.303-25 ammunition

Reloading equipment, methods, load data, powder and projectile information.

.303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 26 Jun 2017, 4:15 pm

Hi all
Have been given the opportunity of purchasing an old Sportco 303-25.
Unsure on it as my knowledge of the calibre is very limited.
Obviously no factory ammo available.
Is it a case of full body dies and using existing. 303 cases to make them??
Thanks for all help and guidance

The BLT
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Varmtr » 26 Jun 2017, 9:49 pm

Welcome.
Rebel in Qld have 303-25 brass for sale it is already necked down.
Reloading dies Simplex have them in stock or can be made this includes the dies required for necking down standard 303 brass. Sometimes they pop up on ebay which is were I got mine from.
ADI have load data but its limited to just showing max load so normally drop by 10% then work up. As the sportco isn't a No4 action or even better a P14 approach the max carefully.
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by duncan61 » 27 Jun 2017, 12:24 am

What was it before sportco rebarreled it
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 27 Jun 2017, 7:12 am

Thankyou Varmtr! Appreciate the info!

Duncan61
I'm not 100% sure.
It's a family friend who lives about 6hrs away so I will be purchasing sight unseen. He's an older gentleman so sending texts, email or picture of the rifle to me are out of his skill base!! Ha ha
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 27 Jun 2017, 7:26 am

Just checked out Rebel Gun Works in Qld website.
Professionally loaded 303-25 ammunition by GCR. 87grain Spitzer.
$65 for a 20pk.
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Supaduke » 27 Jun 2017, 7:29 am

$67.....Yeah...... nah
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by COLLECTOR 1 » 27 Jun 2017, 7:38 am

Bertram Brass do a formed 303/25 case. Simplex make both 5/8 and 7/8 dies. Funny enough Lyman made dies years ago in 25/303 Australian...true story.

Easy round to make from virgin 303 brass. The trick is to use a Simplex vice die to form the case, trim to length and then fls/neck after fire forming.

Great old classic calibre

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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 27 Jun 2017, 7:56 am

Excellent information thank you kindly Collector1!!
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 27 Jun 2017, 7:57 am

COLLECTOR 1 wrote:Bertram Brass do a formed 303/25 case. Simplex make both 5/8 and 7/8 dies. Funny enough Lyman made dies years ago in 25/303 Australian...true story.

Easy round to make from virgin 303 brass. The trick is to use a Simplex vice die to form the case, trim to length and then fls/neck after fire forming.

Great old classic calibre

Collector 1




Excellent information thank you kindly!!!
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Jeff303 » 27 Jun 2017, 8:30 am

Really easy to make & load & a useful & fun piece of history. Go for it
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 27 Jun 2017, 1:33 pm

bentaz wrote:I went out the back and had a look, the brass i bought was from "balistic products inc." in qld.



Thank you kindly!
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 27 Jun 2017, 3:20 pm

Jeff303 wrote:Really easy to make & load & a useful & fun piece of history. Go for it



Would you consider it a good projectile and calibre as a deer rifle??
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Supaduke » 27 Jun 2017, 5:28 pm

Smaller species only, would be illegal for the bigger species. In Victoria at least, min .270
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Heckler303 » 28 Jun 2017, 7:46 am

I'm a little late to the party but I'll add to the party.

Here in taswegia, there's more than one 303-25 to play around with. Got one based on a No.4 and one based on a M1917, the latter still a WIP. The No.4 is a great rifle still, and using 90grn .257 Hollowpoints as I discovered from a New Zealand deer hunter, it puts the smack down. Unfortunately I have yet to take a deer here with it yet (that and Tasmanian fallows are considered unicorns), but on the range, ragged hole groups at 100 yards have been achieved from simple Lee Enfield accurizing techniques. I would highly recommend searching for Roger Wadham's book for getting the best of your enfield variant. It is strange how just a smaller bullet and a wildcatted military cartridge can gain such amazing results, just from a little TLC.

303-25 reloading dies are available via simplex who are still running here in Australia, and will gladly sell you any part you need barring the extremely technical bibbity bops. One thing I'd do first is check out how the cases are fireformed, some tend to have much sharper necks and tapers than others, while some seem to have very botched rechambering jobs, everything being soft. Also, try to use newer cases, as ex milsurp ammo tends to be a lot more brittle after continued use, and especially when wildcatted, this is general knowledge.

