.303 Wildcats for Coyotes

L

Loyalist84

Member
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Location
Eastern Ontario
I've had a No 1 Long Lee sporter with a nearly-done barrel for a while and have the need to thin out the predator population here a bit. While I know that she can't stand up to Mauser '98 pressures, I'm curious if anyone has experience with a rifle in .303/22 or .303/25 and the availability of getting a barrel with the right threads and a smith to do the work. I've read that you can get .220 Swift starting loads in a .303/22, or am I completely out to lunch with the action I have and trying to resurrect a cartridge last popular in Australia 50 years ago?
 
I would think that one could match 223 performance, or close to it, and still get reasonable brass life. You buy the reamer and barrel and any competent gunsmith should be able to put it together for you. Dies will cost a bunch whether you buy factory custom dies or have them made by the gunsmith. In the end, you could probably buy two 223's for the money you would have into the project. It would be unique though.
 
Loyalist84 said:
I've had a No 1 Long Lee sporter with a nearly-done barrel for a while and have the need to thin out the predator population here a bit. While I know that she can't stand up to Mauser '98 pressures, I'm curious if anyone has experience with a rifle in .303/22 or .303/25 and the availability of getting a barrel with the right threads and a smith to do the work. I've read that you can get .220 Swift starting loads in a .303/22, or am I completely out to lunch with the action I have and trying to resurrect a cartridge last popular in Australia 50 years ago?
Click to expand...

There are a few kicking around southern Ontario, a Gunsmith by the name of Lietch built them with a set of dies; the two that I have seen had beautiful walnut stocks on them too. Called it the "Lietch Jet"; when the .222 became available, these rifles all ended up in the back of a cabinet. Innovative, but not convenient.
 
It doesn't have to be a 303 Wildcat just because it's a Lee Enfield (unless that's what you want), but there are advantages of that for sure (see below).

It could be rebarreled with a 22 Cal bore and chambered in any 22 Cal round, although you might have extraction issues with something like the 22 Swift or 22-250, not though with something larger at the base like the 22 WSM (but it would not work well feeding out of the magazine....). You're using standard brass and dies, but handloads only, to very low pressures for any of those rounds.
 
Unless you were to do the work yourself, it would make no economic sense to rebarrel the rifle.
Even then, barrel, reamer and dies would cost about as much as a used rifle.
 
Why not just load up some 125gr loads over a little faster powder and see what you can do with the rifle as is? Or are you in the no-fun zone? (.275 or under)
 
.

Way back in the early 60s, when there were lots of Ground Hogs in Southern Ontario, I bought a 22-303 Crandall, (a well known Woodstock gunsmith,) . It was known at the 22-303 Varmint-R and had about the same ballistics as the 22-250 (a Wildcat cartridge at the time). It was on a P-14 action and had a set of loading dies with it, along with a shell resizer that you used in a vise to make the cases.

It is not economical today, if you have an ordinary .303 SMLE or a Number 4 Lee Enfield, to convert it. You can buy a 22-250 or .243 Savage Axis or Remington 783 on the EE for about $350, and have a lot better accuracy for Varmint hunting.

However, if a .303 was a fine sporting or stalking rifle made by one of the "Name" brand fine English gun makers, then I would consider having it rebored to a slightly larger calibre. I did this, making a .338-303 wildcat many years ago, and ended up with a fine woods rifle.
.
 
1915 No.1 Mk.III converted to Sht.22 Mk.IV* 22rf around 1925 with the barrel being replaced with a 22 unit etc.

DSC_0002.jpg

Post service it has been rechambered in 222 Remington and then set up as a sporter

We have coyotes. It gets the job done.

Your Long Lee could be fitted with a chamber insert and a liner in the barrel.

Straight forward job to do if you have a lathe.

Not a lot of expense other than buying reamers and the liner, and of course shop time if you pay somebody to do it.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0002.jpg
    DSC_0002.jpg
    18.4 KB · Views: 146
Last edited:
Thanks for the feedback guys. My intention was to salvage the action and stay as far away from an Axis as possible (bad experiences with a .30-06 locking up from excessive pressure from Hornady factory loads) while getting a .22 round since I'm in WMU 65, but I get now that I'd be better off hunting for a .303/22 than trying to build one from scratch.
 
tiriaq said:
Unless you were to do the work yourself, it would make no economic sense to rebarrel the rifle.
Even then, barrel, reamer and dies would cost about as much as a used rifle.
Click to expand...

Yup! ... I'd buy a cheapo 223 and blast away. You will save time, money and hassle while probably getting a more accurate rifle that's made for sporting not battle.

Loyalist84 said:
Thanks for the feedback guys. My intention was to salvage the action and stay as far away from an Axis as possible (bad experiences with a .30-06 locking up from excessive pressure from Hornady factory loads) while getting a .22 round since I'm in WMU 65, but I get now that I'd be better off hunting for a .303/22 than trying to build one from scratch.
Click to expand...
Bubba money pit! :cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom