Thread: .303 ammunition

Quick question. I have a tidy .303 spotrer (father’s) that is still a good shooter. I’m down to my last 5 modern rounds for it, but have a couple of packets of CAC 180gr soft points. I really only punch paper with it occasionally but one day would like to flatten a creature with it in memory of the old fella. The CAC stuff is very bright and shiny, very good condition - should I just burn it up or is it worth hanging on to?

Trying to resist buying dies / projectiles...

Thoughts?

Originally Posted by 7x64

Quick question. I have a tidy .303 spotrer (father’s) that is still a good shooter. I’m down to my last 5 modern rounds for it, but have a couple of packets of CAC 180gr soft points. I really only punch paper with it occasionally but one day would like to flatten a creature with it in memory of the old fella. The CAC stuff is very bright and shiny, very good condition - should I just burn it up or is it worth hanging on to?
Trying to resist buying dies / projectiles...
Thoughts?

@7x64

It doesn't seem just about the money.

Use the CAC soft points for hunting: his bullets, in his rifle, and you could bring along some other gear he used to use.

And ear defenders. Those are real boom sticks!

@Cordite - you’re right, not about dollars, just don’t want to ping off rounds someone else would value more. But using his stuff isn’t a bad idea, I’ve still got a knife, steel etc that was his. I’ve had to replace the scope - his was buggered (60s Nikko gold crown) but he always wanted a new one - mum was too stingy and I didn’t have the means at the time.

Full unopenrd packs of cac will have value to a collector, hell even the empty packets in good condition are saleable.
Loose rounds not so much, the cac stuff is probably flat based. Privi make the most affordable 303 on the market but its boat tailed and does not shoot well in some rifles still its cheap enough to try.

Shot my first deer using a jungle carbine and 20yr old CAC ammo. Killed it, but didn't shoot straight through. That was back in 1987.

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Full unopenrd packs of cac will have value to a collector, hell even the empty packets in good condition are saleable.
Loose rounds not so much, the cac stuff is probably flat based. Privi make the most affordable 303 on the market but its boat tailed and does not shoot well in some rifles still its cheap enough to try.

@Marty Henry @7x64

Boat tails do poorly in my 2-groover especially, and they anyway don't don't offer significant advantage except for long-range shooters. I have an almost full box of S&B boat tails that I'll pull and replace with flat based spitzers or @shooternz's cast pills, sometime.

This is abit lenghty but towards the end has some advice on what to use. I found 180grn round nose flat base bullets usually were the most accutrate.
https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...3+British.html

This isn’t one of those new fangled two groove jobs, it’s a five groove barrel. 1909 mk iii, but suspect it must have been re barreled at some point as the bore is far too good.

It shoots the federal 150 GRS stuff well, but seems hard to find. Very well actually, but throws the odd flyer. I did make the mistake of running a headspace gauge over fired brass - that was an eye opener after measuring cases out of modern sporters! I know these things headspace off the rim, but surprised how much the case shoulder does move - almost like fireforming. I guess reliability above all else.

If rebarrelled serial numbers and stampings will tell the story, please put up some photos so those of us who appreciate such things can ooh and ah over them like a grandmother with a new grandchild

I had 75x 1956 CAC manufactured .303 ball. They were nice and shiny too and all of them were sent down range recently. Good ammo.

If you have a .303 you value don't shoot ammo loaded with cordite it's the fastest way erode your barrel
sell the stuff to a collector and buy or reload with modern powders

For those who might like this sort of thing. Just a chopped ups porter like god knows how many more about the countryside.... @Marty Henry

looks like a tidy one you got there.

And nicely grained wood! Keep it for its own sake, not simply because it was your dad's.

Originally Posted by 7x64

For those who might like this sort of thing. Just a chopped ups porter like god knows how many more about the countryside.... @Marty Henry Attachment 80587Attachment 80588Attachment 80589Attachment 80590

NZ and sold out of service marked, I wonder if there was a home guard stamp somewhere. Definitely rebarrelled and the woodwork redone well. Its a nice one with a bit of local history.