303 British, how good is it?
- Thread starter 6.5x55swm
- Start date
OK, everyone has sung the praises of the 303, including several saying it probably has accounted for more game animals shot in Canada, than any other calibre (cartridge.)
This I can't agree with. Up until the WW Two era, rural, northern and remote areas of Canada lived on wild game. It was very rare for a family not to have firearms, and they shot game all year around, while playing hide and seek with the game wardens. A lot of game was shot. I know two different families that shot between thirty and forty head of moose and elk each, during the 1930s. Multiply that by the great numbers, proportionally, of people in the remote areas and you have more than a few game animals butchered.
As a boy, I grew up in the world I'm talking about. As ten and twelve year old boys, we could ryme off what rifle virtually every homesteader in the area had. I felt discriminated against because I had to wait until I was twelve years old before I could take a rifle out in the bush by myself. Many of my friends were doing it from age ten.
All this is to point out that I was familiar with what homesteaders in our area shot game with. And I think our area was typical of all such areas in rural Canada. We lived on the edge of northern trapping areas, also, and I was familiar with many of them and the rifles they had.
There were more 30-30 calibre rifles than any other. Maybe even as many as all others combined, but maybe not. Other calibres, and don't someone say I mean "cartridges," because of course I mean cartridges, common in the area were many and varried. 38-55, 38-56, 250 Savage, 300 Savage, 30 and 35 Remington, 43 Mauser, 45-90, 30-06, 33 Winchester, 45-70, 6.5 Mauser, 351 Self Loading, 32 Special, 25-35, 44-40, 32-20, 25-20, 57 Snyder, and on and on. Oh yes, there were also 303 British, but while all of the calibres listed above I knew homesteaders of the area had, I can only place three 303, for sure, two being Lee Enfields and the other a Ross.
Thus, I have to say that without doubt, the 30-30 accounted for more big game shot in Canada than any other calibre.
This I can't agree with. Up until the WW Two era, rural, northern and remote areas of Canada lived on wild game. It was very rare for a family not to have firearms, and they shot game all year around, while playing hide and seek with the game wardens. A lot of game was shot. I know two different families that shot between thirty and forty head of moose and elk each, during the 1930s. Multiply that by the great numbers, proportionally, of people in the remote areas and you have more than a few game animals butchered.
As a boy, I grew up in the world I'm talking about. As ten and twelve year old boys, we could ryme off what rifle virtually every homesteader in the area had. I felt discriminated against because I had to wait until I was twelve years old before I could take a rifle out in the bush by myself. Many of my friends were doing it from age ten.
All this is to point out that I was familiar with what homesteaders in our area shot game with. And I think our area was typical of all such areas in rural Canada. We lived on the edge of northern trapping areas, also, and I was familiar with many of them and the rifles they had.
There were more 30-30 calibre rifles than any other. Maybe even as many as all others combined, but maybe not. Other calibres, and don't someone say I mean "cartridges," because of course I mean cartridges, common in the area were many and varried. 38-55, 38-56, 250 Savage, 300 Savage, 30 and 35 Remington, 43 Mauser, 45-90, 30-06, 33 Winchester, 45-70, 6.5 Mauser, 351 Self Loading, 32 Special, 25-35, 44-40, 32-20, 25-20, 57 Snyder, and on and on. Oh yes, there were also 303 British, but while all of the calibres listed above I knew homesteaders of the area had, I can only place three 303, for sure, two being Lee Enfields and the other a Ross.
Thus, I have to say that without doubt, the 30-30 accounted for more big game shot in Canada than any other calibre.
Here in Newfoundland many moose are harvested each year. I am gonna say if there are 10 moose harvested 5 are with the .303. As Newfoundland was a british colony until 1949 there are tons of .303 rifles here. (and a lot of them are worn out!)
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
Lots of elephants were and still are killed with the .303, yup.
