This may have allready been done but I don't visit this topic often.

I've been wondering what kind of wildcats there are in the 303 british? I'm kind of interested in maybe a 338 or a 35 cal. Here in Canada there is well over a million 303 Enfields and you can find one in pretty good shape sporterized.

Has any one ever made a wildcat project out of one of these? I'm sure you can make a pretty good moose gun out of one, not that the 303 hasnt served as the main moose gun here in Canada for almost 100 years.

Boilerroom, a few years ago I read an article by Ken Waters on a conversion to .338-.303. If memory serves me correctly he got velocities of approximately 2250fps with 250 grain Sierras. Might pick up some speed with a lighter bullet weight. Nothing for nothing but I used a .303 for a lot of years, if I was going to rebarrel I would probably stick with the .303 chambering.

Boilerroom,
In Oz you still come across 22/303s, 243/303s, 25/303s and 270/303s quite regularly but anything bigger is quite rare. If you do build one, let us know how it goes...
Cheers...
Con

There is an old wildcat called the .35 Lever Power,as it was designed for the Win. Model 94.
It was built on the 30/40 Krag case,as the Krag case was more plentiful in the US at the time,but the .303 British could be used.The case length was 2.125",but you could gain about .050" by using the .303 case,

MV was 2370 fps with a 200gr. bullet over 40.0
grs of 3031.

I have no clue,as to what pressure the cartridge was operating at.

The .35-.303 would be very versitile,because of the large variety of .35/.38 of cast and jacketed bullets available.

WC

ackley's books have a pretty wide selection, and rather, hmm, enthuisatic, loads...

jeffe

Ellwood Epps did more wildcating with the 303 than anyone. He had 303 imp cartridges in 6mm ,25,270,7mm,303,8mm and 35 cal. Pressures had to be kept modest in the SMLE's but in a P-14 they start to work. The 25-303 Imp that I have will do anything a 257 Roberts imp will do. In a P-14 the 35-303 will duplicate the 358 win. I don't recall ever hearing much about a 338-303 imp.Ellwood passed on over a year ago but I believe one of his grandsons is still gunsmithing and has the old reamers. I believe the shop is called "Wise Choice Guns" and it was in Clinton Ontario.I think I have a phone number but not at my fingertips. If anyone wants it send me an e-mail.

How about Ellwood Epps Sporting Goods? Is this still managed by the family? Interestingly, they also have information on exporting firearms to the US.

Hobie The Ellwood Epps store was sold years ago. It still bears his name but that is all.

The Ellwood Epps store still wildcats the .303 Epps, and probably some of the others as well. Old Ellwood claimed better than 2800 fps with a 180 grain bullet in the .303 Epps (on a P14 or Ross).

Snowman,

Thanks. Selling of the store with the famous name happens quite a bit and I was wondering...

I have been considering building a wildcat .41
caliber on the .303 British case for some time.

A couple of months ago,I machined an adapter
to fit a 12 ga.singleshot to fire form my cases.
The adapter was bored and reamed with a 1/4" taper
per 'for the first 1" then reamed .433 for the remainder.
I blew several cases out straight,they ended up being 2.175" long,which I then trimmed to 2.150".

I hope,I can top the .414 SuperMag by 100 fps
without blowing up the SMLE action.

WC

Wildcat What are you planning to shoot for bullets? You are going to have pretty limited case capacity. Wouldn't you be better of with something in .375 cal? You would have bullets designed for the 375 Win as well as the 230 gr Speer bullet.

I have two rifles chambered for wildcats based on the 303Brit.
The ones I have are the 303 Epps and the 6mm Musgrave. I like them both.

It is not a wildcat, but the 375 2 1/2" Flanged Nitro Express (NOT the Magnum Flanged NE !!!) will fit and function in the Lee-Enfield or the P14 with very little mag modification. It operates in the proper pressure range for the Lee-Enfield, and might even be stepped up slightly (270 grain at 2100-2200, and 300 grain at 2000-2100 without getting to the factory 303 pressure range). You can also go down to the 200 grain Sierra bullet intended for the 375 Win on the light end (at about 2500 FPS), and the 235 grain Speer is usually a great performer (about 2400 FPS, and extremely accurate) as well as being very affordable.

My double in this caliber was proofed for a 320 grain bullet at 2000 FPS (17 TPSI), but most 375 Flanged NE's were proofed for 270 grains at 1975 FPS (14.5 TPSI). It is a very pleasant cartridge to shoot, and would work well for almost all North American big game.

I currently have a Lee-Enfield sporter that was sold by Army&Navy during the 1915-1920 period that has a very rough bore, and I am considering just such a conversion. Brass can even be formed from 303 or 30/40 brass, and even though it will be a little short it works fine (or Buffalo Arms has 40/70 Sharps Straight brass made from reformed 30/40 brass that will make full length 375 Flanged NE, and is much cheaper than Bertram 375 brass).

Jim



Below is a photo of the 303 in the center flanked on either side by the 375 2 1/2" Flanged Nitro Express



[ 09-09-2003, 10:08: Message edited by: mbogo375 ]

mbogo375,

I love the Enfields so that looks like a fine cartridge. Its the kind of cartridge that really floats my boat! That's very similar to Ken Waters .375 Express (later known as the .375 JDJ) in performance. However, it has ambiance in abundance... Now, I'll have to find a good Mk 1 Action to "sporterize", one that's otherwise bodgered.

Case capacity of the .41/.303 is 59.9 grs. of water weighed.I can't handle heavy recoil anymore,
it is plenty of capacity for me.

The bullet I will probably use most is a 265 gr. cast over compressed blackpowder.It would also
be interesting to see what velocity I could get
with the 170 and 210 gr..41 Mag bullets.

This rifle would not be used for hunting as I'm
disabled and unable to get into the woods without a 4 wheeler.It doesn't seem much like hunting to
shoot from one.

I am a retired tool and die maker,so I do all my own smithing.

The only dollar cost will be for the barrel blank.

WC