.303 below 1500fps

[JoseyWhales]

My fiancee's father got his .303 to 1,000 FPS if I remember correctly. He used MP200, if I remember correctly here now it was something like 9 grains with a thick piece of filler behind a 174gr bullet. I can check and let you know?

I can 2nd the above load and have tested it with out a case filler. If i remember correctly I down loaded it to just under 1000 fps.

[Minerva10210]

Ooh, following this with interest!

As it seems, and I still need to get the rifle to a smith sometime, my LE1 might be a bit past it's sell-by date, so if it can still be used with reduced loads just for paper punching, this may well be the route I'll end up with it!

[Dick]

I have no data for 303 Br but 308Win isn't much different. 170 grain cast bullet plain base 10 grains MP200 = 1336FPS, 12gr = 1558FPS, 15gr = 1770FPS. The same bullet with gas check weighs 174 grains - 12gr MP200 = 1536FPS, 15gr = 1750FPS.

This tends to confirm the data others have provided. As you see, it will be a very light charge for 1000FPS. I see that some old wives tales have appeared again. There is no danger in somewhat reduced loads of powder like S335 in calibres like the 308Win or 303Br. My standard load for 308 is 41gr of S335 behind the 165 gr Hornady Spire point. But I have fired 30gr of S335 behind the 174gr cast bullet. That story is based on the well known risk of detonation of reduced loads of slow burning powders in magnum calibres ie big volume cases. It does not apply to small and medium calibres using fast and medium powders.

At the charges and velocities we are talking about, the pressures with MP200 are so low that there is zero risk from that point of view.

[264WinMag]

Wont you be compromising on the stopping power? What type of hunting do you guys do? Do you bait them or do you use hounds. I think if you hunt with hounds you need more stopping power because you cant really choose your shots. While baiting is something else.

[Toxxyc]

For short distance hunting a 174gr .311 bullet traveling at 1,000 FPS is "more deadly" than a .40 S&W. It penetrates deeper (sectional density is better) and travels a bit further. Up to about 100m this makes a deadly, but completely silent hunting rifle for many of the animals you'd usually hunt with such a rifle. Zero at 75m and you'll have a ~4" elevation up and down between 50m and 100m, meaning you can easily hit the engine room with very little effort and the bullet will still travel at ~900 FPS when it reaches the target even at 150m, more than enough to penetrate and kill up to kudu size (provided you steer clear of the shoulder blade).

EDIT: Added the "" quotes to "more deadly" as it all depends on a lot of things, but yeah just for clarity.

[Vaal]

I use old Frontier 174gr lead bullets, LR Murom primers, 6gr MP200 and "Dacron" (polyester fibre fill) as a case filler gently tapped in with a pencil in my 308W to get 1020fps/ The way I understand you must use a case filler. Use this on your own "verantwoordelikheid" (die engels darem).

[Sean Murphy]

I agree with Vaal on the use of case filler. It may not be necessary for preventing detonation but it definitely helps with consistent ignition and burning of the powder, lowering extreme spread and hence improving accuracy.

Sean.

[264WinMag]

For short distance hunting a 174gr .311 bullet traveling at 1,000 FPS is "more deadly" than a .40 S&W. It penetrates deeper (sectional density is better) and travels a bit further. Up to about 100m this makes a deadly, but completely silent hunting rifle for many of the animals you'd usually hunt with such a rifle. Zero at 75m and you'll have a ~4" elevation up and down between 50m and 100m, meaning you can easily hit the engine room with very little effort and the bullet will still travel at ~900 FPS when it reaches the target even at 150m, more than enough to penetrate and kill up to kudu size (provided you steer clear of the shoulder blade).

EDIT: Added the "" quotes to "more deadly" as it all depends on a lot of things, but yeah just for clarity.

Will the bullet still expand at those speeds?

[Sean Murphy]

Will the bullet still expand at those speeds?

Usually, no.

[Toxxyc]

Will the bullet still expand at those speeds?

It doesn't, like Sean said. I have noticed some deformity in Hornady InterLocks though, it's like they're slightly flattened and they "expand" ever so slightly, I would say about to 10mm thickness and they're usually found between ribs or just before them on the other side, depending on how the shot was taken and if you hit ribs on the way in. It does penetrate well enough to kill though.