Savage 303 ammo

[old243]

The 303 savage cases listed for sale are for boxer primers. Are these suitable for reloading with ordinary large rifle primers. or do they not have a different flash hole. So your priming pin will not work. Just unclear about this . I have a 303 savage, that was passed down to me , by my uncle . Many years ago.thanks old 243

[Bluebulldog]

The 303 savage cases listed for sale are for boxer primers. Are these suitable for reloading with ordinary large rifle primers. or do they not have a different flash hole. So your priming pin will not work. Just unclear about this . I have a 303 savage, that was passed down to me , by my uncle . Many years ago.thanks old 243

Boxer primers are standard single flash hole type primers. Berdan primers use two small flash holes.

Most reloadable brass is for boxer primers. The reason it's listed at all, is that the brass is from Serbia, where lots of ammunition is manufactured, is Berdan primed.

[old243]

Thanks for the explanation blue. I had run into the berdan primers before. A good way to damage your depriming pin. Is there a way to decap and reuse berdan primed brass or are they one time use. Don't have any , just for info. thanks old243

[Bluebulldog]

Thanks for the explanation blue. I had run into the berdan primers before. A good way to damage your depriming pin. Is there a way to decap and reuse berdan primed brass or are they one time use. Don't have any , just for info. thanks old243

There's a few guys on youtube who show how to basically drill a small hole to enable Berdan brass to be used with boxer primers. Never tried it myself, since most berdan brass I've come across is mostly one shot mil-surp quality.

[Nanabush]

Wow! I apparently have a lot to read up on if I am going to start reloading...some great info guys, anything else that you might think of that could catch me off guard feel free to let me in on it as it looks like it may be my only avenue.

[Nanabush]

I mean as opposed to using 303 British or 30-40 Krag. Regarding case taper, fire forming will take care of that. Correct?

Even though fire forming is an accepted practice, I'm not sure it would work here...the main body on the 303 is larger than the 30-30and I would think that might be more susceptible to rupture or damage to the chamber??? Here is a pic with four of the casings I've read about when it comes to this subject index.jpgand looking at them the Winchester is the closest. From left to right - Win 30-30; Savage 303; Win 308; 303 British. If I scratch my head anymore I will be bald!!

[Gun Nut]

Would it not be simpler to make them out of 30-30?

The 30-30 cartridge would be my choice, the difference between the two is fairly close. You'll need a set of 303 Savage loading dies, if you don't already have them. A case trimmer to adjust case length, although it's pretty negligible. Now my question, is it an old enough gun, to be a true .303 bore or is it the later .300 bore. If the former, you might need to expand the cartridge neck, a bit, to receive the .311 bullet, I believe they make a tool for doing that.

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut

[Gerald]

When was the 303 savage ever made with a .311 bore?

[Nanabush]

The 30-30 cartridge would be my choice, the difference between the two is fairly close. You'll need a set of 303 Savage loading dies, if you don't already have them. A case trimmer to adjust case length, although it's pretty negligible. Now my question, is it an old enough gun, to be a true .303 bore or is it the later .300 bore. If the former, you might need to expand the cartridge neck, a bit, to receive the .311 bullet, I believe they make a tool for doing that.

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut

According to my serial number, it is a 1904 gun. I have read conflicting articles... 1. that Savage rifles were never bored to a .311" diameter, the 303 cartridge was loaded with a .311" bullet, but the bore of the rifle was .308 2. that the rifles changed from .311 to .308 when??? You guessed it around 1904 but no specific date has been proven. Anybody out there that can verify or disprove any of this would be helping a lot. Thanks for the info Gun Nut!

[Gun Nut]

When was the 303 savage ever made with a .311 bore?

Why do you thinking they were call a .303 Savage, they were originally manufacture with .303 barrel, that the Savage company manage to get their hands on. This was before the standard barreling for .30 caliber U.S. manufacture firearms was switch to .300. Savage not wishing to be the odd man out switch the barreling of their 303 Savage to .300. There are still a few of those early rifles around, and if you fall heir to an early .303 Savage you probably should slug the barrel or have a gunsmith do it for you to check the diameter of the bore. Those .308 bullets flying out of .311 bore tend to fly a bit erratic unless they are being pushed kind of slow. There is a manufacturing interest that supplies special orders of .303 Savage ammunition with the .311 bullet for rifles with the original barreling, you should be able to find them on the internet, if you have one of the original .303 caliber rifles.

You don't stop hunting because you grow old. You grow old because you stop hunting.
- Gun Nut