SMLE

If you’re not shooting long distances definitely try the cast bullet option with a powder like unique. My SMLE performs great out to 200 yards with a soft load and that’s about as far as my eyes work on open sights. The Lyman cast bullet book should be your reference in my opinion.

I’m with you on the scenars. I have stumbled on a load without much development that shoots really well in my 24” barrel, 1 in 8 twist, just from putting something together with the components I had at the time. People keep telling me that the load will never work but believe me it does. 139g Lapua Scenar’s over 35.9g N150 sitting about 50 thou off the lands and CCI 400 small rifle primers. I’m getting an average of 2680 fps with an sd in the single figures (just). At 100 yards I’m getting about 0.7 moa on 5 round groups and it shot about 1.25 moa at 900 yards the other day, although most of my shooting is at 600 on military ranges where I regularly annoy a mate of mine who’s spent hours and significantly more money than me by out shooting him... I’m happy with that and will just keep on keeping on with it. I’d rather have some pretty decent performance than be forever load developing. As a plinky plonker, I’m not striving to win cups, just enjoying reasonably accurate shooting with my mates.

My understanding too, the squares represent one moa.