help needed with 303 and 7.7jp loads

[jeep421]

Hello I got a lee .312 mold 185 grain for me enfield and my arisaka. I only have imr4895. How many grains should I use? mininum-max range. Any help would be appreciated.


thanks

[Larry Gibson]

25 - 28 gr of 4895 and use a 3/4 gr Dacron filler.

Larry Gibson

[longbow]

I'll suggest slugging both bores and/or throats to see what size boolit you need. In my experience with Lee Enfields 0.312" will be small if the mould casts to that size or under. I have five Lee Enfields and all run about 0.314" groove so I size to 0.315". They like that but not smaller. Not sure of Arisaka tolerances.

Longbow

[jr86]

Gas check and use 16-18gr of 2400.

[jeep421]

As I stated I only have imr4895.

[Larry Gibson]

As I stated I only have imr4895.

Try the loads with 4895 & a Dacron filler as I mentioned. It's what I've used in .303s and 7.7s that had groove diameters of .311 - .314. My C312-185 with COWWs + 2% tin alloy drops the bullets at .313+. I lube and GC in a .314 H&I or use a Lee .314 sizer if the bullets are TL'd.

Oversized bores in many .303s and 7.7s require a larger bullet and I recommend the NOE 316299. The Lee .314 sizer can be honed out to size at .316 - .318.

Larry Gibson

[leebuilder]

Good info Larry. I like 185 lee big like Larry. I use as much as 33gr 4895, started at 30gr and worked up,, each 303 has varing sizes. 45-45-10 lube with gas check. Realy accurate in SMLE.
Good luck.

[jeep421]

Whats the max amount of grains so that I can know my limit?

[leebuilder]

33gr by my book.

[jeep421]

Thanks. My hornady book stated nothing about cast. I read at .303 website that the are running 35-36 for cast 180 grain.

[perotter]

I've tested up to 45 grains for the 7.7 jap. What worked the best was 43 grains and is what I use. These would be for hunting loads using the 185 Lee bullet. The 43 grains worked very well in 5 different rifles.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Always the first question - how much powder? There is a lot more to shooting cast bullets than velocity. I have 17 rifles and all are different. From my testing, boolits sized to .314 and velocity of 1600-1800 give the very best accuracy.

In the same thought, some loads without filler will work better. For your available powder a load of 28.5gns will deliver the required velocity with my 210gn boolit; maybe 1-1.5gns less with the lighter. Always, always keep notes and record every variation of load untill you get to the finish!

100yd 10 shot group from the bench

[leebuilder]

Good shooting Bad *** Wallace. Every rifle is different. Size is everything. Been experimenting with beagling my moulds to get bigger boolits. I load differnt loads for 50m and 100m shooting. 4895 gets me out there, this summer i will work up a new load with a faster powder. I have had some very good groupings with the 185gr lee, looking forward to seeing where it will end up on paper.
What works in one rifle does not mean it will work in another rifle.

Trial and terror. Safety and trigger time will get you where you want to be.

[303Guy]

Bad *** Wallace

That looks like a ten shot group. Very impressive.

So 4895 is the powder to consider? I'm trying W748 because it's a ball powder (exposed lead boolit base) and is in the same burn rate range. It does seem to burn OK at reduced levels and burns very well at around the 33gr level under a heavy boolit.

P.S. That's not us putting asterixes in there! Not sure what that's about. Apparently animals like the Mongolian wild *** and the African wild *** are forboden on this site! Lucky we can still say muledeer. No one hunts wild asses anyway. Hey! We can say the plurel! Asses, woo hoo!

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have a 1901 BSA LE (with BSA 1904 pattern folding range site)that has just been fitted with a unfired 1953 manufactured Lithgow barrel, guess what, the darn thing doesn't group with any of my loads that have proven accurate in other rifles. It would seem that ex-wartime manufacture has somewhat tighter tolerences, the bore riding nose of my cast boolits won't even start into the muzzle!

BWT, that same powder is excellent load in my FN 7x57 ex-mil Mauser, again chronographed at only 1840fps

[303Guy]

The 7x57 is one of my favourite cartridges. I don't have one, sadly.

[leebuilder]

Wow another nice target. Good shootin BadA#$Wallace (no a**terics). 7×57 Is one of those wicked oldschool calibers. I dont have either, some of those south american mausers are a real work of art and workmanship.
4895 is one of those all around good powders that give great accuracy in a lot of different calibers, real good in semi's aswell. I find powder selection up here is bad, and we are seeing a shortage now too. I like to keep my powder choices to ones i can get anytime.
Wish i could get my hands on some 2400, wouldnt even know what a can of it looked like if i tripped over it.
as for cast loading info, older manuals have some lead boolit loads in them, the only other place to find info is here, so thanks all for sharing.

[jeep421]

Got some done. Did one group 30 grains the other group 34 grains. My first realoading job as a starter And my first cast bullets, how doea it look?

[jeep421]

[Stoats]

I see two potential issues:

1. Inconsistent trim length and/or seating depth.
2. Crimp. The way to CB happiness does not lie along the path of heavy crimp.