AusVarmint

G'Day all,
a friend of mine has a friend with a 303-25 and he wants info on loaded ammo or brass availability.

Failing that how do you form brass from 303 brass? Is it just one pass through the 303-25 FLS die? or do you need to run it through a 303-270 FLS first?

all info gratefully accepted

Cheerio Ned

Ned,
Yep ... one pass through the 303/25 FL sizing die. Ex-mil cases are probably not the best for this as they can be heavier brass than commercial stuff which seems quite thin and reforms much easier.
As for loads ... check Nick Harvey's manual or the ADI manual online ... but be aware the ADI stuff is what they used to publish for P14 actions so I'd be wary of it in a No3. Trim length is also less than the 303British ... if starting with new 303 cases the length is 2.220" while the normal for the 303/25 is only 2.185", requiring 0.035" to be trimmed off the necks. That's another "be careful point".
I'm nervous on giving loads as the 303/25's have been built on No3, No4, P14 (mine! ) and M98 actions. My P14 will run with 257Roberts +P loads and has a twist that'll stabilise heavy projectiles ... many of the No3 conversions have a slower twist that limits them to 100gr ... in a No3 he has an Aussie equivalent to a 250Savage. There's also a few variants of the 303/25 about so extra care is required.
Cheers...
Con

Ned,

Con's pretty much got it, but just for your info....I think the full length version was called a 'Falcon' , there were also 'Wasps'...'Sprinters' and probably more variants out there I haven't heard of yet with differing case lengths. So if your mate has no fired cases from it .....maybe check the chamber length..I am yet to see one stamped with the Falcon or Wasp wording on the tube but.

I have a No 4 in .234/303 that was my main hunting rifle for years until.....one day the bolt face said it had.... 'had enough' so mild loads are the go

Use it by all means...if it's OK....but don't press the issue with hot loads. The old 25 kills like lightning with 87grainer's

KY

i had the 22/303 full length "Falcon" and a 25/303 sportco barrel conversion on a #3

a mild load in both guns was the go 25/303 87gns are also the goods

P14's mausers the 22/303 could go close to 220s or 22/250.....but! its the action and cases

High land case size well so im told......i had a heap of super brass but it went with the rifles

G'Day all,
many thanks for the all the info and advice. I'll pass it on to my friend for his mate to digest.

Hopefully he'll find a solution and get the rifle shooting again. I do not know what the action is and know of one 303 action built as a 243 Win, stangely enough the owner couldn't understand why the cases were splitting just forward of the head...............

Needless to say I told him never ever to fire it again unless he wanted to loose an eye or worse. (he's a leftty and as a lefty myself, I shudder to think about it)

Cheerio Ned