Who hunts with a 303
- Thread starter 22to45
- Start date
chuckwagon
CGN Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
I use mine on Nov. 11 for there honer.
little bear
Regular
Been using one for 28 years. Used my Dad's, until I got one of my own. A 1942 Lithgow, which I paid $96 for at SIR. I have a 3-9 x 40 scope on it. My brother-in-law bought a Savage Axis 30-06 this year and I tried it. My 303 far outshines it for several reasons; the bolt, magazine, and the looks!
Been using the .303 for my hunting trips the last few years. Tried the sks last year for deer but didn't get to shoot anything. Sighted in the enfield for 150gr bullets this time. Curious to see the how it brings a deer down.
I hunt with a 1904 Winchester Model 1895 in .303. Its not my 'go to' deer gun, but if I have tagged a buck, I'll use it for my second tag.
Plus I took it along on my one and only moose hunt a couple of years ago.
Plus I took it along on my one and only moose hunt a couple of years ago.
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
When I was a kid, the .303 was a staple for moose for sure. The occasional guy was lucky to have a 1894 .30-30. or even a Savage99 in .300S or .308W, because the Lee-Enfields were so common and a bit boring. I remember seeing my first .270W and a .300WM both M70A's, and was very impressed with the stout recoil and blast on the .300, and this would a lasting impression on me. This would be 1974circa. There was a .303 in our house, a LongBranch, didn't know what it meant at the time, but I fired humpteen Dominion 215KKSP's out of it, ammo left over from my grandmothers general store. My Grandfather had a woodWorking business, and used to by crates of No1's and No4's, bubba them and resell in the store. He told me he payed around 8 dollars each, and sold them bubba'd and zeroed (a job he gave to a local WW2 vet) for 20 dollars each. My mom just recently sent me a nose cap from a No1, found when part of the old workshop was demolished.
When I started hunting in the late 70s and into the 80's, every third rifle in the woods it seemed was a .303. A chevette or fairmont would wizz by me early in the morning and 5 kids would pile out, 2 with single shot shotguns, one with an old 94 .30-30 and two with old 303s. They'd beat the woods all day. Lots of deer back then and lots moved by those young enthusiastic hunters. Nowadays I've went consecutive seasons without even glimpsing a .303 .
Have people moved on to something bigger and better? Not really. I believe those rifles mostly found there way into the hands of the young and the more subsistence minded hunter. I was more of a pleasure hunter even as a youngster and had a new 4X4 and a scoped magnum, and all my rifles reflected this. In latter years as hunter numbers dwindled late 80s and 90s as deer herd dropped drastically here with 62,00 registered kills in 1986, and only 8999 in 1990 IIRC), those hard core sport minded hunters who stayed with it, tended to carry more modern firearms from way back anyhow. A hunting partner my age when we were both late thirties around 1997 said " when we started hunting in this area we were the kids 19-20, now I'm going on 40 and I'm still the kid in the woods, is no one new taking this up. In the very recent years I've noticed a new rejuvenation with younger hunters which I'm glad to see, but it seems most 20 odd years old today want a Marlin XL7 or a Tikka T3 or any other modern type, and the old trusted Lee-Enfields of their forefathers are not getting fielded again like traditions past. Just my observation in my local area. Anyone notice the same cycle in the past 40 odd years?
When I started hunting in the late 70s and into the 80's, every third rifle in the woods it seemed was a .303. A chevette or fairmont would wizz by me early in the morning and 5 kids would pile out, 2 with single shot shotguns, one with an old 94 .30-30 and two with old 303s. They'd beat the woods all day. Lots of deer back then and lots moved by those young enthusiastic hunters. Nowadays I've went consecutive seasons without even glimpsing a .303 .
Have people moved on to something bigger and better? Not really. I believe those rifles mostly found there way into the hands of the young and the more subsistence minded hunter. I was more of a pleasure hunter even as a youngster and had a new 4X4 and a scoped magnum, and all my rifles reflected this. In latter years as hunter numbers dwindled late 80s and 90s as deer herd dropped drastically here with 62,00 registered kills in 1986, and only 8999 in 1990 IIRC), those hard core sport minded hunters who stayed with it, tended to carry more modern firearms from way back anyhow. A hunting partner my age when we were both late thirties around 1997 said " when we started hunting in this area we were the kids 19-20, now I'm going on 40 and I'm still the kid in the woods, is no one new taking this up. In the very recent years I've noticed a new rejuvenation with younger hunters which I'm glad to see, but it seems most 20 odd years old today want a Marlin XL7 or a Tikka T3 or any other modern type, and the old trusted Lee-Enfields of their forefathers are not getting fielded again like traditions past. Just my observation in my local area. Anyone notice the same cycle in the past 40 odd years?
RememberTheSomme: That is an exellent retrospect. I am not much younger than you (34) and habe only been hunting for 5 or so years. My enfield was my first rifle. I bought it fro a friend. I will never let it go. It has been my hunting rifle since. It may be an antique round by certain standards but it holds its own. I have collected enough brass to now start reloading.
i bought an old sportized 1916 mk3 for 160 bucks back in 08 or 09. I been using it for deer every year. I bought a second a year ago just for the beautiful montecarlo wood stock. switched it onto the original enfield. i love this gun it looks great with the "new stock" and also a shorter mag. I now reload for it and can't wait to try them this deer season.I also am building another 303. This one has a bubba stock and a heavier barrel. I put a plastic stock on it and am now looking for a short mag to complete it. i think the 303 will never die to many around.