Cat
I used to wonder if the old timers were BS'n about the exploits of the 25-20 but unless they were all sworn to the same code of 25-20 brotherhood many large hairy critters beyond credibility have sucummed.
There is a old saying and it is refering to the world not just Canada...
More animals have been shot with a 303 British than all the others combined and more have been wounded with the 303 British than all the others combined.
More animals have been shot with a 303 British than all the others combined and more have been wounded with the 303 British than all the others combined.
Do to the use of military FMJ ammo.
and more than just a few lions, tigers and bears, oh my.
Good enough for the Bisley Team for a very long time. As a cadet in Ottawa we were shooting alongside them in the 60s with our FNC2s and all of us were shooting to 500yds. The range had what they referred to as 1000yd butts but I never did get a chance to actually measure them. THey were a long way away tho.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
As I mentioned previously, when I started out on big game in the B.C. interior, that's what I used. Dad & I used 150gr and 180gr for Deer but when it came to Moose we went for 'the big boys'
, C.I.L./Dominion 215gr. When I recently picked up my present two Jungle Carbines, I shopped around for a selection of bullets to reload. A favorite for me has always been the 174gr Hornady which was on the must get list. In addition, I latched on to some 180gr Sierra's but best of all, I picked up four boxes of Woodleigh Premium Bullets, 215gr.
, C.I.L./Dominion 215gr. When I recently picked up my present two Jungle Carbines, I shopped around for a selection of bullets to reload. A favorite for me has always been the 174gr Hornady which was on the must get list. In addition, I latched on to some 180gr Sierra's but best of all, I picked up four boxes of Woodleigh Premium Bullets, 215gr.It's interesting that you mention that. A kid I went to school with shot deer with a 25-20, I know that.
A fellow that I knew when I was a kid, was a trapper. He was one of the most honest men this world has seen. When I was young we were great friends, and we kept in contact for thirty years after I left the area. A visit to his home in another province, as it turned out just shortly before he died, was a highlight of my life.
It was during that visit that he told me a 25-20 was too light for moose! He said the bullet couldn't be depended on to penetrate the rib cage. He said he killed moose with a 25-20 by shooting them in the kidney. He knew the spot where the little bullet would get the kidney and if left alone, the moose would soon lie down and given some time, would die, or he could shoot in the head and kill it.
Now don't someone start saying that isn't sportsman like, or any such thing. Modern Canadians have no idea what it was like then. If you killed the moose, you ate. Sportsman ship did not enter into it.
This fellow owned quite a few rifles during his career. He said when he got a 35 Remington he thought he was over-powered for moose! After this period of time, when I knew him, he used a 30-30.
As a point of interest, this fellow, in the 1970s, had his life story of trapping published in three parts in Outdoor Life Mgazine. If anyone is interested I can give the exact dates of the issues of Outdoor Life it was printed in.
Makes your 6.5x55 look like a nickle plated sissy rifle.
IMHO he is down grading and should send me his 6.5 rifles before they get embarrassed from sitting in the same safe with them.
Speaking of which I have a few .303 sporters left so if anyone wants to trade ,me their 6.5x55 rifles for them than send me a PM.
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I had a local smith tune my Parker Hale Enfield down from 9lbs to 4. Changes the whole rifle, and cost me $50. The instructions are online ( http://enfieldrifles.profusehost.net/ti17.htm ) for those who want to try it yourself.
I still haven't found any 200+ grain factory ammo around here, but I am curious to give it a go.
carl gustav
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thunder Bay
The No. 5 L.E. "jungle carbine" flash hider is a joke. Ever seen the 2 foot flame out the end of the short barrel in less than sunny conditions? But the 303 Brit ISN"T. It'll do anything a 308 will do. Impacted critters won't live long enough to tell the dif. Still, the No. 5, what a great carry! The best bush deer rifle ever, AS IS! Way, way better than any 30/30 no matter how much game Win 94s and Marlin 336s have brought down.
