.303 British "Gallery Loads" in the Lee-Enfield rifle
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- Опубликовано: 11 окт 2024
- Just a quick video of some experimentation with a gallery load in the Lee-Enfield in .303 British.
Gallery loads are ammunition that are loaded down to a much lower power level than the standard loading for that cartridge.
The standard load for the .303 British uses a 174gr bullet at a velocity of 2400 fps. These gallery loads use a 115gr bullet at a velocity of 975 fps, making them much more friendly for new or inexperienced shooters. Since they are much less powerful than the standard cartridge, they are also safe to use at shooting ranges that don't allow full-power rifles.
If you enjoyed this and would like to support me in getting new material to video, you can buy me a pizza here: ko-fi.com/john...
I have used my Lee Enfields for rabbit shooting using just such loads. Cheap to run, mild to shoot, effective on small game. What's not to love?
Just shows the versatility of these rifles with hand loaded ammo. From light cast loads for rabbit, to full power loads for large game, they will do anything you need them to do.
Get your *Hassenpfeffer* on!
First reloading I did back in 1987 was hand-cast 100 grain lead bullets driven by five grains of Unique in .308.
John: I very much enjoyed this post. I have been loading my 1898 Model US Cal 30 ( 30/40 Krag) for quite a few years with a cast
Lee .309 170 gr RN GC bullet and modest load of IMR SR 4759 (sadly discontinued) No crimp They chrono at 1610 fps, and are quite accurate with sub 2 inch groups at 100 yrds. Keep up all your enjoyable and informative postings. Doris J
Thank you. I have used cast bullets in pistols for some time, but I have just recently begun to mess around with them in rifles. I wish I had discovered this earlier, because I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with them!
A Krag has been on my wish list for some time now. Finding one in decent shape - and at a decent price - has been a bit of a challenge!
@@johnzx6r Hang on to your wish and search They are so smooth. Mine unfortunately was sporterized in the 1930's (shortened barrel and fore stock, front sight replaced with a front sight and ring from '06 Springfield, and top handguard removed. No longer a military collectable but a family treasure none the less. My father bought it in Pennsylvania in1940 to go deer hunting (he never did get one) : ( It still has a minty bore and is very accurate . I did learn that .303 British brass can be easily converted to 30/40 just by running it through 30.40 sizing die. The OAL of the brass is just a little short but the works well. So if you find one youl'll have brass for converting : )
Great vvvvvideo, Thanks.
I am reloading these galery loads since years, I am using 115 grs copper plated .312 bullets over 8 grs of bullseye, very accurate.
I watch this kind of video for 'Tips' about inexpensive-shooting (ammo-prices are horrendous in our country 'NZ' ) . So more technical-details would be handy ; Mold-details , loads etc, max-velocities , lube-techniques....
I could probably do something along those lines.
I love it!! I really like your rifle. Would love to own one!
Thank you! It is a pretty nice rifle. The really good thing about these sporterized rifles is that they can usually be found at very nice prices!
John, your experience with the No.4 and .303 parallels mine. I have used Ed Harris' recommended cast loads in my '42 Maltby for a few years now. I've found that mild charges of Unique, Bullseye and Red Dot can make that 115 gr. FN do wonders. Recently I have started to cast using the Accurate Molds 31-134D. With this bullet and a mild charge of Red Dot I am getting closer to 1250 fps and two inch groups. Also, to much improve accuracy, I replaced that "L" rear sight with a No.5 Jungle Carbine 800 yd. variety. Makes a great all-around critter-getter for pests here in Central Florida.
I like the simplicity and low profile of the "L" flip sight, but it is just not practical with the looping trajectory of the cast bullets I prefer using, now. I'll have to replace it with the adjustable sight at some point.
I looked up that mold from Accurate you mentioned, and I like the looks of it! I might have to put that on my Christmas list!
@@johnzx6r Merry Christmas to you! You'll love it! I also use it, as cast, in my .30-30 and my .308
@@steveh4962 Sounds like a winner! It's definitely on the list!
