Enough is enough

I'm surprised by the Lee Enfield bashing in this thread. What is the main benefits to the Ruger Scout? As far as I can tell it is a handy length, 10 round magazine, and peep sight.
Sounds like a no4 mk 1 sporter to me. As far as the Lee Enfield shooting minute of plywood, I guess I get lucky with mine. I wouldn't hesitate to take a shot at 200 yard with my no 1 mk 3 sporter, and my new full military No4 mk1 shot a 3" group off the bench at 100 yards. I thought that was pretty good for me skill level.
 
I don't see bashing I just see facing reality.

The rifles mentioned in general were very well built but then along came bubba with his hacksaw and file.

First to go was the barrel harmonics by hacking up the supporting wood into a "sporter" form.

If scope bases or adjustable sights were not added then one would have quite a journey into reloading trying to match up the point of aim/point of impact with the original military sights/original cartridge load.

I spent a whole summer doing this with a full wood M38 swede, it wasn't cheap.

BTW IMHO the P14/17 rifles are better then the SMLEs.
Methinks a P17 still in 30/06 already done up would be a good rifle.

Or one could just go buy a ready to go entry rifle for around the same cost.
YMMV.
 
I have to point out that I enjoyed tinkering with that SMLE, I discovered a lot about its history and the enfield culture. Parts are still available for it, and I suspect they will be for a long while to come. With the information I gleaned from this and other forums, I was able to take a rifle destined for the rubbish heap and turn it into a fully functioning firearm. It was a great rifle to learn on, from stoning the trigger to reinforcing and bedding the stocks, even to installing a scope mount. I regret nothing about my experience, and may in the future get the barrel cut down and re crowned as suggested by tiriag.
 
You can make them into a nice sporter, but is a labour of love, for sure!
This one has had the butt socket removed, trigger work done, receiver shaved, barrel shortened,
iron sights upgraded, and some pretty nice stock work.
This rifle hold 1 1/2" no problem at 100 yards and shoots everything from 150's up to 215's very well.
However, I wouldn't recommend this amount of work to get done unless you are doing a lot of it yourself- the cost would be crazy!!
Cat


 
The first time I fired a Lee was in Churchill, MB in 1991. I was given it for bear protection while I hiked the tundra to collect climate field measurements. Before venturing out, I took 3 practice shots at an old oil drum about 50 m away. All three bullets missed the barrel! This was 1 year after I left the reserves, and I was quite an accomplished shooter! I would never own one, but your mileage may vary. I think a decent $200 SKS with factory PRVI soft points would be a better and more accurate combination. BTW, from that day forward, I carried a Remington 870 Marine Magnum loaded with cracker shells and slugs! :)
 
buckbrush said:
cat, that is nice. It looks like some of Ellwood Epps's work.
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Yeah , it is, thanks. I have seen another rifle very much like this one that was done by Epps, but that particular rifle was in one of his wildcats - 25/303Epps IIRC.
Nice light rifle and really shoots super!
I'm going to sell it as it just sits too much and should be shot!
Cat
 
catnthehatt said:
You can make them into a nice sporter, but is a labour of love, for sure!
This one has had the butt socket removed, trigger work done, receiver shaved, barrel shortened,
iron sights upgraded, and some pretty nice stock work.
This rifle hold 1 1/2" no problem at 100 yards and shoots everything from 150's up to 215's very well.
However, I wouldn't recommend this amount of work to get done unless you are doing a lot of it yourself- the cost would be crazy!!
Cat


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Oh my that is a beauty Cat.
 
I think there is a real use for the old Lee Enfield. I use mine as "leave behind" rifles. I have one at my other house in Cape Breton and have another that is a dedicated truck gun. Cheap and reliable so you don't mind having one lying around unused except when you really need a rifle.
 
BigUglyMan said:
I think there is a real use for the old Lee Enfield. I use mine as "leave behind" rifles. I have one at my other house in Cape Breton and have another that is a dedicated truck gun. Cheap and reliable so you don't mind having one lying around unused except when you really need a rifle.
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I agree, they make a great truck-utility gun.
 
The Kurgan said:
The first time I fired a Lee was in Churchill, MB in 1991. I was given it for bear protection while I hiked the tundra to collect climate field measurements. Before venturing out, I took 3 practice shots at an old oil drum about 50 m away. All three bullets missed the barrel! This was 1 year after I left the reserves, and I was quite an accomplished shooter! I would never own one, but your mileage may vary. I think a decent $200 SKS with factory PRVI soft points would be a better and more accurate combination. BTW, from that day forward, I carried a Remington 870 Marine Magnum loaded with cracker shells and slugs! :)
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You should see the new Northern Studies building, you'd be impressed. Even if we didn't bump into each other, and we might have, I bet we know some of the same people.

As to your LE experience, a worn out rifle won't shoot regardless of make, but I get that the experience can leave a lasting impression. A couple of the rangers I shot with could squeeze MOA out of their 1950 models, but the one issued to me while better than yours had seen much use and abuse. A #4 was my first centerfire rifle purchased while I was still in high school, a Churchill Arms sporter, nice wood, black ebony tip, a Monte-Carlo butt stock, and a ventilated recoil pad. It shot well enough to hunt with, but was no where near the level of a modern sporter. I remember thinking that good shooting was beyond me, then I got a M-700 and things turned around a bit, and I've been a rifle crank ever since.
 
Nice rifle Cat!

The only surviving picture I have of mine is a badly damaged slide. The rifle was held by a pal of mine during a bear hunting adventure in the early '70s while I took the photo. Note our our lunch in the foreground. . .
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Edited to add . . .
Huh, just noticed the slide is reversed, that is not a left hand rifle.
 
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Like most people I to had a 303, I would welcome another one in my gun cabinet long before I would allow most of today's entry level rifles. I am sure you will enjoy the Vanguard.
 
A ferry ride to buy a bubba'd Enfield does not sound like money well spent. There a lots of them close to just about every home in Canada. Some are rare and worthy of restoration, but that is another thread. Regardless, you got some good experience and knowledge no doubt.

I'll be seeing a gentleman in his 90s this weekend who hunted with one (bone stock) for decades and rarely did he fail to get his moose. He could have bought as many glossy, scoped magnums as he wanted, but didn't see any need to.
 
Boomer said:
You should see the new Northern Studies building, you'd be impressed. Even if we didn't bump into each other, and we might have, I bet we know some of the same people.
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Yeah, I'd like to go back for a visit. I have some very fond memories of my time there. The landscape was beautiful and peaceful. I can see why you want to live there. I remember a few "interesting" characters, a few "not-so-interesting" characters, and quite a few good people. I'm sure if we did meet, it was in the later category! :)

Back in 1991, somebody felt it was entertaining to slaughter hundreds of ravens in an abandoned old Norad building while they roosted. I was the first on the scene after the carnage. What is wrong with some people?

Did they rebuild the new NSS on the old spot?
 
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