.303 British reloading help

[DRC458]

Hey, folks! My son wants to revive my old No. 4 Mk I this deer season. We're out of ammo, and I haven't loaded for it in years. I'd be interested in what everybody is loading for these, with a 150 grain Hornady. My old load was with H4831, and I don't even find H4831 in any of my current manuals! Back when I was loading for it, I tried several IMR powders with mediocre results. I didn't try to load it really hot, but some were extremely hard on brass. I totally scratched 3031, 4320 and 4350 from my efforts. I find data nowadays for Varget and 748, neither of which I have tried. I'd like to find something accurate, that is easy on brass. Any help is appreciated. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to share here.
TIA!!!

Don

 

[swampratt]

I do not load for 303 but when I am not wanting to destroy my rifle brass I reach for H4895.
You can reduce it quite a bit and accuracy does not suffer for me.
At least in .243 Winchester.

I did a brass fail test in .308 Winchester and R-P cases went over 50 reloads without failing.
Case head crack at 52 firings and I shot it 2 more times for 54 total reloads without annealing the case neck.

Varget powder was used and 165Game king HPBT the cases tested were full length sized each time.
Federal went over 40 Winchester case made it 17 reloads.That is thin and softer.

Now to make a case last much longer for me i measure my fired case at the base and mid way up the case and at the shoulder.

I will hone my die with a homemade mandrel checked up in a drill press with various grits of sandpaper wrapped around it and i wet sand.

Finish with 1500 grit and then you can polish it with Flitz or some Meguiars machine glaze.

I like to be able to size my cases down no more than .002" anywhere and prefer .00 to .01" and measure how far you are setting shoulders back.

^^^^ Read that last line.
If you are setting shoulders back .004" or more you are not helping the life of those cases.
.002" makes me feel better but .001" set back makes me happy.

I did that fail test because my Winchester cases were going 8 rounds then case head cracks formed and I had to find out why.
The big issue was I was setting shoulders back .008" !!!

 

[okierider]

loading shows quite a few loads for that.
https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center

 

[DRC458]

loading shows quite a few loads for that.
https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/reloading-data-center

Where am I missing 303 British? I don't see it in their drop down.


DOH!!!!!!! Found it! I looked there earlier, and totally missed it!

Still doesn't show H4831. I don't know where I got the data, but I didn't dream it up!

 

[Calamity Jake]

Yap, use the H4895 and a .311 diameter bullet as the 303's are overbore and not a true .308 groove dia.
the .311 will help accuracy, also the chambers are cut long on purpose so they will function dirty,
After all it is a war weapon, so if possible seat the bullet long enough to ingage the lands and fireform the brass
then neck size for the hunting loads, brass life will be extended quite a bit.

 

[DRC458]

Yeah, I've always used .311/.312 bullets, but I've never tried H4895. I've also always used minimal sizing. It's the only cartridge I've ever experienced total case separation with, and that was after swapping bolt heads to minimize headspace. The IMR powders all seemed to be rather hard on brass.

 

[okierider]

Where am I missing 303 British? I don't see it in their drop down.


DOH!!!!!!! Found it! I looked there earlier, and totally missed it!

Still doesn't show H4831. I don't know where I got the data, but I didn't dream it up!

I seen that, but figured it would give you other options you could compare powders to find what most closely matches 4831

 

[DRC458]

Well, I had every intention of trying some H4895, but I have not been able to find any! I still have a couple of places to check, but I've exhausted the main sources online ... Midway, Powder Valley, Bass Pro, Cabela's Midsouth, Gene Sears ... Anybody got some other possible sources? I'd really like to be able to go pick it up, rather than paying shipping and that absurd HazMat fee!!!!!

 

[Bocephus123]

Well, I had every intention of trying some H4895, but I have not been able to find any! I still have a couple of places to check, but I've exhausted the main sources online ... Midway, Powder Valley, Bass Pro, Cabela's Midsouth, Gene Sears ... Anybody got some other possible sources? I'd really like to be able to go pick it up, rather than paying shipping and that absurd HazMat fee

Midwest Reloads in Harlan Iowa says they have! never ordered from them though!

 

[Calamity Jake]

Look up some cast bullets loads for the 303, any of the powders listed will work for jacketed bullets also.