@@johnzx6r John, am hoping you were able to order a 31-134D mold. Currently my best loads are with 7.5 grs. Unique and 8.0 grs. Red Dot. Also a good thing to have in your kit is a .303 British broken shell extractor. I keep mine in the butt trap with a homemade pull-thru "bore snake".
Nice work! I use the bullet molds from 32 cal pistol. 60gr to 90 gr. Depends on the metal mixture. Heavy with pewter, the bullets are much lighter. Pewter is much harder and never leads the bore. But it is expensive unless you can trap your bullets and recast them.
Also - any 311 to 314 Dia jacket or cast bullet of commercial manufacture work well too. I always replace the flip rear sight with a screw adjustable ladder. Ànd then I massage the load to print consistent with full power loads. So your seeing the same sight picture - whether gallery loads or full ones. That way we don't have to change the sights when changing ammo.
115 gr Can Pro bullets at .312 dia.
10 gr trail boss powder. 👍
P.S. good luck findin powder or primers;)
I've been on the hunt for Trail Boss for the better part of a year now. It is completely non-existent right now. Luckily, I have enough primers to get me by, for a little while, at least.
Head to Castboolits there is more information there then you could read. I've been at it about ten years, its addictive. I've had much success with tightgroup and a few others, I have no cronie so I can only guess at velocity. I use from 123gr right to 220gr.
@@icky_mack youre the guy i've been looking for. How many grains of titegroup are you using? Thats still available in 2023.
@@michaelkaiser1864 I use from 5.5 to 6.5 grains. As long I don't get any blow back, not much need to go higher.
Townsend whelen (only accurate rifles are interesting) someone's surplus spotter, may have some camp meat in its history. The accuracy is fair. All that being said you know me as of late I have been testing bullets in black powder, and wonder how well your rifle bullet combination will fair with charcoal. Seems like a good bullet to start with. Though I expect longer/heavier bullets will produce better.
the thought of loading these with blackpowder had crossed my mind. The .303 started life as a blackpowder round, after all! As you stated, I also think it will work better with bullet heavier than this one. I have a few molds for the .303 that cast a heavy bullet. I might try some with some nice, soft lead and see what this thing will do with black!
@@johnzx6r yes like I need more test subjects, but have re added a TC contender to my collection. This time specifically to test varieties of black powder loads. Before when I had one the barrels was .35 Remington. 375 JFK, and 45-70. This time I have .45 colt , .44 magnum, and seeking a reasonable priced. 357 maximum for pushing the limits of of burn rate and velocities in black powder in a 10" barrel. All this while I have 20 different cap and ball bullets I'm still testing.
Wow I really dislike spell check voice to text. JDJ changed to JFK, or sporter changed to spotter 🙄
@@StevenMMan Certainly sounds like you have some interesting projects ahead of you! As I've gotten older, I've found that tinkering around with different ideas is just as fun as the shooting - if not more so. I think I get more enjoyment from going to the range and shooting 10 -20 rounds just testing different load combinations than these people you see at the range blasting through 500 rounds at a time. They're just turning money into noise, and that doesn't interest me at all.
Black powder is still a passion of mine, of course, but lately I've become enamored again with old military surplus rifles, like the Enfield and such. Now that I've been diving deeper into cast bullets, I've been having a great time using these old war horses with cast bullets and finding out what they can do.
@@johnzx6r still willing to send some samples of cap and ball bullets with 20th century applications in mind when you're ready.
Also have a. 54 cal smooth bore flintlock coming for test into Turkey loads.
Mountain man
Hi John, Thanks for uploading this!
I'm Interested in dipping my toes with these reduced loads for the benefit of less felt recoil- Seems like you've done the hard work and I'm eager to benefit from your testing of "The Load" in both a Mosin and No. 4 mk1. Did you ever end up running the original load of 13gr Red Dot with standard weight (150-180gr) jacketed tips? I've never dealt with cast bullets, and so I'm a little hesitant- Ed Harris on a forum seemed to indicate that 7.62x39 tips at 123gr would function well in either the .303 or 54r loadings but those are also shorter.. So again just seeking any cautionary tales or wisdom here first because of your recent experience.. Have you done any additional testing of late?