Bonus: The No.4 Mk.1, made in England, 1943, converted mid 60s with sportco 303-25 barrel, sporter stock, and bridgemount:

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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by straightshooter » 28 Jun 2017, 9:08 am

Hi Blt83
I would suggest you don't get too starry eyed about a Sportco 25/303.
First the good points
A sporterised 303, especially a No.4, makes a good and useful shooting implement.
Sportco barrels will still shoot if they have been cared for.
25/303, even with mild loads, is more than adequate for the majority of game found in Australia.
10 shots plus one up the spout.
The not so good points
303 cases of any make are now expensive.
Forming cases is a little time consuming. I neck to 270, then anneal just the neck, then fls to 25/303 then anneal the neck again.
If you put in the effort to form the case, when you are out hunting you tend to get distracted by trying to keep track of where your ejected cases went.
In the late 60's and the 70's the 243 overshadowed all the 25 calibers to the extent that 25/303's became unwanted, unloved and worthless. That's how and when I got my 25/303.
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by duncan61 » 28 Jun 2017, 10:43 pm

Blt83 Take on everyones opinion but if I was you I would be grabbing and loving that sporterized military rifle.I am not increasing my firearm collection because I have everything I need and am working on trail boss loads at the moment or I would be interested in having one myself.According to ADI loading data it falls in the middle of the .25 chamberings and is more than enough to deal with most ferals.what does it matter the cost of cases and time needed to reload its all part of the sport we are involved in.
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 30 Jun 2017, 8:20 am

duncan61 wrote:Blt83 Take on everyones opinion but if I was you I would be grabbing and loving that sporterized military rifle.I am not increasing my firearm collection because I have everything I need and am working on trail boss loads at the moment or I would be interested in having one myself.According to ADI loading data it falls in the middle of the .25 chamberings and is more than enough to deal with most ferals.what does it matter the cost of cases and time needed to reload its all part of the sport we are involved in.



Absolutely mate!
I think I will be purchasing it
Purely as a way to get a more in-depth knowledge of re loads and forming brass etc.
Primary hunting species would be goats and deer. So finding the right loads will be good fun.!
Appreciate yours and everyone's advice
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Blt83 » 30 Jun 2017, 8:23 am

Heckler303 wrote:I'm a little late to the party but I'll add to the party.

Here in taswegia, there's more than one 303-25 to play around with. Got one based on a No.4 and one based on a M1917, the latter still a WIP. The No.4 is a great rifle still, and using 90grn .257 Hollowpoints as I discovered from a New Zealand deer hunter, it puts the smack down. Unfortunately I have yet to take a deer here with it yet (that and Tasmanian fallows are considered unicorns), but on the range, ragged hole groups at 100 yards have been achieved from simple Lee Enfield accurizing techniques. I would highly recommend searching for Roger Wadham's book for getting the best of your enfield variant. It is strange how just a smaller bullet and a wildcatted military cartridge can gain such amazing results, just from a little TLC.

303-25 reloading dies are available via simplex who are still running here in Australia, and will gladly sell you any part you need barring the extremely technical bibbity bops. One thing I'd do first is check out how the cases are fireformed, some tend to have much sharper necks and tapers than others, while some seem to have very botched rechambering jobs, everything being soft. Also, try to use newer cases, as ex milsurp ammo tends to be a lot more brittle after continued use, and especially when wildcatted, this is general knowledge.

Bonus: The No.4 Mk.1, made in England, 1943, converted mid 60s with sportco 303-25 barrel, sporter stock, and bridgemount:

Image



Thank you so much for the information mate!!
Loving the look of that rig you've got!
Good to know there's plenty of other users of this calibre willing to back it and recommend loads!!
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Jeff303 » 30 Jun 2017, 9:26 am

Sorry for the late reply mate.
Yes , the old 25 is more than adequate for what you want to do.
Mine have been a little picky with projectiles but accurate with the right loads. 75gn hornadies were heaps of fun Putting rabbits into orbit. Im using s&b brass bout $17 for 20 & have had no problems at all. Lyman dies werent too hard to find either. Good fun
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Milsurp98 » 06 Jul 2017, 5:41 pm

