bruce moulds
AH legend
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2018
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when i started shooting in australia, the most common firearm collection for a keen hunter was a 22 rimfire, a 12 gauge shotgun, and a lee enfield 303.
the 303 would be sporterized for the keener guys.
ammo was most likely 303 mk7, as it was cheap, and no one thought of termonal performance, other than to use either hollow point or solid in 22 rimfire.
there was also an elite in hunters, who had either a 22 hornet or a 303/25.
the hornet guys tended to shoot factory ici ammunition, believing reloading to be dangerous.
303/25 shooters used commercially reloaded soft point ammo made fron necked down 303 cases fired by school cadets and the military.
slowly the 243 and the 222 took over, wuth major 243 ammo being reloaded military 308 brass necked down.
this was much cheaper than american ammo.
with these cartridges came reloading and better american and european front locking action rifles.
the old 303 full metal jacket ammo was now juxtapositioned against soft point handloads.
people started to realize that hunting bullets are better than military ones for killing game humanely.
of course people being people had to go the opposite, and decided that best bullet performance is opposite, so the ultimat bullet performance is "bullet blowup".
these people still exist in australia.
i will never forget reading an article by ross seyfried where he introduced swift, barnes, and the bullet that federal now loads in modified form.
australians still resist spending money on better bullets, but those who have learned to match bullet to game never look back.
this is not to denigrate sierra, speer and hornady conventional bullets for situations that suit them.
i sometimes wonder if this story has a paralell in europe or america.
i can well see a lot of deer being shot in usa with 30/06 or 30/40 fmj bullets in years gone by.
bruce.
the 303 would be sporterized for the keener guys.
ammo was most likely 303 mk7, as it was cheap, and no one thought of termonal performance, other than to use either hollow point or solid in 22 rimfire.
there was also an elite in hunters, who had either a 22 hornet or a 303/25.
the hornet guys tended to shoot factory ici ammunition, believing reloading to be dangerous.
303/25 shooters used commercially reloaded soft point ammo made fron necked down 303 cases fired by school cadets and the military.
slowly the 243 and the 222 took over, wuth major 243 ammo being reloaded military 308 brass necked down.
this was much cheaper than american ammo.
with these cartridges came reloading and better american and european front locking action rifles.
the old 303 full metal jacket ammo was now juxtapositioned against soft point handloads.
people started to realize that hunting bullets are better than military ones for killing game humanely.
of course people being people had to go the opposite, and decided that best bullet performance is opposite, so the ultimat bullet performance is "bullet blowup".
these people still exist in australia.
i will never forget reading an article by ross seyfried where he introduced swift, barnes, and the bullet that federal now loads in modified form.
australians still resist spending money on better bullets, but those who have learned to match bullet to game never look back.
this is not to denigrate sierra, speer and hornady conventional bullets for situations that suit them.
i sometimes wonder if this story has a paralell in europe or america.
i can well see a lot of deer being shot in usa with 30/06 or 30/40 fmj bullets in years gone by.
bruce.