.303 bullet tumble

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  • Last Post 31 December 2009
mzylsky posted this 26 December 2009

I have a no.4 British Enfield that I am casting for.  I used gas check .311 diameter bullets, but they all tumbled.  I ended up getting .314 diameter bullet mold and some of the bullets are tumbleing.  The ones that are not are not very accurate.  I am using 11.5 grains of unique powder.  Is the .314 bullet still too small?  Is the powder charge too heavy or too light?  Why does this particular gun shoot jacketed bullets well, but not cast?  I have great results in my mausers, mosins and springfields, but this British is tricky.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you

Mike

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cityboy posted this 26 December 2009

Have you checked the bore to see if you have any rifling? If a previous owner has used ammo loaded with cordite, the rifling may be in poor shape.

Jim

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 26 December 2009

mzylsky -

slug the barrel. What are bore and goove diameters?

Usually 0.001 to 0.002” over groove diamter works. There's more to it than that, but if it is undersize you won't have good luck.

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hrafknel posted this 26 December 2009

My Savage No. 4 MK 1* did the same thing though I never tried jacket bullets. Sluging the bore measured .316". A .317 cast bullet was used to get it to put the pointed end forward.

Hrafknel

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tturner53 posted this 27 December 2009

Chances are good the .311 bullets are too small, maybe way too small. Went thru that. Use the fattest bullet that will chamber without debulleting.

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Clod Hopper posted this 29 December 2009

This might be a good time to look into paperpatching.

Dale M. Lock

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Ed Harris posted this 30 December 2009

Best solution is to upset a throat slug or cast the chamber so as to include the throat and section of rifling ahead of the chamber, then get an LBT or CBE mould to fit.

I'm very satisfied with the CBE .316-240 mould I got from Australia and have been using it in a Krag and also in a Russian M91/30, both having .316 throats with worn bores and it made a great difference. A charge of 11-12 grs. of #2400 is showing promise.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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mtn_runner posted this 30 December 2009

I had a bad tumbling problem with my .303 using a lyman 314299 and SR4759 powder.  What works for me is to crimp on the gas check in a .314 sizer die, but otherwise, not size the bullets, lube with liquid allox, and, after charging with propellant, fill the case to the base of the gas check with cream of wheat.  This got them going straight and produces reasonable groups (2” - 2 1/2") at 50 yds.  When using cream of wheat filler, I keep the powder charge on the low end.

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JeffinNZ posted this 30 December 2009

I have the prototype mould of the CBE bullet Ed refers to and it is fantastic.

Shoot the fattest bullet you can chamber.

Cheers from New Zealand

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argie1891 posted this 30 December 2009

Ed: i bought the same mould several years ago form CBE  and it really works well in the britt. it drops out of the mould with my alloy at a true .316 and seems to work the best in my #4 joe gifford

if you think you have it figured out then you just dont understand

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tturner53 posted this 31 December 2009

JeffinNZ wrote: I have the prototype mould of the CBE bullet Ed refers to and it is fantastic.

Shoot the fattest bullet you can chamber. WHOOMP THERE IT IS!! “Shoot the fattest bullet you can chamber". Never mind the groove diameter, don't need to even know what it is, it's useless information. Since I realized this my accuracy has improved in every gun I cast for.Slug the bore?? What for?! In my experience this has held true with rifles, revolvers, and pistols. Shoot the fattest bullet you can chamber.   EDIT: It occurred to me that some of you might think of me as a smart-&%$ and think I was being sarcastic here. Not so. For me this has been one of the single most helpful bits of information I've learned from this forum.

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