Enough is enough

[bumperfood]

Over the past year I have been working on turning an old sporterized Lee Enfield into a reasonable priced hunting rifle. An interesting undertaking, and one that I have learned a lot in so doing. After repairing a cracked stock, epoxy bedding the forearm (floating the barrel) and butt, purchasing and installing a scope, I have been unable to get anything under a 1.75 inch group at 100metres and a 5-6 inch group at 200 metres. Now comes the final blow. I was cleaning it up after the latest trip to the range and ran a double patch through the bore to fully remove any solvent before heading out the next day. About four inches from the muzzle there was a spot that the patch slid through much easier then the rest of the bore. It was repeatable everytime. It is a slight bulge in the barrel at that spot, most easily noted when a patch is put in from the muzzle. I have now parked it.
All was not lost however as "she who must be obeyed" has allowed me to acquire a brand new rifle.
I now have a Vangard II in 30-06. New mounts and bases and we will be off to the races again.

In all honesty I would have been better off getting the new rifle instead of fiddling around with a hundred year old one.

Cost of the Weatherby was about 100 $ more than I had spent on my "free rifle" and that's not including the gas and ferry fees etc. to go and get it. Good learning experience though.

 

[6MT]

Good thing the `bulge` didn't cause you any grief (physically).

 

[Calum]

In all honesty I would have been better off getting the new rifle instead of fiddling around with a hundred year old one.

Cost of the Weatherby was about 100 $ more than I had spent on my "free rifle" and that's not including the gas and ferry fees etc. to go and get it. Good learning experience though.

Been there done that and why I cringe each time I read on here someone suggesting to a new hunter to get an Enfield. If it's all you have then make the best of it but don't let it be a money pit.

If I had started with your new Vanguard II in 30-06 I would probably have saved enough over the past few years to put a nice down payment on a house on this friggen island.

Congrats on escaping the bubba rifle trap while you did.

 

[tiriaq]

Actually, those groups aren't all that bad. Certainly good enough for hunting.
If the barrel is full length, and the bulge is 4" in, cutting and crowning should be an option.

 

[Gatehouse]

Actually, those groups aren't all that bad. Certainly good enough for hunting.
If the barrel is full length, and the bulge is 4" in, cutting and crowning should be an option.

X2

I also cringe about the reccomendations to get a SMLE. maybe when they were $50 or less. Now you can get a brand new introductory rifle for a couple hundred.

 

[Salty]

Ha ha I'm sure a lot of us have been there trying to put lipstick on an Enfield at one time. I still have one a bone stock jungle carbine why worry about a scope it sprays them all over. lol Enjoy the vanguard now you've got something to go for some accuracy with

 

[H4831]

Yes, the grouping was good.
Also, the worst barrels to free float are those long, whippy Lee Enfield barrels. They should have a dampener as far forward as possible, but even the standard for the Canadian military was 3 inches at 100 yards, with the full wood models.
I will continue to recommend the Lee Enfield as a starter rifle, or full time for the bush hunter who makes one minor trip a year.

 

[Salty]

I did have one that was a pretty good shooter. It was a Parker Hale sporter it had a 24" barrel iirc with quite deep cut rifling as I remember it. Anyways I never loaded for it but I got inch and a half to 2 inch groups with it with a couple types of ammo pretty consistently with a 4x scope. Did not like the side mount system at all and it was fairly heavy but hey, it was up for a moose hunt. Probably still going bang somewhere....

 

[kodiakjack]

Yes, the grouping was good.
Also, the worst barrels to free float are those long, whippy Lee Enfield barrels. They should have a dampener as far forward as possible, but even the standard for the Canadian military was 3 inches at 100 yards, with the full wood models.
I will continue to recommend the Lee Enfield as a starter rifle, or full time for the bush hunter who makes one minor trip a year.

SHHHHHHH!!!!! "She who must be obeyed" might be listening. Don't let her know that the jig is up!

 

[BMcK]

I think the Lee Enfield is great for a cheap hunting/ bush rifle, but I would never dump money into one.
My first deer rifle was a no 1 mk 3 Lithogow with williams sight, cost me all of $160. It got me out hunting, and it didn't break the bank.

 

[c-fbmi]

My very first CF rifle was a Lee Enfield and was $19.95 at MacLeods and the Imperial 180 gn Sabretip ammo was $3.99 a 20 box...............was a POS then and IMHO is still a POS.........sorry "H" but that's how I feel about 'em.

 

[kamlooky]

Yup, better to dig deeper into grandpapa's closet and find the ole terdy-turdie.
May have to look under the bed dust bunnies if the closet seeks no rewards.

I can hear the old boy cuss'in from the far side.
Man, he hated them things.

 

[NAA]

Kinda reminds me of a sporterized Swede I first had when I first fell in love with the 6.5x55mm ctg. Lots of $$ out to get an old military rifle that wouldn't do sub 1" groups.

Bought a NIB Ruger Model 77 MkII in 6.5x55mm from Lever Arms in Vancouver, B.C. circa 1992 & never looked back.

------------
NAA.

