Best lee enfield for hunting?

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waterwheel

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I've got a slate of Cooey 22's and shotguns already. I think my next purchase may be a rifle for hunting (nothing specific) and given that I have a fondness for the old school stuff, I think a lee enfield would be a good buy. Unfortunately, the lee enfield market appears to be bewildering, particularly for someone who doesn't know anything about rifles.

Can I get some comments on what lee enfield rifle I should buy first? Any model specifically? What do the rangers use? what the heck is 'sporterized'? Etc. Just give a newb some guidance here :).
 
The nicest sporter conversions were done by Parker-Hale. In my opinion. My hunting partner has one that will do 2 " groups consistently. Excellent rifle.
 
sporterized guns or bubbaed guns are guns with the wood and or barrel cut down and then there is some factory sporters

most common lee enfields are no 1 mk3 and no 4 mk1 the rangers are issued no 4 mk1 rifles(from what I hear some still in grease)
 
My go to hunting rifle is a no1 MK3 I built myself from the receiver up. It shoots sub 2" groups from a cut and crowned to 18.5" barrel. No irons, custom picatinny rail and bushnell elite 3200 3-9x40. I dressed her in a custom walnut monte carlo stock.
Ultra reliable, ammo widely and affordably availlable for hunting.
Nice fast, solid action and I'm not afraid she's gonna get "hurt" out in real life hunting conditions.

Look for a no 1mk3, smle or shtle with a decent bore and headspace. Marstar has some parts and accessories.
If irons are your thing, a no 4 , but I fine em too beefy and not so fun to carry hunting.
I've been hunting with enfields since my first day afield. That was many years ago and I'm still fillin the freezer every year. This year my enfield has taken 2 mature mule deer bucks and last monday a real nice 3-4 year old bull moose.
All with one shot each ;)
I have other rifles, from .308, 30-06, 7mm rm , but am the luckiest in the field when I'm packin my shorty enfield ;)
I get the "why are you hunting with that rifle?" From all my hunting aquaintances and crew but they don't say much after seeing the pics or being in camp, eye ballin the numerous animals my trusty enfields have knocked down over the years :D
 
45ACPKING said:
My go to hunting rifle is a no1 MK3 I built myself from the receiver up. It shoots sub 2" groups from a cut and crowned to 18.5" barrel. No irons, custom picatinny rail and bushnell elite 3200 3-9x40. I dressed her in a custom walnut monte carlo stock.
Ultra reliable, ammo widely and affordably availlable for hunting.
Nice fast, solid action and I'm not afraid she's gonna get "hurt" out in real life hunting conditions.

Look for a no 1mk3, smle or shtle with a decent bore and headspace. Marstar has some parts and accessories.
If irons are your thing, a no 4 , but I fine em too beefy and not so fun to carry hunting.
I've been hunting with enfields since my first day afield. That was many years ago and I'm still fillin the freezer every year. This year my enfield has taken 2 mature mule deer bucks and last monday a real nice 3-4 year old bull moose.
All with one shot each ;)
I have other rifles, from .308, 30-06, 7mm rm , but am the luckiest in the field when I'm packin my shorty enfield ;)
I get the "why are you hunting with that rifle?" From all my hunting aquaintances and crew but they don't say much after seeing the pics or being in camp, eye ballin the numerous animals my trusty enfields have knocked down over the years :D
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id look for a bubba rifle that has a cut barrel to do anything like that to it. I've hunted with a full wood no 4 mk1 no problems
 
If you find a good No4 you can buy a no drill scope mount that works very well and makes a perfect gun. I discourage you from taking a perfectly good full wood military rifle and making it into a sporter a there are many out there.

I have put a scope on a Savage No4 full military and it is extremely accurate however would be a little cumbersome to haul around in the wild.


The no drill I have is a S&K and it is a good fit and well constructed. The gunsmith that recommended it said it is IHO the best, I agree.
 
I have a Parker Hale sporter #4 mk1 and a Churchill Arms #1 mk3.... Both exceptional rifles and very nicely done, although I'm toying with the idea of getting rid of one to thin the cabinet out a little...
 
tactical870 said:
I have a Parker Hale sporter #4 mk1 and a Churchill Arms #1 mk3.... Both exceptional rifles and very nicely done, although I'm toying with the idea of getting rid of one to thin the cabinet out a little...
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Hehehe I smell a EE add in the making :D

I certainly agree with others comments to not scarifice a full wood to sporterization. Lot's of good sporters out there to source. I built mine out of parts from receiver up myself but that's not feasable for everyone.
 
