What's the Winchester order number [*box number*] of the HPBT/M2 load? It sounds like just the ticket for use in my granddad's old M1903. I've been using target ammunition loaded with 168-grain Match Kings, which shoot near enough to the same point of aim as black-tipped 168-grain M2 AP or M72 172-grain match. But that's not a particularly good choice for use as a hunting load, no better than ball ammo really, though at least legal for use where a SP/HP bullet has to be used, and worked dandy the only time I've shot an elk with one. [headshot] Besides the 20-to-the-box Winchester packing should go nicely with the 5-shot stripper clips in the cartridge belt that goes with the old rifle. 90 in the belt, 5 in the magazine and one up tha spout and I should be all set for a good while, with the leftovers either added to any remaining from the first box used for confirming zero or tried out in a Garand or for fieldtesting bullet performance on Whitetails.
The Greek M2 should be worth a try for paper-punching too- I've used the 175-grain .308 bullets they load in the HXP-headstamped Greek .303 British loads, which not unsurprisingly aren't all that accurate down an Enfield's .311/.312 bore. But they work fine in 7,62 Nato and .30-06 reloads, and a bullet pulled from 7,62x53r Russian, 7,7 Jap or 7,65 Argentine Mauser works just fine in the .303 case, as does the 124-grain bullet of the 7,62x39mm M43 cartridge used in the AK and SKS rifles. You know those Russian 7,62x39mm hollowpoints that don't really expand from an AK's 16-inch barrel? Try some out of the 25-inch barrel of a SMLE or #4 Enfield...or as kinder, gentler loads in a #5 *Jungle Carbine*.
-archy-/-
i throw away the boxes,after i load the enblocs for my garands, so i can't just look on a box at home.
YEP, it's a great,slick-loading,superior load for black bear, deer, aoudad,blackbuck,feral hogs,etc for these >50YO GI rifles. AND it's about the same recoil as M2 as well.
FRee dixie,sw