Thread: 303 group-bad bedding?

Interesting reading this.
I had a 303 Parker Hale conversion that was rubbish best I could get was all on an A4 at about 60 yards.
Used to bush hunt with it.
I put it down to the side mount for the scope but may have been the ammo.

By the way always used to shoot over the bonnet of the ute, with some rifles expected to and had bullets impact where I was aiming.

@Marty Henry as requested. Fitted new pillars to the action screws and was intending on bedding it but thought if the barrel was poked I'd do that on the new barrel. The rear pillar isn't fitted in the pic.
Maybe just do it to rule it out-It certainly wouldn't hurt.
@john m is the greek FMJ stuff a boat tail? I've read that about the boat tails on this and other forums. One of the other guys on this forum said the same about his 303-absolutely loves those heavy woodleighs.
@Walker well yes I would tend to agree with you and that's a good idea about the recoil lug.
@tonyd yup might be worth a shot first

Front looks to be bedded and has that pillar but as you say the backs not so doing that could well fix it.
Re ammo PPU 180 grain is boat tail. If you can find it get some military mk VII cac or whatever. Its flat base but the VIIz is boat tail

Don't use any CAC military FMJ that is the biggest killer of rifle barrels the Cordite is extremely errosive and the primers contain mercury
if you have or get some pull the projectiles and bin the powder and cases, I had a few hundred of the projectiles they shot around 1.5 MOA
at 200 metres, If the barrel looks ok it would pay to have it re-crowned a slight ding in the crown is the cause of many bad groups.

@Marty Henry yup looking at the next packet being flat based, preferably the 312 diameter as well and maybe even the heavier ones above 174 grains.
Not much of the old military stuff around so factory stuff it will probably be. I do have a lee load all wack a mole loader that I can have a little play with to get it better. I have been putting that off as I struggle with the patience for full on testing but it may come to that. Front aint bedded-only done the pillars.
@shooternz yup know that. Remember the horror stories back when I was a lad in the 80's and there were still a fair few 303s around. I doubt very much I'll be playing with old war stuff unless I jag a big batch. With my luck that aint happening.
Barrel already been shortened previously and did it again myself and recrowned it on the recommendations of my gunsmith from the gun club who reblued it and did the bases for me.

Have you had the barrel slugged? I have done some and I know others who have done it or had it done none I have heard of are even close to .312"
most are .314" up to .317" my cast bullets are .314" with the nose .305", go for the heavier bullets they fit into the throat better the original bullet
was a paper patched 215 gr RN later changed to a 215 gr RN FMJ finishing up with the 174 gr MKV11 the throat is still the same as the 215gr bullets
lighter bullets like the 150 gr are way to short, Norma made a 215 gr RN soft point back in the day they shot extremely well and killed deer on the spot
Hornady's 174 gr RN was nearly has good pity they are discontinued

Dont want to seem a smart arse but cordite is not corrosive, its a double base powder so burns a bit hotter than single based ones. The poms chose it because it was less affected by the huge range of temperatures across the empire. The primers contain both mercury and potassium chlorate, its the chlorate that turns to chloride when fired that did the most damage rusting the bore. Just wash out with hot water and no problem. Mercury on the other hand f##cks the brass, not that anyone reloads berdan primed stuff anyway

Originally Posted by Marty Henry

Dont want to seem a smart arse but cordite is not corrosive, its a double base powder so burns a bit hotter than single based ones. The poms chose it because it was less affected by the huge range of temperatures across the empire. The primers contain both mercury and potassium chlorate, its the chlorate that turns to chloride when fired that did the most damage rusting the bore. Just wash out with hot water and no problem. Mercury on the other hand f##cks the brass, not that anyone reloads berdan primed stuff anyway

I didn't say Cordite was corrosive I said it is Erosive it burns very hot and stuffs the throat in a few rounds, many a good rifle has been ruined by using military surplus ammo.

Originally Posted by shooternz

I didn't say Cordite was corrosive I said it is Erosive it burns very hot and stuffs the throat in a few rounds, many a good rifle has been ruined by using military surplus ammo.

So you did, I misread it my mistake. Yes double base powders do burn hotter thats why so few of them are around today mostly in pistol and shotguns as you get more push with less weight.

3 weeks ago new stock from the look of the box.

Just had another look at the photos, the recoil lug of the p14 sits in that longitudinal groove where the pillar is, if the pillar is proud, it will prevent the lug sitting properly and let it "wobble" and would need to be ground down. The groove may also be oversize so a little bedding compound wouldnt hurt.

I had a 303 for many years, and had a heap of different ammo, but it wouldn't shoot for shit! Was an SMLE, but a BSA target barrel, and an excellent sporting stock, probably PH. One day I sold all the ammo I had to some silly bugger that wanted it for plinking. And then took the money and bought 2 boxes of Norma ammo - never looked back, from 8" groups it came down to 1.3" with the Norma. The last 9 shots I fired from it before I sold it took 7 animals with 8 hits, and 1 miss.
'

Originally Posted by Husky1600

I had a 303 for many years, and had a heap of different ammo, but it wouldn't shoot for shit! Was an SMLE, but a BSA target barrel, and an excellent sporting stock, probably PH. One day I sold all the ammo I had to some silly bugger that wanted it for plinking. And then took the money and bought 2 boxes of Norma ammo - never looked back, from 8" groups it came down to 1.3" with the Norma. The last 9 shots I fired from it before I sold it took 7 animals with 8 hits, and 1 miss.

Yup think that's the next step amongst a few.
At least try a packet to try if I want to be lazy but I do think it needs bedding.

@Carlsen Highway

I just saw that you shot it over the bonnet of your car. There is no way you can tell if you have a bedding issue by shooting a group over the bonnet of your car with ancient greek surplus ammo. That group is not worth the cardboard you shot the holes in.

There may be nothing wrong with it.

Check the muzzle and try and photograph it and put it up here. Put a photo of the whole rifle up, and also show us the mounts and rings you are using. There were some goddawful mounts made for .303's over the years.

Shoot it properly over a rest with some commercial ammo. Sellier and Bellot preferably.