- Location
- Vancouver Island BC
They Boers won the battle, but the Brits ended up with the win...........
Hail the World King............
- Thread starter 303carbine
- Start date
They Boers won the battle, but the Brits ended up with the win...........
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Good one. That I have to remember.
I wish I could take credit for originality, but I plagiarized the line from Jeff Cooper who observed that the AK was the weapon of the masses but the FN was the weapon of the classes. It just seemed appropriate in this context.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I fudge on it, a little
- caliber
Part of living below the 49th
If it rhymes with a month in the fall, it should be "er". The "re" stuff has always bugged me.
- Location
- Vancouver Island BC
You would pay $2000+ for a rifle in .303?
I would rather buy a $2000 .303 No1 than a $2.00 sks............
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I've mentioned it on another thread, but I'll do it again. I recently picked a 303Br. Jungle Carbine. This is the third one I've had and I did account for a couple of Black Bears with one of the previous ones. At one point in time I had my first 4x4, a '57 Land Rover PU and the little Jungle Carbine was a good match and a good 'behind the seat' gun. The more dents I put in that old Land Rover and the more dings in the Jungle Carbines stock, the better the both of them looked
.Anyway, after I sold the first two carbines, I could never figure out why. The saving grace, this one I have now is one of the cleanest I've ever come across
.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Agreed. I know what you mean. I sort of thought it was something that came about with the 'metric system'
, but I think it goes a little deeper than that.
As much as I love both the 303 and the 7.62X39, I have a couple rifles of each caliber, I'd like to humbly suggest the 30-06 as supreme.
It's ballistically better, it's more versatile, it's spawned more wildcats and factory cartridges than any other, and almost every rifle maker today that has a long action is offering a rifle in this caliber.
It's ballistically better, it's more versatile, it's spawned more wildcats and factory cartridges than any other, and almost every rifle maker today that has a long action is offering a rifle in this caliber.
...didn't the Boers hand the Brit's their butts on platters with the little 7?
They happened to use Mausers in 7x57, but it was their guerilla tactics with excellent mobility and local knowledge that embarassed the hidebound conservative commanders of the British Army - for a while. They could have exchanged weapons and got the same result.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Having received a thrashing, it is human nature to examine the events which lead up to the debacle, and to then to assign blame. The South African farmer was a fine shot (after shooting with a couple of them I suggest they still are) having grown up shooting game where as the typical British soldier learned marksmanship on the rifle range and from reading Kipling . . .
When 'arf of your bullets fly wide in the ditch,
Don't call your Martini a cross-eyed old #####;
She's human as you are -- you treat her as sich,
An' she'll fight for the young British soldier.
Fight, fight, fight for the soldier . . .
The British Army has fielded some fine marksmen, but there is nothing in the English countryside that promoted a gun culture as it had developed in what is now the RSA. Nevertheless, the Brits are very good at doing whatever is necessary to win wars, and such was the case with the Boers.
When 'arf of your bullets fly wide in the ditch,
Don't call your Martini a cross-eyed old #####;
She's human as you are -- you treat her as sich,
An' she'll fight for the young British soldier.
Fight, fight, fight for the soldier . . .
The British Army has fielded some fine marksmen, but there is nothing in the English countryside that promoted a gun culture as it had developed in what is now the RSA. Nevertheless, the Brits are very good at doing whatever is necessary to win wars, and such was the case with the Boers.
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- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Agreed. I know what you mean. I sort of thought it was something that came about with the 'metric system'
Speaking of which what is this tonnes crap that we now have to trip over. It's tons, a ton being 2000 pounds and a metric ton or an English long ton being 2200 pounds. A new Francophone word wasn't unnecessary with the change to metric.
300Spartans
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Canada of course
I say old boy, I rather like this thread.
Jolly good wot!
This is true yes but often over emphasised ITO their exclusive use of the Mausers. Remember that many Boers were not wealthy and when joining Kommandos during the second Boer War they were encouraged to bring their own rifles (some even used shotguns - as evidenced from British surgeons reports). Some even had the money for high end 95 Plezier Mausers, other used what they had. There were many Mausers but many Boers used Lee Metfords. Boers shot whatever they could afford or get.
If you look at old Boer War photos you will see Boers with all kinds of Mausers from the .43" 71, 88 commission rifle right on through the 95, Lee Metfords, Martinis, Krag-Jorgsens, Snyders and I am sure the Lebel and Fusil Gras must have filtered down from the French colonies.
Lee Enfields became popular once they arrived even though they were the rifle of the 'enemy'.
Yes, at the margins they were superior to the Brits (they had local knowledge and were better shots) but the scorched earth tactics of Kitchener and the shear numbers of the British troop/artilery surge along with a tactical error or two by the Boers ended it officially for them.
This is true yes but often over emphasised ITO their exclusive use of the Mausers. Remember that many Boers were not wealthy and when joining Kommandos during the second Boer War they were encouraged to bring their own rifles (some even used shotguns - as evidenced from British surgeons reports). Some even had the money for high end 95 Plezier Mausers, other used what they had. There were many Mausers but many Boers used Lee Metfords. Boers shot whatever they could afford or get.
If you look at old Boer War photos you will see Boers with all kinds of Mausers from the .43" 71, 88 commission rifle right on through the 95, Lee Metfords, Martinis, Krag-Jorgsens, Snyders and I am sure the Lebel and Fusil Gras must have filtered down from the French colonies.
Lee Enfields became popular once they arrived even though they were the rifle of the 'enemy'.
Yes, at the margins they were superior to the Brits (they had local knowledge and were better shots) but the scorched earth tactics of Kitchener and the shear numbers of the British troop/artilery surge along with a tactical error or two by the Boers ended it officially for them.
- Location
- Vancouver Island BC
Bwwwah hahahahahah,best comment so far....PS, I always thought the 30-06 headspaced on the shoulder or datum line......
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