Well, I have chosen what I hope will be good loads for my 303 Jungle Carbine. I’m not all wrapped up in sub MOA accuracy…I know and understand that this rifle was never designed for that level of accuracy…so, I’ll happily accept 3 MOA or thereabouts. That is still Minute of Deer at 200 yards.

I loaded up yesterday for a range visit to do a final test of these loads. I planned on an afternoon session…couldn’t go in the morning because I had to go for a blood test…yeah, it’s still being pumped around my body…but I have dropped my weight from around 135kg to 116kg (297lb to 255lb) and want to reach 85kg (187lb).

Anyway, I got to the range with about 45 minutes to spare up my sleeve, and damn, they had decided to close the range due to a lack of volunteer Range Officers. So, I drove for around an hour, one way, only to have to turn around and go back home. I can’t go to the range next Friday because it’s ANZAC Day, so it will be at least another two weeks before I can test out these loads. There is another range I can visit, but I don’t like it for a couple of reasons…it’s too expensive, and there is a paid RO there that is in desperate need of some “contact counselling”…he is an arrogant bastard without a sense of humour and with an attitude beyond comprehension! So, I’ll have to sit here and twiddle my thumbs for another couple of weeks whilst awaiting for some much needed recoil therapy…although I do have a Clay Target Sporting Comp on the 28th of April, so I will be getting some time behind the butt.

I've been severely lacking in recoil therapy recently myself. Only a couple ranges near here that I enjoy going to.

In a couple weeks going to take my kids for recoil therapy for the first time. Let them use their new never fired 22's. Son's Ruger 10/22 and daughter's Savage Rascal are going to be firing CCI "Quiets". So just a hair step up from a BB gun for their first range day.

I just picked them up some Walker Electronic Ear Muffs yesterday so they can hear instructions while protecting their ears.

I have to sight in my new 22WMR and use up some 308Win so I can justify buying some more 308Win.

Nice looking rifle, Dimitri. Have fun with the kids.

BTW, your workbench is too clean.

Nice looking rifle, Dimitri. Have fun with the kids.

BTW, your workbench is too clean.

slimjim wrote:

Nice looking rifle, Dimitri. Have fun with the kids. BTW, your workbench is too clean.

Agree on both counts Slim…especially on the bench…that bench is almost immoral it’s so clean and neat.

Oh by the way…long time no see…welcome back mate. Oh, and yer stuttering mate.

Damn…I can’t win. Last weekend I had planned on hitting the Clay Target Range for a Sporting Clays competition. For some reason both SWMBO and myself both slept in (a first for her as she’s usually up at 5:30am). By the time we awoke and got up it was too late to go to the Clay Target Club for the comp (get everything ready and a 45 minute drive to the Club). I thought, oh well, there’s always next month.

So, I thought…Friday, head to the Rifle Range to check some rounds in my SMLE #5 (PPU factory rounds and some of my reloads). After an hours drive to the range I went to sign in for the afternoon session, only to be told we are closing at 12 o’clock today because we couldn’t get a volunteer RO. After a few choice words mumbled under my breath, I turned around and headed home thinking, there’s always next Friday. Nope, Friday came around and it’s raining (thin cardboard targets - no choice, have to use their targets - don’t like the rain and fall apart as you shoot them), so that put paid to any recoil therapy that day! Come the next Friday (yesterday), I thought, you beauty…let’s hit the range. I was then informed that my daughter was coming around to pick up my trailer…she arrived mid morning (too late for the morning session at the range)…I was then informed my other daughter and SWMBO were going out looking at furniture and someone had to stay with my 96 year old Mother-In-Law, which wiped out the afternoon session at the Range. I couldn’t win a king hit in a pub brawl.

I could always go to the range on weekends, if there weren’t so many fathers with their children there…it’s extremely busy and difficult to test loads comfortably and with ease, with shooting time reduced because of the need to set and check targets. OK, I’ll stop whinging and bellyaching now.

I wish I lived on a 1000 acre property where I could have my own range and I could shoot when I want to my heart’s content, without any concerns about timings, family and weather constraints.

Vince wrote:

I wish I lived on a 1000 acre property where I could have my own range and I could shoot when I want to my heart’s content, without any concerns about timings, family and weather constraints.

