I always wondered how difficult and expensive would it be for a gunsmith to rechamber lee Enfield rifles to a more common caliber? Lot of quality guns out there that would benefit from a caliber change. Of course, the problem is that there is so many more newer guns that are already chamfered in more plentiful calibers. You'd think the guns would be worth much less without ammo availability, but the amount of 147+ year old guns commanding more $$$$ with far less ammo availability proves that statement wrong.
303 brit ammo getting harder to find
- Thread starter Scots man
- Start date
I asked essentially this same question in Milsurp forum and got a bunch of answers defending the sporterized, bubbadized LE as being basically the be-all-to-end-all for hunting rifles even while ammo was priced at $3 - $4 a round.
Shooting isn't a cheap hobby any more. Finished ammo, brass, bullets, powder and primers cost big for any caliber. If you want to do any amount of shooting, get into reloading. Some started reloading for the .303 Brit with a cheap-a$$ Lee Loader.
Lots of ammo was priced higher awhile back but many dealers are selling PPU .303 British for $39.95 a box and with my LGS having regularly 14% sales getting a box out the door for lass than $39 is a good deal in today’s world. You should get out more…
Question for reloaders.
My new to me SMLE III sends rounds tumbling at 100 yards. I understand that sometimes the bore of these guns are larger than what is loaded in a commercial 303 british round. I have friend that can reload for me. Where can I get a larger diameter round?
Thank you.
Denis
My new to me SMLE III sends rounds tumbling at 100 yards. I understand that sometimes the bore of these guns are larger than what is loaded in a commercial 303 british round. I have friend that can reload for me. Where can I get a larger diameter round?
Thank you.
Denis
What is your bore condition? Have you slugged to get diameter? What ammo are you shooting?
Hornady makes a .312 diameter, round nose, flat base, 174 grain interlock bullet. They do well in most rifles, most of the time.
ETA: your No 1 Mk III is unlikely to shoot any boat tail bullet with any degree of accuracy, Cordite causes throat erosion and all No 1's have definitely been shot with a steady diet of Cordite. Stick with a Mk VII style bullet with a flat base.
ETA: your No 1 Mk III is unlikely to shoot any boat tail bullet with any degree of accuracy, Cordite causes throat erosion and all No 1's have definitely been shot with a steady diet of Cordite. Stick with a Mk VII style bullet with a flat base.
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There are millions of graves full of proof that the .303 is an effective killer. It's also an effective hunting round, as long as people don't start strafing away at game @ 500 yds. Bullet placement is important.
There are better rifles and cheaper and easier to find ammo available these days.
Have you considered, at typical recent prices, a mere 100 rounds of ammo will set you back the same amount the rifle cost? I'm not sure there is any other rifle out there with that kind of economics.
What a silly comparison… Apples to oranges comparison, and you’ve made numerous posts saying that your not a fan so why don’t you just not buy one and leave it at that?
So going by your silly comparison, hobophobe’s $275 Sporter and one round of .303 at $3 makes it $278 and if he gets a deer with one shot, that’s all he’s got invested. His buddy with the BAR Mk III cost $1800 and a cheap $2 hunting round totals $1802.
That’s what silly comparisons do…
No, because I have so many 175 and 180 grn jacketed softies, brass and primers....
Not including .313 180grn lead gc and 4227 for the full dress ones enfields.
Sure, if I wasn't well into the game for them I would probably have something else.....
Wait..I do.. my other fave rifle is a husky 1640 in 6.5x55.
Not including .313 180grn lead gc and 4227 for the full dress ones enfields.
Sure, if I wasn't well into the game for them I would probably have something else.....
Wait..I do.. my other fave rifle is a husky 1640 in 6.5x55.
EEK! I have a dozen or so boxes sitting in the basement, was it really selling for that, or does the vendor need to take a giant step back from the crack pipe?
Better rifles would be a matter of personal opinon. There were some very decent Mauser 98 Types chambered for the 303 British for the Latvians as well as Martinis/Winchester M95 and likely a few more commercial types.
It just depends on personal preferences. Enfield types with Lee magazines are very efficient in the field and if it weren't for their rediculous bedding system/cost to build, they would very likely have been the basis for many commercial offerings later.
As for cheaper/easier to find ammo, at the present time, I will have to agree with what you are saying.
However, there was a time when Purple and myself can still remember when the only types of ammunition you could count on finding in outlying regions, were 303 Brit, 30-06 Springfield and 30-30 Win. This went on right to the mid seventies and longer in some areas.
Other cartridges that were usually in stock were 22LR, 12gax3/4 and 410.
Things are much better now but knocking the 303Brit would be a definite mistake if you're basing your answer on capabilities. It will do everything a 7.62x51 Nato will do at similar pressures, which fall very close.
Like everything, the 303Brit is coming to the end of its useful lifespan. Not because it isn't capable but because it's fell out of favor, mainly because of the ''dreaded rims"
If I were starting out today, I wouldn't choose the 303 Brit as my go to chambered hunting rifle either. Mostly because of lack of availability with suitable hunting bullets. If there were better options than what is presently being offered, the preference might change.
Yeah, not sure if any of it was selling. I purchased no ammo at the show.
Come to think of it, I generally don't buy ammo at shows due to the logistics of lugging it around...
Last time I bought ammo, it was a sealed 1000 round can of Ruag GP90 for $300
I never once mentioned ballistic capability.
