My grandson recently acquired a Ishapore Enfield 7.62x51 Nato in very good condition. He and I put 20 rounds of Winchester factory 308 through it yesterday. It functioned flawlessly and shot well-for him; my old eyes struggled with the open sights.

I plan to handload for it and thought I'd check with you guys about case stretching and appropriate handloads. Is case stretching an issue with this version of the Enfield given that this is a rimless chambering?

Anyone with experience with a favorite recipe for a moderate handload please chime in. I have IMR 4064, Varget, and TAC and a few others, as well as few 150 gr. Sierra spitzers. There may be an opportunity for a white tail this season during a college break.

I've been testing 45.8 grains of Varget with 150-grain the Hornady Interlock, Nosler Accubond, and Sierra Game King in my Remington 700. Accuracy is excellent and recoil is mild. Velocity is just over 2,700 fps in a 22" barrel, so it's not too hot.

Also check out some of the old-school target loads listed in this thread: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2255435/good-308-loads#Post2255435 Most of them are significantly milder than hunting loads and they're known for producing superb accuracy in lots of different rifles.


Okie John

Case stretching is an issue because it has the typical sloppy Enfield chamber. These were battle rifles not match rifles. Mine likes 165gr Speer Hot-Cor flat base. Running 45.3 gr of RL-15. My chronograph says they are running around 2,625 fps.

Also, 42.8 gr of Varget with a Sierra 150 flat base gives me just under 2,700. For some reason MY Ishapore doesn't like boat tails. I usually just use the 165s however, because they are just more accurate and I like the terminal performance better.

Useful information, thank you.

PM Steve Redgwell. He's the SMLE Guy, and may have some answers. Not sure if he plays with .308 versions or not.

Bottom line, an Ishapore No.1MkIII .308 is a marginal platform for the .308. An interesting variant for sure, but remember that India was a poor country in the 50's and couldn't afford to get on the 7.62 NATO bandwagon with a stylish semi-auto service rifle so the converted SMLE was pressed into service as a stopgap measure.

When they hit the market, guys I ran with bought a few with stars in their eyes and quickly found that headspace was already catch-as-catch-can, cases didn't stand but a couple reloadings, and/or the rifles developed headspace issues quickly when hot NATO service ammo was dumped through them unmercifully. The lesson I took from that: stick with .303's in SMLE's.

They weren't converted. They were a redesign by Rifle Factory Ishapore. Mine has never had a head spacing issue. Mine is a Rifle 7.62 2A1. Brass life is short for reloads, but again that is only because they have rather generous chambers like most bolt action military rifles. I have probably run a pallet load of crappy NATO service ammo through mine without issue.

Sorry, wrong choice words. Was thinking the same as you when I said converted.

Congratulations on the acquisition! Case stretching can be an issue with any firearm chambered in 7.62x51mm. The chambers are not sloppy. They are longer than those of a 308.

Briefly, 7.62x51mm chambers can be up to 13 thou longer than the 308 Winchester. It is the design. I cannot believe it's been 19 years since I wrote this, but if you follow the link, it will explain everything. Take note of the picture.

http://www.303british.com/id36.html

Insightful! Many Thanks Steve!

You're very welcome. All the best.