I picked up some range brass this weekend and found a bunch of brass I've never picked up before here is Alaska - 6.5x55, 6mm Rem, .303 Brit. The .303 Brit case intrigues me. I just picked up a 20" T/C Contender [1st gen] barrel in .30-30. My goal is to get 150 grainers to 2,500+ fps. I just don't think the .30-30 will do it. A .30-.303 Brit with the body taper blown out looks like it'd do the trick. Case head smaller than the .444 Marlin.

Also, I seem to recall stainless is harder to re-cut chambers with. Any truth to this? Chatter is what I seem to recall. It would sure clean up the .30-30 chamber all the way.

Lyman's 47th Reloading Handbook lists a load
for the 30/30 Winchester of;33.5 grs. of RX12,150 gr.RN bullet,2559 fps at 38,000 C.U.P.,it is their maximum load for that powder.

The 30/40 Krag A.I.may be a better choice than the .30/.303 Br. Imp. as reamers and dies are availible.The cost of cases are about the same.

The 30/40 Krag is a rimmed case much like the .303 Br.,it is about .002 larger in dia. than the .303 Br.but is about .090 longer.

WC

WC,

I have quite a few loading manuals myself, but I don't think any of them break 2,500 fps - at least at the 38k CUP level. Now I know that the 38k CUP is based on strength of lever guns like the Win M94, et. al. I have a T/C 1st generation contender. Mike Bellm says that the .30-30 case can go to 44-45k PSI. Anyone know how much hotter that is than 38k CUP?

For all intents and purposes, there isn't much difference in the .30-40 Krag and .303 Brit, except for, as you mention, availablity of brass, reamers and dies. Ken Howell's Wildcat book doesn't show drawings for an improved version of either. Now I don't think there really is an ACKLEY improved version of the .30-40 Krag, but any improved version I would consider would need to have the shoulder moved foreward and leave a shorter neck - along the lines of 0.30" instead of 0.5"

With the case head diameter ahead of the rim falling somewhere between the .30-30 and '06/308 sized cartridges, I would assume the max safe pressure in a Contender would need to be lowered to 40-42k PSI to maintain a safe breech thrust force and not stretch the frame. If any one knows a smith who has a .30-303 Brit Imp or .30-40 Krag Imp, please let me know.

Thx

MM

The 30/30 load ,I posted is found in the Lyman
47th Reloading Handbook page 266.This load is the only one listed which exceeds 2500fps with a 150 gr. bullet in the 30/30 Win.

The 30/40 A.I. is listed in The Handloader's Manual Of Cartridge Conversions,page317. It is also found in Ackley's Vol 1 page 415.

A print of the 30/40 Ackley Improved 30/40 Krag can be viewed at;

http://www.clymertool.com/cgi-bin/reamer.cgi?

WC

Muskeg Man
Ellwoood Epps did quite a bit of .303 wildcatting back a few years ago. If you do a search on him and his Sporting goods store or email them they will prolly be able to help you.
Also quite a few of the Aussie's have played around with the .303 as well and can maybe help with some data.
Good luck

My first choice would be to simply go with the unaltered 30/40 Krag. This would allow you to easily achive 2500fps with 150s from a 20" barrel. I drove 165s at that speed from an 18 1/2" barrelled 30/40 on a Lee Enfield action.
The second choice (and for ma a distant second) would be the 30/30 AI. This should nicely achieve your velocity goal and is kind of a cute little cartridge. For what that's worth! Regards, Bill.