I just acquired a really neat benchrest enfield martini rifle chambered in 8.15x46r. I did my research. I slugged the barrel and measure it with my mitutoyo micrometer it shows .322”. My question is. Which bullet mold Would you recommend? My thoughts was to get the .324” Lee’s mold in 175 grains. My guess when they drop they will be around .323” 

Also where would be the best source to find 8.15x46r brass? I believe I read somewhere you can from it from 30-30 brass if I’m not mistaken. 

Thanks for the help. 

cubcadet70
8.15X46R used to be available from Buffalo Arms Co. It was made from Starline .38-55. Nice stuff but a pricey. I bought a bunch several years ago for my Aydt and never had an issue with the brass. You'd have to go poke around on the BACo website to see if they still have it.
It can also be made from .30-30 but the rims are too thick and generally have to be thinned. Find the specs online to compare the two cartridge's dimensions. Depending on the headspace of your rifle, you may or may not have to thin the rims.
Good luck

Thanks fellers. I will check for the twist tonight and look around for some brass.

How are you planing to install the bullet into the case?

If you have dies, the case forming might be very easy, assuming you have a reloading press.

The rim size may be a issue. The only way you will know, is to try to chamber a round.

A suggestion for that, is to cut off a 30/30 case (hacksaw is fine), to about 3/8 long. Make sure that there are no burrs on the cut area and see if the breech block will close on it.

If it will, you can make them from 30/30 cases. If not, you will need cases with a .474 or smaller rim and the rim will need to be .050 or less thick.

I make mine by FL sizing a 30/30 in a 32/40 die, then shortening them to 1 7/8" and fire forming. They will be very close in length but, slightly long from the 1.811, standard length, you then do a final trim.

Also, NOE has a stop ring bullet mold that should work in your chamber. With that, you don't need a seating die. You just slip the bullet, into the case and the stop ring hold it in place.

Frank

SR bullets don't have to be used but, they are much easier to use at matches. They should be fitted to the throating of the chamber. You do that by lengthening or shortening the the case. I use cases 1.94 long, in my rifle but, I use a different SR bullet and mine has a groove dia of .316.

If you use standard bullets, you have to resize and seat the bullet, each time that you reload.

I use 12.0 of 4227 in mine but, the range is 12 - 14 gr.

This is the SR bullet:

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Frank

marlinguy wrote on Sep 26^th, 2018 at 2:33pm:

Yes, you can make them shoot w/o the stop ring but, you have to resize each time you load. SR's make it so that you, de/recap, charge the case, insert bullet and shoot. All done right at the bench and the cases last forever.

Mine is much more accurate breech seated but, faster to to shoot in a OH match when loading a SR bullet and I need all the shooting time when shooting ISSA OH matches.

Frank

The "standard" twist, for the 8.15 x 46R is 360mm or, 14.17. I've confirmed it on at least 3 rifles but, on a site that reproduces barrels for the 8.15 x 46R, for installation on the GEW 1898 (Wehrmann Rifle), their barrels are listed as 360mm twist.

Sine yours differs from that, I'd like to hear from others that have different twist rates than 360mm.

Frank