303 Epps Cartridges |
Post Reply |
Author | |
steve
Groupie Joined: October 27 2006 Status: Offline Points: 28 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: October 29 2006 at 8:34am |
If you're curious as to what they look like, here's a pic. They're topped with a home made 200 grain bullet.
|
|
Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell www.303british.com |
|
Guests
Guest Group |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Steve, you have my whole & undivided attention ! Firstly this is the first time I've seen the EPPS in the flesh as it where as it is one of those things over here that whilst there is talk of shooters having them & my barrel guy has the reemers ect , I have'nt been able to track down anyone who has one !
The first thing that has got my attention is the fact the round looks to be quite staight cased & the neck reminds me of a weatherby round. Tell me is the Mk111 action capible of handleing the Epps ? & is it a case of just reaming the existing chamber ,or is it a rebarrel job? I have a Mk1 (1902) that I was going to restore after all these years of using her as a working rifle ,but I must say this round has sparked my intrest! The thought of a Epp on a Pat 14 action is also tempting I must admit ,but the only one I have is a 303-270 & I can't see myself rebarreling it ! Dave |
|
steve
Groupie Joined: October 27 2006 Status: Offline Points: 28 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
No need to rebarrel or anything like that.
The Epps cartridge operates at exactly the same pressure levels as the parent. 45,000CUP/49,000PSI. Thats's what makes it, or any other improved cartridge, usable from the same rifle. There is approx. 0.010 inches of taper from top to bottom so they don't feed too well from the magazine. One trick is to load one 303 British cartridge in the mag first and two or three Epps cartridges (max) over top. Shot from a No 1 or No 4, you can expect around 2600 fps from the Epps with a 180 grain bullet. About another 100 or so fps if you use a P14 or a Ross. |
|
Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell www.303british.com |
|
Guests
Guest Group |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Steve . You have now got my intrest ! I see in another post where you mention thinking of using a Ruger #1 action for a EPPS . This really got my mind going into overdrive ! I have hidden in the dark recces of one of my safes ,a Martini .303 ............Me thinks I may have to contact my Barrel guy (If his talking to me yet ! .....There was a cruel rummour spread that he was making barrels out of mild steel & they also came out of the factory bent ! some how I got the blame ) He may have a little reaming job to do ,me thinks !
Dave |
|
Jonsered
Groupie Joined: August 12 2006 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 47 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
2600 fps with a 180 grain? isnt that pushing it just a little to high?, i dont have much knowledge of reloading and pressures and stuff like that
|
|
steve
Groupie Joined: October 27 2006 Status: Offline Points: 28 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
No, the bullet does 2600 fps at the same pressures as its parent, the 303 British. What you have is a few grains more of powder because the improved case has more internal volume.
|
|
Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell www.303british.com |
|
LJM61
Newbie Joined: October 22 2006 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 17 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Well Daveh,
Now you know how I felt when I started to investigate improving the No#4 to develope it into a 1000+ yard bench rest and in general long range shooter. And for me, the Canadian connection made it even more of a motivation. I do have a question for Steve though regarding known recorded data for the Epp's load with varied length barrels? Is there a know "sweet spot" when it come to barrel length that makes the Epp's shine? I tend towards a preference for 28inch to 30 inch barrels. And a second question, regarding powder ratings. Would you say the power specs used for the 303 British and Epp's loads are considered fast or slower burning? The reason I ask is that another caliber I'm highly interested in is the .264 Win Mag, which got a bad wrap over the years from having used barrels that were 26 inches or shorter(24inched being the most common for it), and when reloaded, using powders that were too fast burning to make for the best results, and therefore was over taken in popularity by the .240, .257 & 25-250 rounds which were hyped by the gun mags of the day. My(newbie) observations where verified by a friends dad who had his model 70 rebarreled with a 28.5 inch heavy barrel using what reload data he could that incorporated slower powers and proceeded to get the .264WM results the shooting media had only heard about. 25+ years ago, I personally witnessed my friends dad, clipping cigarettes that were standing vertically impaled on small nails on a fence at 600 yards from a sand bag rest on the roof of his parked car. So I have to believe the same further improvement has to be possible with the 303 Epp's using Steve's load data. What say yall? P.S.... I mentioned this last year to Steve in an Email about necking down an Eppified .303 case to 6.5(.264) since it is considered to have the best co-efficiency in flight of any round under 50 cal. and running it down a 28 to 30 inch barrel to produce the fastest, flattest shooting 600 to 800 yard Enfeild ever! It's also the reason I now want to become a custom Barrel maker catering to wildcat and custom rounds. |
|
Post Reply | |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |