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30-303 Sizing Die

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Goosic View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 9:24am
lawndart. 
The total cost with shipping to the United States from QLD is $790.00 AUD or $531.43 USD to us here in the United States. The No4Mk1 profile is thicker in diameter than the .243W barrel on my Weatherby and my Weatherby is a Tack Driver so, in my minds eye, the No4Mk1 contoured barrel s already a Bull Barrel. The cool aspect of this is my handloads for my .243W have a CUP of 42,300 and scoot along @ 2845 fps. Extremely safe to use in an Enfield and should do just as well as accuracy is concerned alongside my Weatherby...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lawndart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 9:42am
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

lawndart. 
The total cost with shipping to the United States from QLD is $790.00 AUD or $531.43 USD to us here in the United States. The No4Mk1 profile is thicker in diameter than the .243W barrel on my Weatherby and my Weatherby is a Tack Driver so, in my minds eye, the No4Mk1 contoured barrel s already a Bull Barrel. The cool aspect of this is my handloads for my .243W have a CUP of 42,300 and scoot along @ 2845 fps. Extremely safe to use in an Enfield and should do just as well as accuracy is concerned alongside my Weatherby...

Thanks! Just for reference, Shaw is quoting $195, but they're known to need lapping, and external contour would be an approximation at best. I'll have to turn a journal for the front sight, and may have to turn it down where the forestock contacts it if I don't go the L42 route.

Yeah, when I did my 6.5x55 Garand barrel, it turned out to be significantly stiffer because of the extra wall thickness despite having the same external contour.

I love the 6mm calibers. My PRS gun is a 6 Creedmoor RPR. I fire a fairly mild load to maximize barrel life, and get 3000 fps from a 105gr HPBT with a G1 BC of .530. I love having that kind of performance with totally negligible recoil!

Lawndart
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Goosic View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 10:15am
My personal load for the .243W is 37.5grns of VVN540 and using the 90grn  Lapua 6.18mm OTR Scenar-L  that has a 543 BC. Averaged FPS is 3212 and the PSI using the Piezo Scale is only 48,468 which is a very safe and workable pressure for the No4Mk1...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BJ72 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 1:23pm
Let us know how these builds turn out. I’m interested to see how they both go. 

Lawndart. I recall reading somewhere that one of the Ruger no1’s chambered in 303 British had a 308 bore. I can’t recall where I read it now, but I believe it was on another forum somewhere. It would be interesting to see if anyone else has ever slugged the bore of a Ruger no1 303. I believe they did the same with early Ruger Mini 30’s and used a 308 barrel despite the 7.62 x 39 using a 310-311 bullet. If you happened to have a Ruger no1 in 303 and it had a tight 308 bore, it would certainly open up your bullet options. 

Goosic, Sako actually did a small run of Enfield conversions at one point. I’ve seen a couple come up for sale here in Australia recently. Both were no4’s chambered in 243 Win. Apparently they are quite rare so the asking price was rather high. Sako collectors seem willing to pay the high price due to the small numbers built. They had an internal single stack mag fitted inside the original no4 magazine. It would be interesting to see how they’ve faired if fed a stead diet of factory 243 Win loads over the years. 
My idea of gun control is hitting what I aim at and nothing else.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Armourer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 1:34pm
Originally posted by BJ72 BJ72 wrote:

Let us know how these builds turn out. I’m interested to see how they both go. 

Lawndart. I recall reading somewhere that one of the Ruger no1’s chambered in 303 British had a 308 bore. I can’t recall where I read it now, but I believe it was on another forum somewhere. It would be interesting to see if anyone else has ever slugged the bore of a Ruger no1 303. I believe they did the same with early Ruger Mini 30’s and used a 308 barrel despite the 7.62 x 39 using a 310-311 bullet. If you happened to have a Ruger no1 in 303 and it had a tight 308 bore, it would certainly open up your bullet options. 

