.303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI - The Firearms Forum

MConn · 08-26-2007, 08:36 PM

Where on the internet could I find .303 ammo really cheap? I've looked on cheaperthandirt and sportmansguide and I see that the average price is about $1 a round...is it possible to find anything cheaper? Can the old casings be re-used for a better price? Thanks!

Popgunner · 08-27-2007, 10:20 PM

The stuff I got for my #4 mk1 was from Sportsman's guide. I don't think it was quite $1 a round. It was in lots of 100 if I remember & had 5 different headstamps per 100. If I remember about 90% of it went bang. There's just not much .303 milsurp out there & decent stuff won't be cheap.

What I did was to buy 100 reloadable cases (the milsurp is berdan) & a set of .303 dies for $11 on www.midwayusa.com -look for the Lee "RGB" dies.

Here's the link: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...884&t=11082005

This way I'm able to shoot sure-fire ammo at decent prices. If you want a few rounds of sure-fire ammo Sellier & Bellot at Cabella's ran me $11 a box of 20. I bought 2 boxes just to have some & the brass is boxer/reloadable.

Pistolenschutze · 08-28-2007, 10:43 AM

I did much the same thing for my Enfield, Pop. Milsurp is getting so hard to find and expensive, that the only way to shoot the rifle very much is to do as you did, buy enough good boxer primed ammo to have plenty of casings available, then reload. Fortunately, .311 bullets are readily available from many sources. One problem with these rifles though is that the bolt locks at the rear, causing the action to be a bit "springy," and that tends to limit case life. I've found they last a lot longer if loads are kept on the light side.

inplanotx · 08-28-2007, 12:18 PM

Why go through all that when you can get Remington or Winchester brass?

http://www.grafs.com/metallic/778

They also have 7.62x54R and 7.5x55 unprimed boxer brass and at cheap prices!

Seems quite simple to me!

IPT

travihanson · 08-28-2007, 01:38 PM

I would consider reloading myself. It will take a little bit of cash to get set up but you will pay for it in probably 500 rounds or so. Buy literature though and follow it. Reload safely don't get greedy with the speeds.

e3mrk · 09-05-2007, 10:13 PM

You can find Surplus Military 303 British on *********.com.
Stay away from the Pakistan stuff as I hear it has a lot of missfires.
I bought 100 rounds of good British Ammunition for about $30.00 there and will buy more .

JLA · 09-10-2007, 10:13 PM

try to keep the loads around 2400fps or less, i have found that most manufacturers .311 bullets will readily expand at lower velocities, very important if you use yours for hunting. i mostly use sierra 180gr. softpoints and they perform very well and are very accurate. also, if you do decide to reload, pay attention to the bulged out necks on fireformed cases, and do not disturb them during resizing, you can accomplish this best by adjusting your full length resizing die until it just contacts the fire formed shoulder, it will make the cases last longer and add a bit to the accuracy. the .303 brit is bad about incipient case-head separation and cases should be inspected closely after every firing. i average about 6 loadings per case with my heavy loads, and about 10 for my light loads. the old S.M.L.E is a very reliable rifle, and in my opinion 1 of the best ever designed. have fun and safe shooting.

08-26-2007, 08:36 PM	#1
MConn Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Ohio Posts: 11	.303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI Where on the internet could I find .303 ammo really cheap? I've looked on cheaperthandirt and sportmansguide and I see that the average price is about $1 a round...is it possible to find anything cheaper? Can the old casings be re-used for a better price? Thanks! __________________ "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!" -->

08-27-2007, 10:20 PM	#2
Popgunner Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Contributor Posts: 1,764	Re: .303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI The stuff I got for my #4 mk1 was from Sportsman's guide. I don't think it was quite $1 a round. It was in lots of 100 if I remember & had 5 different headstamps per 100. If I remember about 90% of it went bang. There's just not much .303 milsurp out there & decent stuff won't be cheap. What I did was to buy 100 reloadable cases (the milsurp is berdan) & a set of .303 dies for $11 on www.midwayusa.com -look for the Lee "RGB" dies. Here's the link: http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...884&t=11082005 This way I'm able to shoot sure-fire ammo at decent prices. If you want a few rounds of sure-fire ammo Sellier & Bellot at Cabella's ran me $11 a box of 20. I bought 2 boxes just to have some & the brass is boxer/reloadable. Last edited by Popgunner; 08-27-2007 at 10:27 PM..

08-28-2007, 10:43 AM	#3
Pistolenschutze Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 13,094	Re: .303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI I did much the same thing for my Enfield, Pop. Milsurp is getting so hard to find and expensive, that the only way to shoot the rifle very much is to do as you did, buy enough good boxer primed ammo to have plenty of casings available, then reload. Fortunately, .311 bullets are readily available from many sources. One problem with these rifles though is that the bolt locks at the rear, causing the action to be a bit "springy," and that tends to limit case life. I've found they last a lot longer if loads are kept on the light side. __________________ --Pistolenschutze (Pistol Shooter)

08-28-2007, 01:38 PM	#5
travihanson Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Milo, ME Posts: 582	Re: .303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI I would consider reloading myself. It will take a little bit of cash to get set up but you will pay for it in probably 500 rounds or so. Buy literature though and follow it. Reload safely don't get greedy with the speeds. __________________ The two loudest sounds in the world are a click when you expect a bang, and a bang when you expect a click.

09-05-2007, 10:13 PM	#6
e3mrk Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 48	Re: .303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI You can find Surplus Military 303 British on *********.com. Stay away from the Pakistan stuff as I hear it has a lot of missfires. I bought 100 rounds of good British Ammunition for about $30.00 there and will buy more .

08-28-2007, 12:18 PM	#4
inplanotx Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 8,897	Re: .303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI Why go through all that when you can get Remington or Winchester brass? http://www.grafs.com/metallic/778 They also have 7.62x54R and 7.5x55 unprimed boxer brass and at cheap prices! Seems quite simple to me! IPT __________________ Last edited by inplanotx; 08-28-2007 at 12:20 PM..

09-10-2007, 10:13 PM	#7
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,318	Re: .303 for Lee-Enfield No4 MkI try to keep the loads around 2400fps or less, i have found that most manufacturers .311 bullets will readily expand at lower velocities, very important if you use yours for hunting. i mostly use sierra 180gr. softpoints and they perform very well and are very accurate. also, if you do decide to reload, pay attention to the bulged out necks on fireformed cases, and do not disturb them during resizing, you can accomplish this best by adjusting your full length resizing die until it just contacts the fire formed shoulder, it will make the cases last longer and add a bit to the accuracy. the .303 brit is bad about incipient case-head separation and cases should be inspected closely after every firing. i average about 6 loadings per case with my heavy loads, and about 10 for my light loads. the old S.M.L.E is a very reliable rifle, and in my opinion 1 of the best ever designed. have fun and safe shooting. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!