Thread: Powder for 303 150's

This question probably has already been asked but I can't find anything on this forum so I'm gonna ask anyway.
Has anyone had any luck using Winchester 748, 760 and ADI AR2206h behind 303 jacketed 150g boolits?
I already have tried 748 and 760 but not having much luck. Terrible grouping and low pressure signs with brass. Has anyone got a recipe that works?
Running low on AR2208 and plan to buy some 2206h for my cast boolits but I'd like to know if it shoots 150g boolits just as well as 2208, which I've had great success with. Any and all advice will be appreciated.

by low pressure signs you mean????
303 has a few tricks to reloading....loose chambers and possibly headspace mean you want to allow brass to stretch and keep it as big as you can,eg just size neck to make brass last...that SHOULD ALSO HELP with pressure signs.... 748 should be great as its fine in 308 and realisticly the two arent much different....there is a trick with wee oring,like what folks use on denture braces to keep cases in place for first fireing.also try 180 grn projectiles as some 303s prefer the heavier/longer projectile, Robert has cast ones that work well too....might be better and definately cheaper option for you.

Thanks Mickey Duck. I do know about only neck sizing 303 which I do and loose chambers and head space In 303's, mines at quite excessive but had it checked and still safe to shoot. I know about the o'ring trick just never tried it, probably a good idea to do so next time I go out shooting. As for low pressure signs I'm seeing pushed out primers and excessive soot around the necks. With some 748 loads I've been getting a both push out primers and sticky bolt on extraction, over pressure? 180g jacketed boolits without hurting the wallet are hard to find. I have bought and used Roberts 210g's with good results, 28gn of 2208 and 10gn of trailboss with a WLR primer give me .75 to 1" groups at 50m. Weird thing is I get no pushed out primers with 28gn of 2208 but between 28-32gn primers are pushed out, more than 10gn of trailboss pushes out primers aswell?

Originally Posted by Three O'Three

Thanks Mickey Duck. I do know about only neck sizing 303 which I do and loose chambers and head space In 303's, mines at quite excessive but had it checked and still safe to shoot. I know about the o'ring trick just never tried it, probably a good idea to do so next time I go out shooting. As for low pressure signs I'm seeing pushed out primers and excessive soot around the necks. With some 748 loads I've been getting a both push out primers and sticky bolt on extraction, over pressure? 180g jacketed boolits without hurting the wallet are hard to find. I have bought and used Roberts 210g's with good results, 28gn of 2208 and 10gn of trailboss with a WLR primer give me .75 to 1" groups at 50m. Weird thing is I get no pushed out primers with 28gn of 2208 but between 28-32gn primers are pushed out, more than 10gn of trailboss pushes out primers aswell?

Photos.

I dont understand what you are meaning buy pushing out primers? This can basicly only happen from excessive headspace.

so its possibly under load not over load....the primer pops out as case HASNT expanded and held itself in place....there is a something like that..... @grandpamac will know what it is
heck if I was getting results like that with Roberts 210gs I WOULDNT BUGGER AROUND WITH JACKETED at all....28grns 2208 and just be happy...but then Im a simple fella LOL.

There's load data on the ADI website.

You'll get low pressure signs with lighter loads especially with slower powders.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

so its possibly under load not over load....the primer pops out as case HASNT expanded and held itself in place....there is a something like that..... @grandpamac will know what it is
heck if I was getting results like that with Roberts 210gs I WOULDNT BUGGER AROUND WITH JACKETED at all....28grns 2208 and just be happy...but then Im a simple fella LOL.

Greetings Micky and .303,
The primers are backing out due to low pressure and generous headspace. Nothing to worry about. This also means that pressures are low enough so you can probably just neck size which will give much better case life. 748 and 760 are not the best powders for light loads. I am using 32 grains of AR2206H with the 174 grain round nose projectile and 34 grains with the 150 grain. These both give about 2,050 fps and excellent accuracy. AR2206H is one of the powders recommended by ADI and Hodgdon for light loads.
Regards Grandpamac.

@wekaman

For what its worth I suspect 2206h will prove to be too slow with cast bullets which don't develop the pressure needed for clean burning and leave unburnt powder in the bore which can affect accuracy and consistency.
I use imr 4227 or adi 2205 in cast bullet loads and am very happy with the results. Then there is always the tried and true 10 grains of unique or blue dot that seems to work with everything if you want jut around the speed of sound.

Greetings again All,
I load for .308, .30-40 Krag and .303. All three have roughly similar capacity although with different pressure limits. I have used 38 and 40 grains of AR226H with the 150 grain projectile in the .308 as light target loads giving around 2,350 and 2,450 fps respectively. Hodgdon lists 36 grains of AR2206H for about 2,450 fps, also with the 150 grain so this would be a reasonable light hunting load. Case life with max loads can be brutally short in Lee Enfield .303 rifles so if you can keep the pressures low enough to allow neck sizing only this problem is largely overcome. My two .303 rifles have very different throat lengths with the shorter two groove one being used with the earlier mentioned loads. Three O' Three I assume that your rifle may not be your primary hunting rifle and is likely a Lee Enfield. Different comments would apply if it is a Pattern 14. happy to answer any questions.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Arthur McBride

Bullets.

try IMR3031 or H4895 instead of AR2208

Now there is a powder we don't hear much about these days. About the same speed as the discontinued AR2206 which gave excellent results in my .308 and .223. the same charge gave 20 to 30 fps more velocity in my .308 with 150 and 125 grain projectiles.
Regards Grandpamac.

Isn't a sooty neck a low charge sign? Not enough oomph to expand the neck?

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Isn't a sooty neck a low charge sign? Not enough oomph to expand the neck?

Yep.

I have never had any luck with 150 gr in any of the .303's I have loaded for always got better accuracy with 174 and 180
and the best was 215 gr Norma, Woodleigh still makes the 215 gr
go to powders were IMR3031 IMR4895 IMR4064 back in the day
only shoot cast bullets in .303 now.