Goosic, Sako actually did a small run of Enfield conversions at one point. I’ve seen a couple come up for sale here in Australia recently. Both were no4’s chambered in 243 Win. Apparently they are quite rare so the asking price was rather high. Sako collectors seem willing to pay the high price due to the small numbers built. They had an internal single stack mag fitted inside the original no4 magazine. It would be interesting to see how they’ve faired if fed a stead diet of factory 243 Win loads over the years. 




 

There is quite a story to these SAKO Enfields they were built up on brand new Enfields that SAKO purchased and they developed their own serial number system prefixed "SE" (SAKO ENFIELD)

And all for $37.00 (It was 1959)













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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Goosic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 2:06pm
This is where having the Enfield CR141A magazine or the 2A1 Ishapore magazine comes in handy. My CR141A magazine topped off with .243W ammunition utilizing necked down Norma .308W cases...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lawndart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 2:15pm
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

My personal load for the .243W is 37.5grns of VVN540 and using the 90grn  Lapua 6.18mm OTR Scenar-L  that has a 543 BC. Averaged FPS is 3212 and the PSI using the Piezo Scale is only 48,468 which is a very safe and workable pressure for the No4Mk1...

I've used these in the past, but according to my notes G1 BC is only .434. Great results though.

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Yes, I typed in the wrong numbers and not realizing until later. Regardless, and all I know with any amount of certainties is that I can put 20 rounds inside of a 1.25" circle @ 200 yards using those projectiles...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lawndart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 2:35pm
Originally posted by BJ72 BJ72 wrote:

Let us know how these builds turn out. I’m interested to see how they both go. 

Lawndart. I recall reading somewhere that one of the Ruger no1’s chambered in 303 British had a 308 bore. I can’t recall where I read it now, but I believe it was on another forum somewhere. It would be interesting to see if anyone else has ever slugged the bore of a Ruger no1 303. I believe they did the same with early Ruger Mini 30’s and used a 308 barrel despite the 7.62 x 39 using a 310-311 bullet. If you happened to have a Ruger no1 in 303 and it had a tight 308 bore, it would certainly open up your bullet options. 

Goosic, Sako actually did a small run of Enfield conversions at one point. I’ve seen a couple come up for sale here in Australia recently. Both were no4’s chambered in 243 Win. Apparently they are quite rare so the asking price was rather high. Sako collectors seem willing to pay the high price due to the small numbers built. They had an internal single stack mag fitted inside the original no4 magazine. It would be interesting to see how they’ve faired if fed a stead diet of factory 243 Win loads over the years. 

I'll definitely post up my results!  

Yes, I recall that post as well. It was by a retired Ruger engineer. The company was not willing to stock .311" bore blanks for a small run of No.1s in .303 Brit. He decided to test the increase in pressure that would result from firing a .311" bullet in the .308" bore to ensure it would be safe if a customer fired a .303 Brit cartridge loaded with a proper .311" bullet in the undersized .308" bore. If I remember correctly, he found that pressures increased by about 3.5 kpsi, which was determined to be well within safety limits and was deemed acceptable. The production run went forward with .308" bores.

You're correct that Mini 30s have .308 barrels as well. However, the max pressure of the 7.63x39 is quite low at about 45kpsi. They wanted to test the .303 Brit to make sure that approach would still be safe in a higher-pressure rifle caliber.

Lawndart

PS. That's a really cool story on the Sakos. I hope that's a separate post somewhere on the forum!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lawndart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 2:35pm
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

Yes, I typed in the wrong numbers and not realizing until later. Regardless, and all I know with any amount of certainties is that I can put 20 rounds inside of a 1.25" circle @ 200 yards using those projectiles...

Great results! Sub-MOA accounting for hole diameter.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote The Armourer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 2:51pm
Originally posted by lawndart lawndart wrote:


PS. That's a really cool story on the Sakos. I hope that's a separate post somewhere on the forum!

I don't remember previously posting the pictures and advert here. But my memory is not what is was.

Note the location of the rear sight !


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TwoFourThree Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 19 2022 at 9:06pm
There were only 678 of the Sako Enfields made. The original rifles were sent to Sako by the Australian importer of Sako rifles to be converted.  Some were in .308 as well. 

Had a chance to buy one for under $400 but passed on it as I had a couple of  .243's already.




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