Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada New PPU 303 British and 7.62x54r Brass

I picked up some new brass today. These will be used in a couple of single shots - a 30-303 and a 7.62x54r. Both cartridges were definitely born in a bygone time. When they are new, it's fun to put them side by side and have a closer look. The 303 British is about .100 inches longer and skinnier. The 303 British case weighs approx. 25 grains more. Both have droopy shoulders.

Maximum pressures are also reminiscent of days gone by. The 49,000 PSI for the 303. 56,565 PSI for the 7.62x54r.

The 7.62x54r has the same internal volume, 64 grains ww, as the 303 Epps, an improved cartridge based on the 303 British. I wonder if Ellwood noticed that his improved cartridge and the 7.62x54r were just about the same?

The 7.62x54r will move a bullet along a little faster than the 303 British.

The 7.62x54r has a more bevelled rim.

Both the barrels I have that fire them are .308 diameter. So technically, both would be classified as improved...albeit barely. The neck diameters are the only part of the case that is modified. A small step down from the originals. This makes buying bullets so much easier. Only 308 diameter are needed for these two and my 308s.

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PPU brass has been great for me... consistent and holds up well, primer pockets stay tight... no complaints.

That's for sure. I really should try their 308 brass, but I have quite a lot of surplus brass.

Hi Steve, pertaining to the mosin Nagant do you use 308 bullets. Millions of these rifles were produced. The barrel on some of these rifles lose accuracies due to barrel size inconsistencies. What is you procedure to determine the bullet size to use?

Most Finnish Mosin Nagants, except the M39, have .309 barrels. They can be slugged, using soft lead.

I rebuild rifles with new barrels, or buy aftermarket barrels from manufacturers like Match Grade Machine and Shilen. The picture below is a Thompson Center Pro Hunter with a 6.5 Grendel barrel, but the other barrels look identical to this. The barrels are .308 diameter. I asked MGM to make me a 303 British using a .308 barrel blank.





I had a gunsmith in BC rebarrel one of my No 4 Lee Enfields to 30-303, using a Shilen barrel. A 303 British with a 308 barrel. It looks like a regular issue rifle, but shoots easy to find, less expensive 308 bullets.