bp in a 303 brit

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long rider

New member
Got this old 303 brit long gun, any of you guys
know if its worth loading bp cases? or even if you
can, i do not want to waste $ on a die set if its
a tricky thing, not sure on this, but the thing just
sits in a conner somewere, i am sure that there is
a few of you guys out there got idears. :rolleyes:
 
H

Hawg

New member
You can. It was originally a bp cartridge designed for the Lee-Metford rifle but if it was me I'd just get some modern .303 and have fun with it.
 
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redwing 40

New member
There would be no reason why you could not shoot BP loads in the .303. Many of us have shot BP in 30-30s etc. I would not shoot jacketed bullets at all. If you do you will end up sticking one. The other problem is BP pressures will not up set the jacketed round and accuracy will be poor.

I would shoot wheel weights sized to .311 or 312. You will most likely have to keep your velocity down around the 1,100 to 1,200 range. The other problem is you must wipe the bore often to keep them shooting.

All this being said I can't imagine why you want to shoot BP in the Ole Britt. BP is some times hard to find and is very expensive. You can go with a smokeless powder load with much fewer problems and a wide range of bullets. The fact that you must clean the gun and brass after each use gets to be a problem also.:(
 
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longranger

New member
I has been my experience that bottleneck cartridges even those originally designed for B/P are tricky to get to shoot well. I would think the case capacity of the .303 British would be limited to all but the smallest bullets(cast).As long as you fill the case with B/P and the bullet is seated so there is absolutely no air space between the powder and the bullet you might give it a try. I personally would not, their are better cartridges to play with.
 
L

long rider

New member
The thing is that i can get lots of bp and i have got
lots of it in stock,+ i have bp guns so i know all about
keeping them clean , the 303 just sits there and i am not
going to spend cash on 303 ammo for that cal, its more
fun to shoot bp, it was just a thought, maybe its not worth
the hass. thanks.:(:(
 
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darkgael

New member
.303

The original load was 70 grains of compressed BP; the change to cordite came in 1892. (Barnes' CotW)
The problem with using BP in bottlenecked cases is two fold: avoiding airspace and providing compression. The trick is figuring out how to do that. The cartridges were NOT loaded as we are used to - powder in, seat the bullet. There is usually some kind of wad or filler that forms a buffer/seal between the bullet and powder. I've used a small wad of kapok fiber on top of the BP charge in other cartridges, should work OK in the .303. I've thought about doing something similar to some 30-06 cases, just to see. So far, I haven't.
Pete
 
L

long rider

New member
darkgael thanks, MMMMMMM i dont know about this:rolleyes:
i can load 45 colt & 44 spl in bp have done for years but 303
this is a whole new game:eek: hell i will just let it sit there till
the end of time.:D
 
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darkgael

New member
do it.

"hell i will just let it sit there till
the end of time."
Naw. don't do that. Load up a few. The worst that can happen is that you'll have to clean your rifle.
No big deal. Probably fun.
Pete
 
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w_houle

New member
What gun do you plan on running these reloads through? If you can't run regular loads of .303 through it then you might want to reevaluate shooting it in the first place.
Is it a Martini- Metford, or a Martini- Enfield? If so then seriously reevaluate the thought of shooting it.
 
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long rider

New member
WHO said you can not run smokeless loads in it:confused:
well i did not? infact i have run a good few rounds in that
303, the rifle is in good shooting order, and the reason why
i wanted to try bp is that i have lots of it in stock.:p
 
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w_houle

New member
I was just making the statement that without knowing the gun model and other parts of it's provenance.
I know I am still more than a little ****** off that someone had tried to sell me a Khyber Pass Martini- Enfield while telling me that it was a shooter.
 
L

long rider

New member
Hey w houle i was not ragging down on you:rolleyes:
i asked a Qs i even put it on the art of the rifle just
for more info and everbody says why do you want to
shoot bp with it , well that was not my Qs dah:p,
so it was not you that got me ****** of,
so if you know a lot about them there 303 you might
no what some of the markings mean.:rolleyes::D
 
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springer99

New member
I know I just started lurking around here but couldn't help but look at this thread. Years ago, before things like factory black powder loads, cowboy loads, etc. were available it was common to use black powder to shoot arms for which otherwise, you couldn't get ammo.

I had a .303Brit that handled black powder loads easily and it didn't require and tools or dies.

1 - remove spent primer using a thin punch(hopefully not Berdan type)
2 - push new primer into place using a wooden dowel inside the case onto a wooden surface
3- fill case with black powder
4 - cap the case mouth with a thin slice of cork or heavy paper and seal with icing glass or glue of your choice
5 - hold rifle muzzle down and drop bullet of your choice into the throat.
6 - chamber black powder shell which will then help push the bullet up into the forcing cone.

BTW, The original military loads that I had used cordite which was in a thin stick form. The individual sticks of that made great fuses too, when used in other applications.


Have fun!!


No sizing or dies needed and worked will with jacketed or cast bullet. Numerous groundhogs would attest to that.
 
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L

long rider

New member
Springer 99,

When you say fill the case up, do you mean fill
the case to the top? and what is the die of the bullet
would led be better for bp, you got me thinking now
that this might be a go on this.
If you have anymore info on this let me know+ i want to
shoot safe. thanks.:rolleyes::D
 
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