted By: White Rhino
Date Posted: January 13 2009 at 10:37am
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Uh!!!!! Dave ? Tony ? Hoadie ?....... WHat the hell is this guy talking about????????????
Just joking but them Guys outa know what your talking about Dave more so...... ------------- "White Rhino" "Everybody's got to believe in something. I believe I'll have another beer." --W. C. Fields |
Posted By: SW28fan
Date Posted: January 13 2009 at 11:39am
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Hello canuckhunter;
That round is a new one on me and I have been reloading for 30 odd years, but I am in Texas and not much wildcatting is done on the 303 case down here. Though there is a fair number of sporterised SMLEs used to take deer in the Piney Woods of East Texas. ------------- Have a Nice Day If already having a nice day please disregard |
Posted By: John Coleman
Date Posted: January 13 2009 at 11:43am
| Epps of Canada reduced body taper by 0.050" and increased shoulder angle to 35 degrees. The Ackley Improved has a 40 degree shoulder. Once you fire form standard cases you could neck size. Some people change the expander for one for .308" bullets which is usually a ,307" expander. Lee will send you one for standard 303 dies and use the Lee collet die to neck size. |
Posted By: hoadie
Date Posted: January 13 2009 at 10:18pm
Wow! I think I just got another education!!  Thanx for the info John.I never HEARD of such an animal before.
Hoadie ------------- Loose wimmen tightened here |
Posted By: airforcediver
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 2:58am
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LOL, Hoadie are you a flat lander?
Kiddin
AFD ------------- If all else fails call in a MOAB and call it a day |
Posted By: canuckhunter
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 6:33am
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so should i just neck size my fire formed cases or keep using the full length dies i have now ------------- is common sense realy so common these days |
Posted By: John Coleman
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 6:50am
| I take it that the dies you have now are standard 303 British dies. I have never loaded the improved versions of 303. The military chambers are already over sized enough for me. Remember the Enfield can't take more pressure , so you are gaining a bit of case capacity. This may make it work a bit better with slower powders than usual but don't try to hot rod it too much. You might be able to have some custom dies made but neck sizing might be your best bet. |
Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 7:30am
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John good point!!!! About the pressure. I neck size to achieve a tad more powder capacity and reduce pressure and to extend case life. The few more grains you get by neck sizing are all I’m willing to go safely. There are several posts by Tony, DaveH, and myself regarding the safe working pressures of Enfields and other rifles. |
Posted By: Tony
Date Posted: January 14 2009 at 7:43pm
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From memory I think you have an Ackley improved. As CM says they can hold a tad more powder but to be safe I'd start at the lowest load and work up checking for any case damage until you have a comfy safe load to work with. If its barred to 308 then use 308 bullets. If you're unsure about the bore diameter get it checked because the 308 isn't standard 310 or 311 diameter like the 303 and it can and will blow the barrel if it jams. The sierra 303 heads mike in at 0.311 the Hornady heads mike in at 0.310 and Lapua 308 heads mike in at 0.307 so you have a minimum of 3 thou and a maximum of 4 thou difference. Thats enough to cause a barrel blow.
------------- Rottie (PitBulls dad.) “If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons Born free taxed to death!!! |
Posted By: John Coleman
Date Posted: January 15 2009 at 12:35am
| Which model rifle is it? In America the P-14 is popular with gunsmiths and in Canada 303 British is a popular cartridge. The P-14 was chambered in 303 but the action is stronger than an Enfield action. I wonder if iit might be a P-14 with a wildcat cartridge based on the 303. If it is an Enfield rifle it sounds like somebodty did a lot of work on it. Rebarreling an Enfield in a custom bore is far less popular than it is with the P-14. In Canada it might be though just because of the number of Enfields. |
Posted By: canuckhunter
Date Posted: January 18 2009 at 4:15am
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the smith who built it beefed up the action, not sure what in all he did but i know the rifle has a titanium bolt head and the lugs are lapped. dean (my old smith) said his actions (mostly improved bsa no1 mk3) were able to handle slightly higher pressures but im not sure how much ------------- is common sense realy so common these days |
Posted By: Lithgow
Date Posted: January 18 2009 at 6:35am
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If it has a titanium bolt head, I doubt it would be a lee enfield, nobody makes bolt heads because it is not worth tooling up to make them, it is simply too expensive.