Howdy. A 303-25 has been on my wish list for many years. Finally bought one a few weeks ago. A No4 MkI Longbranch. Sportco barrel
Actually quite impressed with its performance. Better than i expected.
It came with some new Bertram brass (head stamped 303-25)
And I bought 50 S&B brass from Rebels that they size down themselves (head stamped 303).
The S&B needed heaps trimmed off after first fire.
Bought some 87gr Speer TNT HP (.257) to try and impressed, they will do me. AR2206H and CCI LR primers.
Bought a new set of Simplex master 303-25 dies and Simplex shell holder. Great dies. The Simplex shell holder did not want to co-operate with my Redding press or RCBS primer tool, so I bought a RCBS 303 shell holder, problem solved.
Also bought a Hornady .257 neck die which worked great today when I neck sized the S&B brass.
And as Lee does not make a 303-25 case trimmer, i bought a 257 Roberts case length gauge and trimmed it down a little to suit the 303-25 case length of 56.28mm (56.2mm min)
Attachments
IMG_2856a.JPG
2 groups. Open sights around 85 meters. First time firing rifle. That'll do me.
IMG_2856a.JPG (691.05 KiB) Viewed 9499 times
IMG_3020a303.25.JPG
Chronograph, Same load, Bertram brass and S&B brass. S&B was fire forming.
IMG_3020a303.25.JPG (472.15 KiB) Viewed 9499 times
19047485_10209372237334669_1498752291_o.jpg
Bertram Brass, correct head stamp
19047485_10209372237334669_1498752291_o.jpg (105.6 KiB) Viewed 9499 times
IMG_3116a.JPG
LongBranch No4 MkI 303-25
IMG_3116a.JPG (659.98 KiB) Viewed 9499 times
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Jeff303 » 06 Jul 2017, 6:02 pm

Veeeery nice ms 98.
Ive wanted another for a while now. Yours looks the s**t
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Wombat » 06 Jul 2017, 6:08 pm

Golden Flash in Vic do reloads $45 for 20. I've used their .303 reloads and they were good.
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by duncan61 » 10 Jul 2017, 5:59 pm

Did you end up getting the rifle?
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by sbs470 » 30 Nov 2018, 8:05 pm

Hi Everyone. New to this site!
I came across this post the other day and thought I would add my 2 cents worth.
I built up a custom 303/25 rifle on a Ruger number 1 action with a custom Badger barrel , cut rifling in a heavy octagonal profile.
This rifle is a tack driver and has killed everything from Camels to rabbits.
I use Sierra 120 grain pro hunter bullets and with the Ruger action you can load it up a bit
I saw simplex dies for sale the other day for $85?.
If you intend to form your own brass you will need a set of 303/270 dies as well
good luck with it
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Maxjon » 29 Apr 2020, 3:26 pm

I got mine for $200. Love it! Only has the std. Buttstock. Sportco built mine on a 1902 BSA, Lee speed I think they call it? No charger bridge, 9/10 barrel. I'm.looking for a good cast bullet mould for it.
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by gunnnie » 30 Apr 2020, 2:42 pm

Have two rifles in the safe in this chambering - SMLE No1 MkIII* and a P-14. The SMLE is in need of a new stock at present so will probably look at a Boyds. The P14 has a cock on opening kit and Timney trigger that need fitting. Once that's done, I'll sort out some 95gn BT loads to run through it.
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by marksman » 30 Apr 2020, 7:05 pm

was my uncles favorite cartridge for head shooting fallow out to 200
before he passed away l gave his rifle a birthday fitting a huber concept trigger, bedding and giving it a new coat of danish oil
l reckon he just about slept with it after, he was very pleased with it especially the trigger although he did like it a lot heavier than l would
he shook pretty badly but he could shoot that rifle, l used to laugh sometimes when we went for a hunt and l'd look to him and he had nodded off for a bit
after the shot even at 84 years young he would push you out of the way to dress out the deer, they were very good times :drinks:
https://www.huberconcepts.com/products/ ... le-trigger
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Re: .303-25 ammunition

Post by Maxjon » 30 Apr 2020, 7:38 pm

marksman wrote:was my uncles favorite cartridge for head shooting fallow out to 200
before he passed away l gave his rifle a birthday fitting a huber concept trigger, bedding and giving it a new coat of danish oil
l reckon he just about slept with it after, he was very pleased with it especially the trigger although he did like it a lot heavier than l would
he shook pretty badly but he could shoot that rifle, l used to laugh sometimes when we went for a hunt and l'd look to him and he had nodded off for a bit
after the shot even at 84 years young he would push you out of the way to dress out the deer, they were very good times :drinks:
https://www.huberconcepts.com/products/ ... le-trigger



Great family story, mate. Thanks for the Huber link!
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