Thread: BSA model E 303

@JWB
My barrel not as bad as that. From memory my P+H safari 7x57 is like that.
This one somewhere between yuck and mint so could be alright.
worst thing is I have a big fat Burris 50mm 2x10 that was for a very slow ongoing delisle 45 project that I am going to use for testing.
It really should be on the 243 but I doubt it will fit as that means new rings for that resighting etc etc so it will go on this instead so I will probably need tall rings.
I'll just have to wait and see how Jim goes with the mounts. I'm getting what ever he fits for mates rates or so he said the mentioned the other day too so fingers crossed.
I have what I think are Old Warne premier bases off my rem 700 416 that may have fitted but rings are discontinued so they are really not worth trying to fit even if I thought that was a great idea.
As per piccies there are some big bits missing from the front of the stock barrel channel WTF why/ I don't know-same on both sides. Found an old smle fore-end that I'll strip back and see how close it is in colour for some donor wood. orange looking though the varnish so could be light enough.
The Stock is going to get some recoil pins fitted to help tighten it up and hold the cracks. Its got cracks in the tang, and between every bit of wood up to in front of the mag well and its split there too. lol
I have another piece off another 303 fore-end that is quite a dark chocolate for plugs but don't know if I can get them right to suit the grain. Not Ebony but is probably a good contrast and in the spirit of keeping these things alive.
Good for some load data. I was fishing for some good ideas on another thread for this a while back. I was more considering 150grainers though.
180's at 2600 would be as good or better than factory 150s at the same speed.

Originally Posted by csmiffy

The Stock is going to get some recoil pins fitted to help tighten it up and hold the cracks. Its got cracks in the tang, and between every bit of wood up to in front of the mag well and its split there too. lol
I have another piece off another 303 fore-end that is quite a dark chocolate for plugs but don't know if I can get them right to suit the grain. Not Ebony but is probably a good contrast and in the spirit of keeping these things alive.

My model E also was cracked in the front of the magazine well and at the tang. As you have noticed there is no recoil bolt through the stock behind the recoil lug recess. In mine the wood between the recess and the magazine well had given way letting the action recoil back to split the pistol grip. Where the back of the action meets the pistol grip, the stock is supposed to be relieved so that steel doesn't meet wood at that spot.
The fix for me was to wedge the stock open, and wash out all the old oil with cleaning solvent, and then wash out again with epoxy thinners. The cracks were then filled with HT9000 epoxy resin mixed with glue powder. After it was cured, the recoil lug recess was opened up and undercut where it met the stock sides and the area built up with resin and pieces of glass mat to replace the damaged area which the recoil lug bears against. When that had cured the rifle was bedded normally from the magazine well to an inch in front of the action, using HT9000 with glue powder and glass mat, chopped fine into flakes as reinforcement.
Still going strong after 10 years and has not moved