Believe me it has been looked into due to the shortage of long No4 bolt heads.
Lapping the lugs will only be of benefit if the bolt has been changed as you would not duplicate the relationship between the lugs and their recess that is done in the factory. It is done by firing a heavy charge during proof and setting the lugs into the recess to form a "seat".
Being a rear locking action, the sides of the action would have to be reinforced to handle higher pressures, the turks did it when converting them to 8mm after the 1st world war.
Some of the actions built between the wars were considered to be of a higher quality due to the lack of pressure to get rifles out the door.
Not trying to pour cold water on your post but be careful.
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Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: January 18 2009 at 9:42am
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I'm probing in the dark here ! It could be as John says a Epps with the smaller neck & bore or it could be a wild cart version (god knows how many have been done to the .303 brit ) It could also be a wild cat version of the .303 Savage! The best bet would be to measure the dimentions of the case & post the measurements if you could & that will give us a better idea of what you 've got ! As has been posted already .....No matter what has been done to the action ,remember it's still a "rear locker" & so don't try & drive it to hard Dave |
Posted By: airforcediver
Date Posted: January 18 2009 at 2:27pm
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Well, what size bolt heads would you like lithgow, as marstar has bolts in various sizes.
http://www.marstar.ca/le4mk1s.htm - http://www.marstar.ca/le4mk1s.htm
I know the is to more American distributors that have them as well.
AFD ------------- If all else fails call in a MOAB and call it a day |
Posted By: John Coleman
Date Posted: January 18 2009 at 2:58pm
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Lithgow are the older style Enfields. It's the newer no.4 bolt heads that are hard to find. Epps has an improved case and a 35 degree shoulder. The Ackley Improved has an improved case and a 40 degree shoulder. If it's a 40 degree shoulder, it's some type of AI chamber. If the barrel really has been changed to .308" then use .308" bullets. It may be that somebody was using .308" in a military bore or the rifle may have been rebarreled. You should be able to tell if it's a military barrel or sporter barrel either by the outside or the rifling. Changing the bolt head doesn't make it stronger. There were some improved heat treatments for the receivers that if done properly could slightly improve strength. The bolt head change sound like it was either just to have a new bolt head to go with the new barrel or it required headspacing or somebody wanted to lap the bolt lugs for a smoother acction. |
Posted By: Lithgow
Date Posted: January 18 2009 at 6:01pm
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airforcediver, I dont need any boltheads, I have lots to choose from. From what I believe, long boltheads for the No4 are hard to come by over there.
In England there is a company called Enfield Lock. It is run by a couple of ex apprentices from the Royal Small Arms Enfield factory. They produce a few new parts for the Enfields including new wood.
These blokes have done the sums on tooling up to make bolt heads and it was not worth the cost of setting up.
If you have been told the rifle has been beefed up be very careful, The Enfield action is fairly soft and heat treating it may make it stronger but by how much? who knows.
The hardest part of the Lee Enfield is the locking lug area.
Keep your pressures within the specs.
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Posted By: airforcediver
Date Posted: January 19 2009 at 8:31am
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No Worries Lithgow, there aren't super easy to get here but there are a couple places that have'em.
Lithgow is right about the hardening thing, depending on how they heat treated it, it may take a higher pressure, but then again on the flip side it may now be to hard.
With increasing the pressure you run the risk of failure, but of a disastrous kind, where instead of banana peeling to relieve the pressure, it may literally explode in your face.
AFD ------------- If all else fails call in a MOAB and call it a day |