More. First couple of pics are the moulded pouch that is a fraction big...looking at making a slightly smaller one. Last pic is the piece part finished.

Looking good Vince...

Well done Vince
It does a great job of hiding the slip on

The only thing that separates man from the beasts is accessories
Do you have more jewelry in mind to hang off it?

tikkat3 wrote:

Well done Vince It does a great job of hiding the slip on The only thing that separates man from the beasts is accessories Do you have more jewelry in mind to hang off it?

I thought about putting leather lacing all around the edges, but then changed my mind...it’s not meant to be pretty...just functional. Having said that, I am toying with the idea of taking the belt loops off later and adding a small pouch in their place.

Well, one thing I found is that the Hawke medium scope rings are a tad high, so I’ve spoken with the Hawke Agent and they have some low rings due to arrive in about 3 weeks...I put my hand up for a set.

Pumpkin...there are links in this thread that may answer your origins questions.

Vince...how is the ol girl going for you now???

She shoots very well mate, but I haven't been able to get to the range for months because of a mixture of the bloody lurgy that flattened me for about 8 weeks and a COVID lock down.

I have cast some lead alloy bullets for it, bought some gaschecks and fitted them, but I'm not overly happy with the gaschecks...they seen a little loose. I've tried both copper and aluminium GC and they are both the same. The research I did prior to buying the GC did not indicate a calibre specific GC for the .303 (.312 cast bullet) and those that I spoke to said to use the .30 GC. I'm thinking what I need to do is fit the GC using my .30 die rather than the .312 die, but I am thinking that doing this might negate the positive value of the GC because it will be smaller than .312 on the base of the bullet. This may allow the gasses and flame front to get around the GC and cause problems with the cast bullet. The other option is to use the cast bullets purely for range plinking and subsonic loads using Trail Boss powder.

or load some and see........ Cant see stuff all getting past,your gas check will be covering lands and somewhat into grooves.....which just propted brain...tap one through bore and see how well it engraves,nothing to loose and may ease your mind.

nice No5 I've got a nice one as well also got a 3 and a 4 to keep it company. People recon they boot quite a bit but I don't notice it

Vince...reading back to beginning of thread...something jumped out at me.
in your early range session you said the 2206 was milder than the 2208
yet in your later posts that has swapped.
and have you got any further with this project????

Elvis wrote:

Vince...reading back to beginning of thread...something jumped out at me. in your early range session you said the 2206 was milder than the 2208 yet in your later posts that has swapped. and have you got any further with this project????

You have me confusticated mate. The early 2206 loads were ok using the 174gr bullets, but on the swap to 150gr bullets things were ok up until a point below max, where pressure signs became evident. I’ve found that the 2208 loadings to be more gentle, and without pressure signs, than the 2206H.

Talking with my shooting buddy (he spent a lot of time target shooting with a SMLE in days gone by), he has suggested looking at ADI AR2209…a slower burning powder. This powder gets a mention in the latest ADI Handloaders Guide for heavier bullets in the 180gr plus range, but I’m looking at the 150gr and 174gr bullets. I note that BM 8208 gets a mention in a number of different bullet weights. I’ve always liked this powder, and prefer it over 2208. I have a quantity here, so I’ll give it a go and see how it goes. Nothing to loose and everything to gain. I also have some cast loads to sort out, but I’d rather sort the jacketed loads first. Whichever way, I have to get out to the range soon and get some recoil therapy or I’ll go stir crazy.

As an aside…a quick trip down to Sydney from Brisbane recently to take my 94 yr old Mother-Outlaw home resulted in her having a small meltdown about not being able to cope on her own, so we bought her back to Brisbane with us…getting held up by floodwaters along the way. We have to program another trip to Sydney to prepare her house for sale, probably in the next 6 - 8 weeks. Can’t say I’m looking forward to it at all.

this will explain my confusion...and now yours LOL.
did you ever get some cast to try out in old gal??? or some 1125grn 7.62x39 projectiles??? any word if taipan is back in business???

Ok…I see now what you mean mate…it is confusing to say the least. I’m hoping that some 8208 loads will put all of the smallish problems into the background and prove to be good and accurate.

I’m not sure I want to really try loading up any 1125gr projectiles. …the recoil would be rather stout and I don’t think the old #5 could stand up to it. Seriously though, I haven’t sourced any of the 125gr yet…I want to sort out the 174gr and 150gr.

I haven’t heard anything about Taipan bullets, but a search of the net shows signs of things not being at all promising as it appears he has shut down courtesy of some thieving mongrels that have broken into his facility. I wouldn’t mind betting that it was an inside job, or at least somebody who knew what was there and exactly what they wanted.

fat fingers again.....