I think we all do Vince.

But creature comforts do help. Like my very clean workbench in my bedroom that doubles as my desk.

Dimitri wrote:

Vince wrote: I wish I lived on a 1000 acre property where I could have my own range and I could shoot when I want to my heart’s content, without any concerns about timings, family and weather constraints. I think we all do Vince. But creature comforts do help. Like my very clean workbench in my bedroom that doubles as my desk.

Agree mate. Methinks it’s time to plan a week long camping trip at the property that I hunt rabbits so I can spend a leisurely few hours sitting, sniping and occasionally snoozing, whilst sniping a big rabbit warren.

hell yes mate..stop putting it off,just do it....sooner the better.

Ya haven't left yet?

Elvis wrote:

hell yes mate..stop putting it off,just do it....sooner the better.

Trust me, I’m working on it mate, it’s just a matter of time.

“Bushy” wrote:

Ya haven’t left yet?

There are other factors at play here mate. At least one of us have to be here to look after Tricia’s 96 year old Mum, plus Tricia doesn’t drive, so that creates another small problem. I’m a tad tired today, even though it’s midday. About 11pm last night I heard Tricia’s Mum calling out. Turns out she had a pretty nasty vertigo attack in bed. Once things had settled down, I sat up until 4am in case things went belly up again. She was a bit restless, but otherwise ok.

Sooo, as much as I would be happy to pack things in the car and head off “yesterday”, I have to consider other things mate. Family first. I think I might do some reloading today…apart from being good therapy and relaxing, the loaded rounds will sit in my safe, loaded up if needed.

put $50 on the counter for a taxi in emergency.the lady who looks after/puts up with you will cope (and truth be known will be happy to get you out from under her feet for a while)...and just go. none of us are getting any younger mate,if nothing else the last few years have taught me that lesson all too well.if we put it off it just never plurry well happens and then its too late.

I finally got to head to the range for a bit of recoil therapy and load testing in my SMLE #5. I had a couple of packs of PPU 180gn factory loads that I wanted to test, and compare the results with the 150gn offering from the same manufacturer.

I setup on the bench and decided to warm up with my .22 Krico and check zero. A little disappointing…the groups at 100 metres with Winchester PowerPoint although being around 2.5” to 3” were acceptable, but for some reason the group was off to the right by about 2”. I re-zeroed the .22 and for sh1tes and giggles tried some different rounds, .22 Remington SubSonic, CCI subsonic, CCI HPs and the Winchester PowerPoint, with all giving me rabbit headshot accuracy at 100 metres…so long as I do my part.
This shooting to the right seems to be a problem with more than one of my rifles, so the problem obviously lies with me…I’m calling it the Vince Factor…it’s most annoying.
I checked zero on my .223, and surprisingly it was fantastic…a three shot cloverleaf at 100 metres with my handloads…55gn Hornady ZMax bullets pushed by ADI BM8208 powder at .5 of a grain below max. Not sure of the velocity as I didn’t bother setting up my chrono, but they are hooting along fairly well.

Next it was the turn of my SMLE #5. Loaded up the 180gn PPU Factory offering and proceeded to try grouping at 100 metres. More than a bit disappointing considering this rifles was intended for 174gn bullets. The 180gn bullets didn’t group well at all; 2” x 4” (again off to the right by 2”) and about 2” high, which was expected and acceptable. I’m seriously wondering if:
1. I’m expecting too much from a factory #5 SMLE built in the 1940’s, or
2. My scope (got it from my niece’s husband) is the problem, or
3. A combination of both things.

I'm close to relegating the SMLE #5 to an occasional range plinking rifle and using only my .22 Krico, .223 Savage and .243 Weatherby for hunting, although I loved to take at least one critter with the SMLE.

Enfield rifles need to be checked for torque on the buttstock screw, trigger guard screws and ensure the foregrip is secure and tight to the barrel. Otherwise they are known for vertical stringing.

A lot of sporterized No.4's with the cut down forestocks have this problem. The relatively thin barrels need the forestocks to keep barrel harmonic correct.

I've always heard that the No. 5s were known for a "wandering zero".