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174 grain PPU

Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Reloading
Forum Name: Reloading .303 British
Forum Description: Enfield-Rifles.com accepts NO responsibility for any loads that may be used by persons reading this forum. USE CAUTION WHEN TRYING ANY NEW LOADS!!! ANY DATA DEEMED UNSAFE WILL BE REMOVED!!!
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11968
Printed Date: December 08 2023 at 5:52am
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Topic: 174 grain PPU
Posted By: 303 Hunter
Subject: 174 grain PPU
Date Posted: April 07 2022 at 1:39pm
I am looking at getting some of PPU’s 174 grain fmjbt bullets. What is their accuracy like?
I know it does depend on the individual rifle and how good the load is but what is the most I can expect from them?


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The Lee Enfield is to the Canadian north what the Winchester repeater was to the American west.   Cal Bablitz



Replies:
Posted By: Stumpkiller
Date Posted: April 07 2022 at 5:26pm
I shoot the 174 gr in my .303 No. 4 Mk 1/2* and the reloads are on par with Greek HXP surplus (which, to me, is the good stuff).

I also use them in my 7.62 x 54Rs and they do better than most of the Chinese and Hungarian surplus (using PPU brass as well). 


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Charlie P.

Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.


Posted By: shiloh
Date Posted: April 07 2022 at 5:50pm
I shoot the factory loaded ppu 174 `S, MY No 4 likes them average 3-4" groups at 100meters, my 1915 smle dosn`t like them at all, but it does hit the target with minute of man groupings at 100yrds.
Through my scoped churhill sporter, the groups are a little tighter shooting supported.
Overall they`re ok but not as good as working up a reload for a specific rifle.


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shoot em if you got em


Posted By: FNQ303
Date Posted: April 07 2022 at 7:23pm
Gday all
I use ppu 174 gr almost exclusively thru the no1 mk3 for hunting pigs scrubbers etc and never had a problem dropping the animals unless I've stuffed up. Should probably add thats at reasonable "hunting" distances between 50 and 150 mters🍻


Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: April 08 2022 at 5:05am
303 Hunter, I hand loaded aboot 100 of these (Sierra pills, PPU brass and H4895 powder.) Our range is only 100 yards so I'm not sure the boat-tail was needed. They shot well, but for the extra price not much or any better than a 180 gr Sierra flat bottomed bullet. I have a twin to your rifle built by the same fellow, and it HATES 180's!


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 08 2022 at 9:24am
I've not tried the FMJ's but the 180Gr SPs are every bit as good as the similar Remington offering.


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: April 08 2022 at 10:07am
I've compared them to Sierra 174grn .311" BTHP bullets as well as the 174grn .312" BTHP Hornady bullets.
Pretty much all three performed identically out to 200 yards...



Posted By: 303 Hunter
Date Posted: April 09 2022 at 12:26pm
Okay, thanks.

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The Lee Enfield is to the Canadian north what the Winchester repeater was to the American west.   Cal Bablitz


Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: January 20 2023 at 8:15am
Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

I've compared them to Sierra 174grn .311" BTHP bullets as well as the 174grn .312" BTHP Hornady bullets.
Pretty much all three performed identically out to 200 yards...
Goosic's on the money! 

Apologies for being almost a year late to this thread but this was a hot topic of conversation yesterday at our weekly clay shoot.

No supplier in the UK currently has Sierra MK's in .311 and PPU have always been seen in the UK as a cheap Eastern European supplier; the assumption being they aren't all that good! 

Because of the shortage of Sierra's I was forced into using some .311 PPU last October for a shoot of two lots of 15 rounds at 500 yards. The upshot was I recorded my best score at that distance with my No.4 SR"b" for some time...special thanks also go to the wind on that day! Smile

Small disclaimer, if I can get SMK's I will still use them as a preference, but PPU are half the price of SMK's in the UK. 


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Mick


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: January 20 2023 at 9:04am
Originally posted by Strangely Brown Strangely Brown wrote:

Originally posted by Goosic Goosic wrote:

I've compared them to Sierra 174grn .311" BTHP bullets as well as the 174grn .312" BTHP Hornady bullets.
Pretty much all three performed identically out to 200 yards...
Goosic's on the money! 

Apologies for being almost a year late to this thread but this was a hot topic of conversation yesterday at our weekly clay shoot.

No supplier in the UK currently has Sierra MK's in .311 and PPU have always been seen in the UK as a cheap Eastern European supplier; the assumption being they aren't all that good! 

Because of the shortage of Sierra's I was forced into using some .311 PPU last October for a shoot of two lots of 15 rounds at 500 yards. The upshot was I recorded my best score at that distance with my No.4 SR"b" for some time...special thanks also go to the wind on that day! Smile

Small disclaimer, if I can get SMK's I will still use them as a preference, but PPU are half the price of SMK's in the UK. 
I have been using both the 174grn PPU FMJ-BT'S and the Hornady 174grn FMJ-BT's, #3131 with the cannelure that do a perfect imitation of the Mk VIIIz rounds...


Posted By: Honkytonk
Date Posted: January 20 2023 at 12:17pm
I've never shot "tailor made" PPU bullets but I do use their projectiles and brass for reloading. That being said, the type of shooting I do is at our 100 yard range and white-tail deer hunting. Both PPU 150 and 174gr FMJBT shoot as good as any Sierra or Hornady of similar weights at 100 yards, in my humble opinion. Keep the brass, as it is excellent for reloading!


