Thread: Question regarding some surplus 303

Originally Posted by johnd

Sure its a sinner, I've burnt about 6 lbs of it last year in a Creedmoor and .308 I just love the price of it. I was just saying that the Greek stuff seems dirtier. Its no biggy as i poor boiling water down just in case the primers are corrosive.
When I have fired enough cases i will be loading it up with 760 for sure.

Ha ha I have 8x 1 pound cans of 760 so you could say I'm a fan. Mind you I think I will take a wee while to consume that.
Ball powder doesn't seem to rate high in accuracy stakes but my AI load is super accurate.
@johnd what is your 308 accuracy like?

Originally Posted by zimmer

Ha ha I have 8x 1 pound cans of 760 so you could say I'm a fan. Mind you I think I will take a wee while to consume that.
Ball powder doesn't seem to rate high in accuracy stakes but my AI load is super accurate.
@johnd what is your 308 accuracy like?

Out of curiosity why do ball powders get a bad rep for accuracy?

@zimmer fine for the slower ranges like 3 and 500 even to 6 its still ok does about 2800 from memory with 51 grains behind HBC 155's
I am still working on the theory its more accurate than I am at TR, so it is a great powder for "practice" which is about my level. I do about 45's to 49's depending on the wind, and my call of it. We only go to 600 here anyways but I use a faster powder usually at 600 to help for when i go away and shoot further.
I try and keep the temp stable through the summer just to keep things on an even keel.
If I do several strings on the shorts I will give it a swab before going back further. I am going to give the Belmont W763 a go if I get a load sorted.

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Out of curiosity why do ball powders get a bad rep for accuracy?

Maybe because they are mil spec powders, militaries like using ball powders. But a lot of mil spec ammo has inconsistent powder charges. Not the powder's fault. Someone may have a better answer, but ball powders meter well when you reload, that is for certain.

Originally Posted by zimmer

It's interesting Grandpamac but only a few weeks ago I was surfing on the net and looked up HPX Ammo Company.
They have been around a long time.
They were (maybe still are) part of the NATO Procurement Program and Olin assisted with setting up for this.
Their ammo under Olin (Winchester) was said to be non corrosive primed. I would still be using boiling water though.

The worst 303 ammo I ever used was headstamped with what appeared to be Arabic symbols. In my Fulton I got an excellent group up to 10 rounds and then side of barn stuff. The full length of the barrel was very visably plated with cu. It took me days to remove it. Never fired another shot of it.

I'll be cheeky & take the remainder of the Arabic ammo of your hands if you don't shoot or want it including any other shells including brass or steel of any calibre offf anyone.
Cheers.

@Tararua Phil sorry mate I got rid of it.

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Out of curiosity why do ball powders get a bad rep for accuracy?

Might be their rep for being hard to ignite and being dirtier in what is left behind, leading to accuracy issues if not cleaned?

The HXP 303 ammo is relatively very recent manufacture. It is/was all made on machinery from Olin. It is non corrosive primed and I believe it is loaded with some kind of canister grade St. Marks powder. I shot some of it through my Irish No. 4 in a service rifle match recently and thankfully had no hang fires or duds. It shot extremely well. I found that it was a lot softer on the shoulder as opposed to PPU ammo. The brass is either ok or shit, it's not uncommon to split or break. Some people have had very poor luck with this ammo but so far I have had no problems.

Side note - x2 armorers have looked at this ammo (I bought a truckload of it) and it is HOT, do not use in Long Toms. Should be ok in a no4 Enfield. However it is good to pull and reload, cheapest way to get 303 in NZ currently.

I know where there is 17,000 rounds of recent(?) manufacture .303 (recent for .303 anyway, 1980's I think he said. And I think it is Greek - what is another country that manufactures good .303 in that area of the world?)
All in good condition. The guy who owns it only wants to sell it as one lot, and he is pricing it at factory ammo retail,. He is a collector type. (Collectors always think their stuff is worth the same weight in gold.) It's all mark 7 ball.
SO I know where it is and have held some in my hands but you cant really buy it off him.