My favorites a cousin of the LE... the 'Pattern 1914' (P14). Enfield rifling with mauser action. A bit heavier, but also more accurate than an LE. The British favored them as sniper rifles. Apparently they make excellent moose/elk rifles with a 220 grain round.

I used to have a Winchester P14 and wish I hadn't sold it. First time shooting open sights at our 300 yrd gong, I hit it.

Here was my re-finished sporter:

p140050-0.jpg


p140080-0.jpg
 
The Parker Hale factory conversions, and the Churchhills are the nicest, and I find them the most comfortable to shoot.

A "typical" sporterized No1 or No 4 is okay for hunting however, and they are not that hard to get to shoot honest 2" groups, with some tinkering. Adding a synthetic monte carlo stock makes them more comfortable and therefore easier to shoot accurately.

They main issue with Lee Enfields is always their flimsy magazines and the reliability issues that stem from them. I've owned or shot many LE's, and mag issues are very common. I know that gunnutz who have educated themselves well in the intricacies of the LE have the skills and knowledge to minimize this, but for the typical hunter/shooter, it's more than they can be bothered to do, or really should have to do, considering how much more reliable most other rifles are out there.

Somebody needs to invent an aftermarket LE magazine with the magazine lips about twice as thick, and made of tempered steel, and then these old warhorses would be up to snuff in terms of reliability.
 
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Lee Enfield mags were never to be removed from the gun and if that is adhered to the rate of failure is almost zero. Soldiers were issued one, the one that came with their gun and were told to never remove it, just use stripper clips to load the mag.
 
enfield303t said:
Lee Enfield mags were never to be removed from the gun and if that is adhered to the rate of failure is almost zero. Soldiers were issued one, the one that came with their gun and were told to never remove it, just use stripper clips to load the mag.
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Yup.

I know this.

Most LE ownwers do not, even the Rangers (trained to use and maintain the LE), who I have personally seen running around at the range with multiple magazines (all loaded) bouncing around in their pockets, banging against each other as they jog from one firing position to another. That there is enough to deform mag lips.

I've tried to explain to several LE owners having mag problems, about the mags staying in, but they usually think I'm some sort of idiot. Most of them are pretty sure that all rifles with mags are to be treated like AR-15's in the movies, where everybody carries multiple mags, 'slams' them in their rifles (to be sure they are seated right...), and generally treats their mags like disposable accessories.
 
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Agree with DAK that P14 is also an excellent choice, if the barrel is VG+. Barrel condition is really the most important factor anyway Waterwheel. Anything else can be changed or fixed quite easily, but re-barreling is usually not worth it since VG+ barrels are harder to find than rifles with VG+ barrels! To say nothing of the cost of that kind of work relative to the value of the rifles.

You should consider a Ross as well, either a 1905 or a 1910, preferably the 1910. Again barrel condition is critical if you're hunting with it. If you want a Ross, a factory sporter or one of the re-stocked and cut down military rifles would be the way to go. Factory sporters are hard to find with nice barrels and in original nick are really collector pieces now, so a sporterized MkIII (1910) is probably the way to go. Massively strong action, heavy barrels and highly accurate. Stronger even than the P14. Smellie would mention the case-hardened, roller bearing trigger too! ;-)

They're cheap enough that you could have one of each; at the same time or sequentially, then see which you like best. Quality rifles on a budget with gobs of history; that's the beauty of milsurps.
 
Unfortunately, one must transport their hunting rifle with the magazine removed.
I've been packin no1 mk3's for many years in the field and have never had a rifle/magazine malfunction. In fact, the first rifle was my dad's, a BSA sporter, bought in the 50's from sears. Still with it's original mag.
Never had a problem removing and inserting the mags as with any mag fed rifle.
Not saying the above posters are incorrect, just sayin that in near 20 years of hunting, I've not had a single issue in the field with my no1 mk3 rifles or their magazines.
 
tactical870 said:
No..... Just unloaded....
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I dunno if provinces vary... But I've always understood that if I'm in or on a vehicle, the magazine, loaded or not, is not in the rifle and the action is open. I was under the impression that this was the law.... ? I don't mind being educated if I'm wrong
 
45ACPKING said:
I dunno if provinces vary... But I've always understood that if I'm in or on a vehicle, the magazine, loaded or not, is not in the rifle and the action is open. I was under the impression that this was the law.... ? I don't mind being educated if I'm wrong
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action does not have to be open. I don't know the specifics, but the gun has to be no bullets in chamber, feed path or magazine.
 
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