Posted By: Zed
Date Posted: January 20 2023 at 1:40pm
PPU bullets are good in all of my .303's.
To be perfectly honest, I don't see much difference between these and my handloads with Sierra Match Kings. 
Probably a better shooter behind the rifle may see more of a difference .


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It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: January 20 2023 at 2:31pm
I’ve yet to try any PPU bullets.  When I see some available, I’ll try them.  

Agree with all the above, likely do just as well in the LE as the Sierra and Hornady match bullets.  Might see some difference at the mid and long ranges, 600 yds and beyond. But, if they are cheaper than the SMKs and shoot just as well at 200, I’m going to buy them. 




Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 4:09am
I've reloaded 174 gr. bullets from four different manufacturers; Sierra, Hornady, PPU, and pulled MkVII.  In order of accuracy: 1) SMK  2) PPU  3) Hornady  4) pulled MkVII  For practical uses such as plinking or Hog hunting you won't notice enough of a difference to matter.  For long range service rifle matches you definitely want the SMK bullets.


Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 4:18am
Originally posted by Sapper740 Sapper740 wrote:

I've reloaded 174 gr. bullets from four different manufacturers; Sierra, Hornady, PPU, and pulled MkVII.  In order of accuracy: 1) SMK  2) PPU  3) Hornady  4) pulled MkVII  For practical uses such as plinking or Hog hunting you won't notice enough of a difference to matter.  For long range service rifle matches you definitely want the SMK bullets.

Sapper, I concur exactly with, 1) SMK, 2) PPU and regarding Hornady not always available in the UK but I have used them way back and found them ok'ish.

Your last statement is certainly in line with my own thoughts, however I did quite well at 500 yards last year with the PPU which I would not usually use in competition if SMK's were available. 


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Mick


Posted By: britrifles
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 4:46am
I’ve not found any difference in accuracy between the SMK and Hornady BTHP Match bullet.  Hornady made a few different 174 grain bullets, you want the .312 diameter bullet, not the .3105, I don’t think they make them anymore. 


Posted By: Strangely Brown
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 5:43am
Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

I’ve not found any difference in accuracy between the SMK and Hornady BTHP Match bullet.

Looking back Geoff I didn't have the No.4 SR"b" when I shot the Hornady, and yes it was the .312" variety that we had then. 


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Mick


Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 8:20am
Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

I’ve not found any difference in accuracy between the SMK and Hornady BTHP Match bullet.  Hornady made a few different 174 grain bullets, you want the .312 diameter bullet, not the .3105, I don’t think they make them anymore. 

The last batch of Hornady 174gr. I bought late 2022 still miked out at .3105" but they were FMJBT, not the BTHP which like you, I haven't been able to find either.


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 1:28pm
Originally posted by Sapper740 Sapper740 wrote:

Originally posted by britrifles britrifles wrote:

I’ve not found any difference in accuracy between the SMK and Hornady BTHP Match bullet.  Hornady made a few different 174 grain bullets, you want the .312 diameter bullet, not the .3105, I don’t think they make them anymore. 

The last batch of Hornady 174gr. I bought late 2022 still miked out at .3105" but they were FMJBT, not the BTHP which like you, I haven't been able to find either.
 
The Hornady .312" was a special order for Graf & Son and will have GRAF written on the box. I have found a supplier that is offering .311"/.3115"/.312" FMJBT'S for the 7.62x54R and they are no different in performance out to 200 yards than all the other brands we have used. I'm currently working up a load using one of their 168grn FMJBT'S...


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 1:51pm
The .3105 were marked & advertised for the "Moist NuggetStar" bores. The cannalure was set up for that too.


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 2:29pm
Originally posted by Shamu Shamu wrote:

The .3105 were marked & advertised for the "Moist NuggetStar" bores. The cannalure was set up for that too.
I will refer to the Mosin Nagant as a Moist Nugget from here on out. That's funny...


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 14 2023 at 2:56pm
Clap

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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)


Posted By: Stanforth
Date Posted: April 15 2023 at 6:56am
I went to our indoor small bore range today and a member who I had not seen for a couple of years was there. He is getting on, nearly 90 and has been suffering from ill heath. He has disposed of his full bore rifles. He said to me are these any use to you?and gave me 12, boxes of PPU 174 grain .303 ammunition I tried to pay for them but he wouldn't take anything.
Some days are good days.


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Life.. a sexually transmitted condition that is invariably fatal.


Posted By: paddyofurniture
Date Posted: April 15 2023 at 7:11am
Thanks t r sharing, shows there are still good people.

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Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.


Posted By: Sapper740
Date Posted: April 16 2023 at 3:59am
Originally posted by Shamu Shamu wrote:

The .3105 were marked & advertised for the "Moist NuggetStar" bores. The cannalure was set up for that too.
 

Not on the Graf and Sons website.  Their "303 caliber/7.7 Japan (311-312)  23 products" link on their homepage takes you eventually to the Hornady FMJBT bullets which are NOW listed as .3105" after I called them and complained.  They were originally listed as .311 as shown on the Hornady box.  It doesn't mention Noisy Maggots anywhere.


Posted By: Shamu
Date Posted: April 16 2023 at 11:02am
I think that's a mistake, or, typo on the part of Graff & Sons site?
I've been using them for several years & they were marked for the M-N rifles right on the box!
I remember because I was breaking in a brand new (unfired) No4 Mk2 barrel & it was definitely "tight" so I actively sought out the smaller diameter bullets.


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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)



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