 

[Boomer]

I've been playing with the idea of modernizing a #4 into a scout rifle. One of the requisites would be a custom barrel with a .308 bore so that the advantage of bullet selection can be optimized, while retaining the .303 cartridge for reliable feeding through the unaltered magazine. The only alteration to the sizing die would be a .300" expander ball, or perhaps a FL die with bushings, to ensure sufficient bullet pull weight. I would probably choose a #3 contour barrel finished at 20" and possibly fluted, with a quarter rib inletted for QD scope rings. A fiberglass stock with a recess in the underside of the butt stock for a second magazine would at first seem appropriate, but the use of stripper clips for ammo management would make a second magazine redundant. I believe the result would be a MOA capable knock around rifle.

 

[dead meat]

Yup, i also wouldn't start anybody out with a 303 lee enfield. Had a few over the years that shot minute of sheet of plywood. I would take an old 96 swede any day over a lee enfield. Just my .02 worth.

 

[c-fbmi]

I've been playing with the idea of modernizing a #4 into a scout rifle. One of the requisites would be a custom barrel with a .308 bore so that the advantage of bullet selection can be optimized, while retaining the .303 cartridge for reliable feeding through the unaltered magazine. The only alteration to the sizing die would be a .300" expander ball, or perhaps a FL die with bushings, to ensure sufficient bullet pull weight. I would probably choose a #3 contour barrel finished at 20" and possibly fluted, with a quarter rib inletted for QD scope rings. A fiberglass stock with a recess in the underside of the butt stock for a second magazine would at first seem appropriate, but the use of stripper clips for ammo management would make a second magazine redundant. I believe the result would be a MOA capable knock around rifle.

Boomer, may I suggest that you would be better off starting with a Husqvarna 98 8X57 from Tradex, bullets right up to 220 gn are readily available, the guns are inexpensive and also readily available and there is an easy detachable magazine kit for the 98 if that is a must, and they come with a serviceable stock as is, with plenty of wood to reshape/rework as desired.

 

[Eagleye]

While I reluctantly acknowledge the role played by Lee-Enfield rifles in Canadian history [military and sporting], I have little use for those rifles.

The 303 British is a great cartridge, however, and in a different rifle, challenges the 308, power-wise.

I have a 1910 Ross, and two P14 rifles [all sporterized]. The Ross needs a new tube, and will get that this year.

One of the P14 rifles has been opened to 303 Epps, the other is the standard chambering. Both these rifles shoot 1¼ -1½ moa regularly, with occasional groups under 1"

While the P14 rifles tend to be on the heavy side, they are strong, and lock at the front of the bolt, so IMHO, are better suited to heavier loads.

Regards, Dave.

 

[medvedqc]

I've been playing with the idea of modernizing a #4 into a scout rifle. One of the requisites would be a custom barrel with a .308 bore so that the advantage of bullet selection can be optimized, while retaining the .303 cartridge for reliable feeding through the unaltered magazine. The only alteration to the sizing die would be a .300" expander ball, or perhaps a FL die with bushings, to ensure sufficient bullet pull weight. I would probably choose a #3 contour barrel finished at 20" and possibly fluted, with a quarter rib inletted for QD scope rings. A fiberglass stock with a recess in the underside of the butt stock for a second magazine would at first seem appropriate, but the use of stripper clips for ammo management would make a second magazine redundant. I believe the result would be a MOA capable knock around rifle.

Mike, while i dont like that much all plastic gun the steyr scout came directly with most of your requests ...

Phil.

 

[Gatehouse]

Or the Ruger Scout with the new composite stock, orca Mscmillan.


I really like the SMLE. I enjoy shooting them and a JC I had was very accurate with handload. Still, it's even years since I hunted with one, and would never reccomend one, simply because there are better options available in 2015.

 

[Boomer]

Boomer, may I suggest that you would be better off starting with a Husqvarna 98 8X57 from Tradex, bullets right up to 220 gn are readily available, the guns are inexpensive and also readily available and there is an easy detachable magazine kit for the 98 if that is a must, and they come with a serviceable stock as is, with plenty of wood to reshape/rework as desired.

Mike, while i dont like that much all plastic gun the steyr scout came directly with most of your requests ...

Phil.

Or the Ruger Scout with the new composite stock, orca Mscmillan.


I really like the SMLE. I enjoy shooting them and a JC I had was very accurate with handload. Still, it's even years since I hunted with one, and would never reccomend one, simply because there are better options available in 2015.

Well, I already have a number of bolt guns built on Winchester, Remington, Mauser, Brno, and Husqvarna actions. Wanting a modernized #4 isn't particularly logical, particularly when the cost is considered. But why is that so bad? The new Ruger Scouts apparently have some QC issues with respect to their magazines falling apart under recoil. Lee Enfield magazines are robust by comparison, the #### on closing bolt tends to demonstrate superior extraction since the action does not #### and withdraw the fired case simultaneously, and cycling is quicker than a Mauser. The #4 bolt is not as strong as any of the front locking bolts I already own, but it has proven strong enough on examples rechambered to 7.62X51. A handy, quick handling carbine length .30 caliber rifle that drives a 150 gr bullet at 2700 fps, with moderate pressure, and quick reliable cycling from a 10 round magazine, sounds quite useful to me.