303:British hunting use
- Thread starter Bushbasher
- Start date
The 303 Lee-Enfield was my first rifle. Didnt like it at the time, too old and hard to shoot. My skills back then left something to be desired! Lol!
Many years later I had a Enfield P-14 given to me by a co-wprker. The rifle was sporterized in the typical fasion, but the bore looked absolutely prestine!
I did some reloading for it and shot some 174 grain Hornady round nosed bullets. The silly rifle was a tack driver!
Not being fond of the typical sporterized versions of the Enfield, I did a complete overhaul of the rifle. Profiled the action, parted the barrel just behind the fromt sight, hot Cyanide blued the action after some polishing. Installed a ####-on -opening kit and a custom trigger. Glass bedded a gorgeous Boyd’s laminate (if you like those),and the rifle looks incredible! After that amount of work and investment, the rifle is now one of my favourites!
I got ahold of some 180 grain spire point bullets a friend of mine made up and loaded them up with some IMR4451. The rifle shoots most of the groups shoot around an inch or a bit better! Had a few groups that were amazing! Boy was I happy with that!
Many years later I had a Enfield P-14 given to me by a co-wprker. The rifle was sporterized in the typical fasion, but the bore looked absolutely prestine!
I did some reloading for it and shot some 174 grain Hornady round nosed bullets. The silly rifle was a tack driver!
Not being fond of the typical sporterized versions of the Enfield, I did a complete overhaul of the rifle. Profiled the action, parted the barrel just behind the fromt sight, hot Cyanide blued the action after some polishing. Installed a ####-on -opening kit and a custom trigger. Glass bedded a gorgeous Boyd’s laminate (if you like those),and the rifle looks incredible! After that amount of work and investment, the rifle is now one of my favourites!
I got ahold of some 180 grain spire point bullets a friend of mine made up and loaded them up with some IMR4451. The rifle shoots most of the groups shoot around an inch or a bit better! Had a few groups that were amazing! Boy was I happy with that!
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You guys are getting me to thinking about taking my last 303 Br out for a moose this Fall.
It was good enough for the Scotland Highlands, and whales the tar out of the clanger at 200 meters on the range here.
Ted
It was good enough for the Scotland Highlands, and whales the tar out of the clanger at 200 meters on the range here.
Ted
My last trip to crappy tire to pick up some steel shot for duck i took a look in the rifle display case just to see what they had and the blue box federal 150gr "cheap ammo" was $72 for a box of 20. Almost made me want to puke
You guys are getting me to thinking about taking my last 303 Br out for a moose this Fall.
It was good enough for the Scotland Highlands, and whales the tar out of the clanger at 200 meters on the range here.
Ted
Gorgeous Enfield Ted!
Cat
That was an old Model 10 that Bevan King fully refurbished and fitted with one of his .311 barrels and a set of SAKO iron sights. It was chambered with a proper spec reamer that did not bulge brass upon firing. All the metal was satin finished and reblued.
The icing on the cake was the very fine new stock done by Charlie Peeling in the traditional low-comb Scottish stalking pattern. He was one of the best-kept stockmaker secrets in Canada, and did a marvelous job on everything he put his hand to.
A bit heavy with the twenty five inch barrel, that outfit was very accurate and would swing and point like an extension of your arm. Everyone who saw it wanted to shoot it, of course, and eventually it went to a new home.
I understand it has moved again, and am not sure where it is today. Probably out hunting somewhere.
Ted
The icing on the cake was the very fine new stock done by Charlie Peeling in the traditional low-comb Scottish stalking pattern. He was one of the best-kept stockmaker secrets in Canada, and did a marvelous job on everything he put his hand to.
A bit heavy with the twenty five inch barrel, that outfit was very accurate and would swing and point like an extension of your arm. Everyone who saw it wanted to shoot it, of course, and eventually it went to a new home.
I understand it has moved again, and am not sure where it is today. Probably out hunting somewhere.
Ted
Hopefully! A gun like that deserves to be out in the bush.
I used to message with Kevan Peeling (RIP) a lot when I was first getting into collecting hunting rifles; from what he showed and told me about his brother he was not only a talented stock maker but machinist as well.
User Eagleeye also has a very cool Ross with a new barrel. Maybe he can share some pictures with us.
Do the chambers of commercial Ross rifles have the same level of variation as most rifles produced in that era?
I used to message with Kevan Peeling (RIP) a lot when I was first getting into collecting hunting rifles; from what he showed and told me about his brother he was not only a talented stock maker but machinist as well.
User Eagleeye also has a very cool Ross with a new barrel. Maybe he can share some pictures with us.
Do the chambers of commercial Ross rifles have the same level of variation as most rifles produced in that era?
I have the good fortune of owning Ted's Ross. And yes, I hunt with it, along with a BSA model D in 303. I dont own any commercial Rosses, but the M10's that I own all have tight and similar chambers (none have been hogged out). I do have a 1905 that has been hogged out - very crude. On an aside, P-14's tend to have tight and similar chambers. I've been able to swap neck sized brass among several P-14's, all of the same make.
I wonder if Federal stopped making .303 recently and has focused on the more popular calibres...everywhere is out of stock of their stuff
popularity of said cartridge in canada with american production?
isnt everywher ehardish to find #### at present?
303 has been used to kill at least one of every critter on earth, this includes Africa's Big 5. The British Empire's Victorian hunters went everywhere and shot everything - India, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Given that the 303 was the hot new cartridge at the end of the 1800's it was used on anything with legs. It really doesn't matter what you shoot with a 303, someone else has killed it before you with a 303 - probably before your Grand Dad was born.
I use my Jungle Carbine to shoot deer and moose. I'd try elk but I just use irons and getting close enough is beyond my skill level unfortunately. I use handloaded 150grn Interlocks for deer and 174grn RN for moose since I always find them in the bush by the creek on my property. Both work very well.
