SMLE Scout and Jacketed Bullets

[RBHarter]

Do the 0 ring/tape help with separatations in the SMLE or is it not worth the effort ?

[Ranch Dog]

Do the 0 ring/tape help with separatations in the SMLE or is it not worth the effort ?

For me, not worth the effort.

[Macd]

Do the 0 ring/tape help with separatations in the SMLE or is it not worth the effort ?

Used to take up slack in head spacing. Never tried it myself. Have read varying results. Seems a bit bubba to me. You can also try to find brass with the thickest rim as they can vary in thickness. The SAAMI spec allows rims to vary from .054 - .064. Neck sizing only will also help. In the No. 4 IMHO the better solution is a new bolt head assuming you are not already at #3. The short brass life that many LE's suffer from is the reason Elwood Epps developed the 303 Epps. It has straighter sides, a tighter chamber length and a sharper shoulder. At the same time head space is returned to .064 per SAAMI and C.I.P. specs. The cost to me to have mine re-chambered in this is C$175.00 plus shipping. The barrel is set back (indexed) and reamed. Reamers can be rented in the US from Reamer Rentals along with the extras including head space gauges. Regular 303B cases can be fire formed to obtain brass. Epps also designed a 6.5mm x 303. Of course that is a whole new topic.

More reading on LE head space.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paralla ... t3361.html

[Ranch Dog]

PPU and Speer loads are ready! Just need the rain to stop.

[Macd]

Sweet looking rounds RD. I have a feeling those 180 Speers are going to be one step stoppers.

[Ranch Dog]

Sweet looking rounds RD. I have a feeling those 180 Speers are going to be one step stoppers.

I'm rooting for them as well, but I still need a good load for the PPU. I have 500 of each

[RBHarter]

Do the 0 ring/tape help with separatations in the SMLE or is it not worth the effort ?

Used to take up slack in head spacing. Never tried it myself. Have read varying results. Seems a bit bubba to me. You can also try to find brass with the thickest rim as they can vary in thickness. The SAAMI spec allows rims to vary from .054 - .064. Neck sizing only will also help. In the No. 4 IMHO the better solution is a new bolt head assuming you are not already at #3. The short brass life that many LE's suffer from is the reason Elwood Epps developed the 303 Epps. It has straighter sides, a tighter chamber length and a sharper shoulder. At the same time head space is returned to .064 per SAAMI and C.I.P. specs. The cost to me to have mine re-chambered in this is C$175.00 plus shipping. The barrel is set back (indexed) and reamed. Reamers can be rented in the US from Reamer Rentals along with the extras including head space gauges. Regular 303B cases can be fire formed to obtain brass. Epps also designed a 6.5mm x 303. Of course that is a whole new topic.

More reading on LE head space.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/paralla ... t3361.html

Nothing in the cartridge or platform . Just curious about the success or failure of case shims.
I've had a couple of full figured chambers through the years and a couple that passed head space but 1 rattled like a bb in a box car for the body slop .

I knew about the interchangeable bolt heads .

[Ranch Dog]

Between some breaks in the lines of thunderstorms, I went out and shot both the PPU and Speer test rounds. The velocities were a lower than that of the Hornady #3130, but that was expected as cases were new, full length sized cases that were 2-grains of H₂0 that the full-length cases on their 12th cycle that were used with the Hornady. I've included the Hornady performance chart here so it is easier to compare.

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I'm only interested in a bullet that delivers 1.5 MOA or less as I need this cartridge delivering on big game out to 200 yards and flipping steel out at 300 yards. The Hornady #3130 could only achieve that with the BL-(C)2 load and with only ten bullets left, I think that bullet has run its course with me.

The PPU bullets with both H100V and Varget are no surprise, even with the fresh cases. This bullet has shot like a laser beam. I will use the H100V as it was the best and this is the only application that I'm using this powder for. My jug of Varget is feeding my 300 Savages and 308 Winchesters so this will take one pup off the tit.

The Speer bullet was a real disappointment. This is the bullet I hoped would work as it is cheaper than the PPU, they both perform well on big game, so it boils down to cents. I do like the lack of a crimp groove on the Speer as the PPU's looks are goofy with its odd band that doesn't represent a traditional groove. I'm not sure what cartridge was referenced for the position, but it was not the 303 British. I can't argue much about it as it's MOA performance way above the other bullets.

What would help the Speer #2223, I believe, would be to sacrifice the bullet jump to get the bullet seated deeper in the case, one caliber to be specific as it is just about all the case neck with allow. I have ten more cases that need to be formed, so I will load and shoot the Speer bullets at a COAL of 2.975".

If I throw in cast bullet designs, I've now shot over 600 rounds in load development between my No. 5 sporter and this scout sporter. I know that I haven't shot that amount with any of the other 26 cartridges I load. If I pull out all the load sheets and targets, my bench looks like a bureaucrats office! I know now that there are certain challenges to what was a black powder cartridge designed for combat use. Honestly, the chamber issues, at least, of very similar to the 7.62x39 for sporting use. You have a chamber cut with a lot of throat to ensure positive feed no matter the condition the ammunition has found itself it. It will go bang. I believe the additional challenge with the 303 British being cartridge starting off as a black powder consumer is finding a smokeless powder that fills the case within the lower pressure confines of the design (as compared to say a 308 win or 30-06 Springfield).

Having the round count in development and having recorded the data when returning cases through four full-length sizings, I've also come up with a constant: keep the full-length vs. neck sized cases at a constant fill rather than a constant grain charge. For instance, the case fill I've used with the full-length sized cases above will be used with the fire formed cases that now follow. I will need to collect the H₂O stats today so that I can calculate the grain charges, but if I do that, I can expect similar MOA performance in the strings. The velocities will increase/decrease 4% as you move through the different sizing methods. For neck sizing, I use the Lee Collet Die, and I'm also using the Factory Crimp Die.

Both the PPU and Speer bullet are .311" bullet and the PPU when the cases are full-length sized seat well with the stock .310" EzXpander with the Lee Pacesetter set. On this next round with the Speer, I will use a +.001" EzXpander (.311") as they are a witch to get started.

As soon as my dogs let me, they sleep in front of my gun/reload room door; I will load up the Speers. Hopefully, I will get another break in the heavy thunderstorms that are predicted today.

[Macd]

Good report and very informative. I will be interested to see what effect deeper seating has on accuracy.

[Ranch Dog]

Good report and very informative. I will be interested to see what effect deeper seating has on accuracy.

Thank! I'm, in a pickle, deciding what to do with the Speer bullet. I thought I had bought 500 but it was 300. I have 201 left. I really hate to bust open a box as it will never be worth near what I paid even if it has 99 bullets in it. Really pondering this as do I want four rounds to cost me about $15 worth of lost value in that box. Maybe let it go and you pick up that work

Dude, the endfield forum has gotten under my skin, doubt I will return. I've passed 15 posts and I must still wait on moderator approval for each post which has been taking up to two days. To heck with that!

Working on the fired case stats now and will be back with that. Speer sure is bugging me. Truth be told, I've shot 99 bullets and only five have produced a halfway usable load.