Rifle · Obsolete / Non-standard
.303 British
British military cartridge.
- Caliber
- 0.3118″ · 7.92 mm
- Introduced
- 1889
- Case
- Rimmed
- Primary use
- Military, Hunting
- Status
- Limited
- Introduced
- 1889
- Type
- Rifle
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- Inventor
- British Empire
- Manufacturer
- British Military
- Standard
- Obsolete / Non-standard
- Status
- Limited
- Availability
- Common
- Case capacity
- 56 gr H₂O
- Twist (typical)
- 1:10
- Primer
- Large Rifle
- Case type
- Rimmed
- Max pressure
- 49,000 psi, SAAMI transducer
- Eff. range
- 600 yd
- Max range
- 4350 yd
- Recoil
- 16–22 ft·lb
Ballistics
Published velocity/energy data isn't available for .303 British.
Performance
Dimensionscase measurements · scale drawing · size vs familiar rounds
Case dimensions — the scale drawing at the top of the page is built from these.
CIP TDCC · verified| Measure | mm | in | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bullet ⌀ | 7.92 | 0.312 | ✓ |
| Neck ⌀ | 8.64 | 0.340 | ✓ |
| Shoulder ⌀ | 10.19 | 0.401 | ✓ |
| Shoulder angle | 17° | — | ✓ |
| Base ⌀ | 11.68 | 0.460 | ✓ |
| Rim ⌀ | 13.72 | 0.540 | ✓ |
| Belt ⌀ | n/a | ||
| Rim thickness | 1.63 | 0.064 | ✓ |
| Neck length | 8.43 | 0.332 | ≈ |
| Case length | 56.44 | 2.222 | ✓ |
| Overall length | 78.11 | 3.075 | ✓ |
Size vs familiar rounds
Drawn at true 1:1 — every case is accurate relative to the others. Absolute size depends on your screen's pixel density, so measuring one against a real ruler may be off. .303 British is highlighted below.
Factory loads
Being verified
Advertised FPS, energy, and BC are withheld until loads clear verification.
Suitable powders
8 reloading powders listed for .303 British, fastest to slowest. Cross-reference in the finder →
Reloading costestimate cost per round vs factory
Estimate your cost per round and how it compares to factory. Inputs are yours — nothing is stored.
Cost estimate only — not load data. Charge weight is your input; follow published manuals for safe charges.
Firearms chambered in .303 British
Lineage
Connected reference
History
Adopted by British military in 1889. Served through both World Wars. Lee-Enfield rifles with this cartridge armed millions. Replaced by 7.62 NATO in 1950s-60s.
FAQs
- What twist rate does .303 British use?
- .303 British typically uses a 1:10 twist rate.
- What bullet diameter is .303 British?
- .303 British uses a 0.3118″ (7.92 mm) diameter bullet.
- Is .303 British still in production?
- .303 British is limited; typical availability is common.
- What is .303 British used for?
- .303 British is primarily used for military, hunting.
- What are the best powders for .303 British?
- Reloading powders commonly listed for .303 British include N110, N120, N130, Vihtavuori N133, among 8 suitable options.
Sources & provenance
- Standard SAAMI — ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4-2025 — Centerfire Rifle Velocity & Pressure Data · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
- Standard C.I.P. — C.I.P. TDCC — Tables of Dimensions of Cartridges and Chambers
- Standard SAAMI — SAAMI cartridge & chamber drawing — .303 British archived
- Manufacturer Hornady — 303 British 150 gr InterLock SP (#8225) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Manufacturer Federal Premium — Power-Shok Rifle 303 British 150 Grain (303B) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Manufacturer Prvi Partizan — 303 British FMJ BT 11.30 g (174 gr), product A-143 · grain_ballistics, representative_gun
- Manufacturer Remington — Core-Lokt 303 British 180 Grain (#21471) · representative_gun, grain_ballistics archived
- Manufacturer Federal Premium — Power-Shok Rifle 303 British 180 Grain (303AS) · grain_ballistics, representative_gun archived
Data & sources. Specs compiled from the Lindcott Armory reference; availability counted from 79 live factory loads; the trajectory is modeled (point-mass), not measured. See methodology. Spotted an error? Report it →