I've only played around with these reduced loads with cast bullets, not jacketed. From what I have read and seen in other videos, though, the 13gr Red Dot load can be used safely with the 123gr bullet you mention in the .303 and the 54r. It should work with the heavier bullets as well, but I haven't found too much information about using those bullets with that load.
If you try it, my only suggestion might be to bring a range rod, and load only one round at a time in case a bullet gets stuck in the barrel, but I don't think you would have a problem with that 123 bullet. That 13gr Red dot load actually packs a pretty good punch.
@@johnzx6r Thanks so much for the prompt reply! I’ll report when I have some data and results- My local shop is out of Red Dot.. so now seeking alternate options for powders.. may take a while.
hi, there, John do you have a recipe to reduce trigger pull weight ? thanx
Sorry, I've never tried doing it on the Enfields.
Hello how many grains of bullseye were you using here?. Thanks.
I was using 4 grains of Bullseye here.
Just wondering if your using gas checks? Or if there is any leading at all with that velocity?
I'm not using gas checks with this bullet, and I have not experienced any leading at all.
@@johnzx6r thanks for the great info.
Hey there, Jimmy...
I've pretty much thrown lubing bullets into the dustbin of history since about ten years ago when some genius decided to try powder coating bullets via shake 'n then bake in the oven. The benchrest casters are still lube whores, but the vast majority of the cast bullet world has moved to powder coating. And at these velocities, saving themselves the expense of the gas check.
You really shouldn't get leading at velocities like that, even if you don't properly fit fit your bullets.
If you want serious hunting loads, then tuning your casting sizing to produce bullets that are a very tight fit in the ball seat/leade does more to eliminate leading than even powder coating/lube plus gas checks. Don't worry about that "two thou over bore diameter" BS - when the bright light appears behind the bullet in the case, just like a mortar shell, the lead bullet will obdurate to fill the lands and grooves.
I would suggest you think about ordering a custom mould from Accurate Moulds. Pick the bullet that you think is what you are looking for (my best results have been those that are somewhat like WFN designs and staying away from bore riding designs, keeping it around the 180 grain weight range). Slug/Cerrosafe cast your chamber and ball seat/leade and measure those areas. Then have Accurate modify those areas of the mould to closely conform to those measurements as cast. If you're going to powder coat to make your life simpler, subtract approximately .002" for the thickness that the powder coating will add to the as-cast bullet.
It isn't terribly different in price from a factory mould off the shelf, and you can have him cut two different mould designs in one set of blocks.
Really wish Alliant was producing pistol powder like bulleye, unique and the like.....well, for the civilian market. Federals are taking it all.
Anyone tried any other powders? Yeah. I know there is a burn chart...BUT.....
I'm a 35 year loader.... I'm not much for experimenting with unknown results.
Many people have experimented with powders similar in burn rate to Bullseye. Some powders that have had good results are Winchester 231/HP38, AA#2, Red Dot, Herco and other fast powders.
Doesn't take much with these fast powders. 4 to 5 grains would be a good place to start.
Pressures can build quickly as you increase powder charges, so be careful. Keep the powder charges small and you shouldn't have any issues.
@@johnzx6r Thanks for your time. I'm used to using unique up to 15gr. Guessing these others would be way to much? Called Hodgdon for any info for titegroup (I'm hearing good stuff on it). They werent/arent interested in doing any studies it seems.
Be careful you can bend you rear locking bolt.
WTF????
Just asking, as I've been trying to wear out a 1950 Long Branch No. 4 Mk1 for 50 years now, both military ball and reloads in Service Rifle competition, and about a ton of lead via cast bullets since the mid 1970's. The rifle is doing just fine (or was, as of two weeks ago).
Never seen a "bent rear locking bolt" either at matches or on the range. Sounds like an urban legend to me.