Thread: 303 reloading

So I’ve plenty of military 303 milsurp for my only remaining 303, a 1955 Fazakerly, but if I were to reload what dies should I buy/start out with?

Any ones you want really. If you just want functional ammo, Lee are fine. If you like nicer things then RCBS, Redding etc... but they won't necessarily make better ammo.

303 is one of the few cartridges where there's a compelling argument to stick to neck sizing. So a Lee set with the collet die would cover all your bases.

Or a Lee Loader, the whackamole one. It only neck sizes. Can produce ammo accurate far beyond accuracy of the average old military barrel. Your's may be the exception of course. But a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours IMHO

Was thinking the Lee set with a collet die would be a good option. I have everything needed for other calibres but haven’t bothered with 303 yet as I’ve got close to a lifetime’s stock of milsurp, but might need a project when I retire…

Originally Posted by HandH

Was thinking the Lee set with a collet die would be a good option. I have everything needed for other calibres but haven’t bothered with 303 yet as I’ve got close to a lifetime’s stock of milsurp, but might need a project when I retire…

Get a Lee collet die and just use that. You will need to put them through a full
Length die occasionally but if you are only Using one rifle you should be fine. Your brass will last indefinitely if only neck sizing.

Treat all milsurp ammo as corrosive and use the hot water trick.

And if you have multiple 303s, keep the brass for each separately.

Thank you o wise ones! Yup, I always use the hot water for milsurp cleaning, and only one service rifle left (sob) so will mainly use the collet die. Advice much appreciated!

Greetings @HandH,
Keeping the pressure down to the point that only neck sizing is needed will change a case eating tiger into a pussy cat. This is around the start loads. If you do need to FL resize only size the cases enough to just chamber with slight resistance and trim the cases. I use a Lee Loader for neck sizing. Over 40 years ago I gave up handloading a .303 and sold or rebarrelled the three I had after constant problems. Fast forward to 2020 and three more have arrived of which two remain Handloading them is a delight. Clearly I learnt a couple of things over the 40 years.
Regards Grandpamac.

Ok I'm going to be controversial here on this subject...if your mk2 is in good nick nothing wrong with full length sizing. 303 dies were hard to come by a just a few years back, couldn't find any neck size dies, set of RCBS was all I could find from Gunworks.

Anyway I tried partially sizing with F/L die, was a pain so just F/L sized as I do with other cartridges. I've had no trouble whatsoever. My PPU is probably up to 5 firings, but mainly using Greek as does look heavier, probably simular 5x plus no issues.

This neck sizing I think is for flogged out 3'O's. If its a good one just load it like any other rifle

Originally Posted by jackson21

Ok I'm going to be controversial here on this subject...if your mk2 is in good nick nothing wrong with full length sizing. 303 dies were hard to come by a just a few years back, couldn't find any neck size dies, set of RCBS was all I could find from Gunworks.

Anyway I tried partially sizing with F/L die, was a pain so just F/L sized as I do with other cartridges. I've had no trouble whatsoever. My PPU is probably up to 5 firings, but mainly using Greek as does look heavier, probably simular 5x plus no issues.

This neck sizing I think is for flogged out 3'O's. If its a good one just load it like any other rifle

15 x reloads on ppu brass, neck sizing only. Previously unfired no4 mk2.

Neck sizing generally results on longer brass life. Need to full length size if switching the brass between rifles, or when the brass starts to harden and you don't anneal.

I don't blame you for giving up trying to neck size with a full length die, what an embuggarance!

Hmmm..this is what makes life and oir hobby/passion interesting. My 303 is an out of the grease (yeah I know the controversy) ‘Irish’ 1955 original with open sights (so with my eyesight I’m not going to be loading for groups, just to keep the old warhorse going for plinking)..
The milsurp (now there’s interesting Cold War history - in a wooden case marked South African - presumably for the Vickers?) is headstamped cyrillic balkan 1973… So SA was beating sanctions buying from the Eastern Bloc ‘enemy’! Civilian stock is 50 cartridges of PPU and 100 S&B …

Whether you are better off sticking to full length sizing or neck sizing to save your brass... it will depend on how baggy the chamber is rather than what year the rifle was made or its general condition.

Originally Posted by Pommy

Whether you are better off sticking to full length sizing or neck sizing to save your brass... it will depend on how baggy the chamber is rather than what year the rifle was made or its general condition.

Yup brutally rational. Was going to say earlier I haven’t had the chamber casted..but not wanting to get tooo precious.., or overthink it?

I wouldn't go as far as casting but it's certainly worth putting some thought into it, if it might save you having to find more brass. It will be pretty obvious once you visually compare a fired case to a new one.

It's really not that complicated. Ask someone how to set up your dies for neck sizing, and do that until they are stiff to close the bolt on and then full length size. Its really not a big deal.

Just get some Lee RGB dies, they are cheap and work, and a lee single stage press. You will need a shellholder to fit them into in your press. (The Lee one is the number 5) Order from Gunworks Christchurch.

You cant use your military brass, so you have to reload commercial brass. Use PPU.

For powders use either AR2208 or AR2209. Which ever you can find to buy in a shop.

But some pulled Greek FMjs from GUn City, or buy some Hornady 174 grain FMJ from Gun Works in Christchurch.

Large rifle primers, are the ones to buy, any brand you can find in the shop, there is a shortage of them.

You will need some lube for when you resize the cases.

You will need a micrometer measurer, so you can measure the length of your cases and the overall length of your cartridges.

Thats all you need.

If you buy a Lee kit, that you hit case into the die with a hammer, you only need brass, primers, powder and bullets. I started out on reloadng with them. They work well, but you have to find the kit because they dont make them anymore.

AS for actually doing it with a press, if you can find someone to show you how, they can show you in ten minutes. Its not rocket science. Or you can watch youtube videos and ask questions on here.