Thread: 303 group-bad bedding?

Why are you guys talking about cordite? They have not used cordite since before WW1. (Greek surplus .303 doesn't use cordite and was not loaded with corrosive primers.)

Most .303's I have met were wrecked by sheer neglect.

Originally Posted by erniec

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.

And you got the same results as the OP. Neither of you know what wrong with your .303's. Thats what I am trying to say. They have benchrests at ranges just for this application. It's not a girly thing. It's practical.

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

Why are you guys talking about cordite? They have not used cordite since before WW1. (Greek surplus .303 doesn't use cordite and was not loaded with corrosive primers.)

Most .303's I have met were wrecked by sheer neglect.

and cleaning rods

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

@Carlsen Highway fair enough about the sighting in although the rifles I have historically sighted in by this method, and they were generally new and not suspect, shot very well. I grouped my 416 rem mag (reduced loads mind you) under an inch with this method as well as my 243.
As such and as posted earlier I was after an indication not necessarily a target grade group but I certainly take that on board and yup that greek ammo isn't helping I reckon. Lucky I'm keeping the brass. I struggle getting to a range
see attached photos of the rifle with mounts-definitely not expensive mounts and rings and only just fitted so could be it also.
I can take a pic of the muzzle if you like but I shortened and did an 11 degree crown on it and its only been shot now.
Sellier and Bellot boat tail or flat base?

Originally Posted by csmiffy

Sellier and Bellot boat tail or flat base?

@csmiffy

Interestingly not a lot on that in S&B's literature which just states "FMJ". This site has a Q&A in which three answers to your question agree that the S&B FMJ has a flat base.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...1912/Boat+tail

As a boat tail takes a bit more extra effort to manufacture, one might assume a BT would be a selling point to be mentioned in factory literature if it had one.

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

And you got the same results as the OP. Neither of you know what wrong with your .303's. Thats what I am trying to say. They have benchrests at ranges just for this application. It's not a girly thing. It's practical.

I have got over it, was over 30 years ago.

Originally Posted by Cordite

@csmiffy

Interestingly not a lot on that in S&B's literature which just states "FMJ". This site has a Q&A in which three answers to your question agree that the S&B FMJ has a flat base.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...1912/Boat+tail
As a boat tail takes a bit more extra effort to manufacture, one might assume a BT would be a selling point to be mentioned in factory literature if it had one.

@Cordite
Was thinking more of the soft point ammo but a check online doesn't mention boat tail either.
be nice if everything else wasn't up over 50 bucks. Looks like S+B might be the one.

At least you can rule out ammo inconsistency by getting a box of S&B.

That said, your Greek HXP was made in a factory set up by and owned by a Winchester subsidiary, and which sold .303 to the British and .45 ACP and 30-06 to the US. The storage history of the GC HXP left something to be desired however. That said, I've fired about 200 of them and got one dud. No hang fires as is common with WW2 and postwar cordite .303 - cordite burns hot but does not ignite easily!. Not bad for poorly stored 40 yr old ammo. Maybe something to do with the tarry substance the bullets are seated with.

@Cordite yeah silly me. I though it would be like all the old stuff we dicked around with in the 80's.
Never shot a lot of it but it always went bang. I expected the newer stuff to be more reliable. One misfire out of about 10 shots and a gut feel they didn't all recoil the same. Doubt ill try them again.

For what it's worth, a mate had a P14 and eventually the wood was stuffed through neglect.
It shot worse and worse then showed big shifts in impact like off an A4 at 25 yd every few shots.

What are those pale circles in the bedding ? epoxy glue repairs ?
If there are cracks or softness in the wood itself then bedding may not last long.

Also, if a length of barrel is to be free floating, ensure it has clearance all round of at least 0.5mm, that's five 80GSM photocopier sheets.

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

Why are you guys talking about cordite? They have not used cordite since before WW1. (Greek surplus .303 doesn't use cordite and was not loaded with corrosive primers.)

Most .303's I have met were wrecked by sheer neglect.

The last lot of CAC Military ammo I had was loaded with cordite dated 1957 and was very accurate ,
you are right most .303's were not well maintained

The CAC is pretty good stuff even today. Other stuff can by abysmal, the worst was some Pakistani.

The mounts look fine, I thought you had a Lee Enfield. If you have got the crown done then that take care of that too.

Try some S&B, they will be softpoints, usually 150 or 180 's are available in the shop, try 180 if you can get them. If you can't find S&B then get some Highland / PPU 180's I wouldn't use Winchester, too expensive and loaded lower than PPU, also has not been that great accuracywise in my rifles.

Shoot it from a good rest and if you get the same result then I would think scope or bedding.

I don't like the bedding. Is it just me or does it look lumpy and too thin. If the rifle were mine I would dig out the front bedding round the recoil lug, pock mark the wood with a drill and put a plasticine dam 5 cm up the barrel channel then re-do that section of bedding as one. My 2c