First deer rifle - Stevens 200 or Lee Enfield Sporter?

lord-humungous

lord-humungous

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I know this is kind of a variation on a common question. I have read many recommendations on the Stevens 200 here for a nice "beginner" hunting rifle. But there are Lee Enfield Sporters popping up in EE all the time for half the price of the Stevens. Aside from the fact that I can choose my calibre if I pick up a Stevens (maybe 243, 270 or 308) rather than being "stuck" with 303 on the LE. My local CT does stock 303 British.

Any advice to help me decide?
 
The Enfield is a good platform no doubt. And the .303 British has killed every type of game out there. The problem is if you buy your $150 beater .303 your still loking over $100 to drill and tap it for a scope mount plus the price of the mount. The Stevens is a great rifle that weighs half as much, uses modern metals with better materials and a better safety. The Steven's have proved very accurate and reliable and you have your choice of any cartridge you would ever need. (I recommend a .308) My suggestion to you would be to buy the 200. You can find them on the EE but their used price isn't that good of a buy lately. Rather spend the extra money and buy a new one, and spend as much as you can possibly afford on a scope. Don't worry about converting it to a detachable magazine, painting the stock or changing the trigger. Put all your spare cash to the scope. You will have a great hunting rifle that will out last you.
 
There is absolutely nothing wrong with a .303 for hunting. That's what I started with, and over the years I've come across guys hunting everything from deer to moose with them.
If you're not in a rush, you can get a good one for as little as 75 bucks. I assume budget is a concern, so if you do even want to scope it, a decent 4X is all you need.

PM'd you.
 
Deer are easy to kill. Pick whichever gun suits you on whatever level you choose. Either the Stevens or the L-E would do the job perfectly well. But remember, you have to carry it.
 
With my experiences with the .303, I'd say its a tuff caliber to beat(I started out with a 38 Swede/6.5x55), well atleast in Canada. Practically every store has it on the shelf so shortage of ammo should'nt be a problem. But they do heft a bit of weight without a scope to start, and as mentioned, D&T + rings/bases and optics your already heading to the cost of a Stevens 200.
Having said all that I'd pick a Stevens in either a .270 or 30-06.
 
pharaoh2 said:
The Enfield is a good platform no doubt. And the .303 British has killed every type of game out there. The problem is if you buy your $150 beater .303 your still loking over $100 to drill and tap it for a scope mount plus the price of the mount. The Stevens is a great rifle that weighs half as much, uses modern metals with better materials and a better safety. The Steven's have proved very accurate and reliable and you have your choice of any cartridge you would ever need. (I recommend a .308) My suggestion to you would be to buy the 200. You can find them on the EE but their used price isn't that good of a buy lately. Rather spend the extra money and buy a new one, and spend as much as you can possibly afford on a scope. Don't worry about converting it to a detachable magazine, painting the stock or changing the trigger. Put all your spare cash to the scope. You will have a great hunting rifle that will out last you.
Click to expand...

This is solid advice regarding the scope.

There are good sporter 303's out there, but there are also a ton of dogs. Headspace and bad barrels are common issues with these guns. If the stock hasn't been changed, the original stock will most likely be too low to shoot a scope properly. The ramline synthetic stocks are readily available and will raise the cheekpeice enough to shoot with a scope comfortably. I haven't seen a 303 sporter for sale in a while that I'd buy. I have three sporters and they are all great guns. Two guys at our deer camp borrow and hunt with them every year. Keep you eyes open for a Parker Hale conversion or a Churchill. They are much less likely to have headspace and barrel problems. If you do buy one and need an extra mag for it, Al Simmons in Hamilton has them although they are $50.:(
 
i'd go with the stevens as well- you have no idea as to bore condition or anything else and there may be that one insignificant part to find that's brittle ann breaks, putting your game-getter out of action- just when you need it the most-leave the smle's for the milsurp crowd- they have far more "tentacles" when it comes to getting parts and service than us mere mortals
 
I love my Enfield sporty. So much so, I returned it to full wood configuration.
I have a Stevens in .223 and find it is a great rifle for the money, accurate and lightweight. Put a descent scope on it and you will have a very reliable firearm. I would go for either a 30-06 or 308 caliber.
 
You may find a sporter Enfield still in decent condition, with a scope, for less than the price of a new Stevens. Watch the EE, but there are plenty that are worn or that will still need you to put more money in to get them set up and scoped the way you will want. If you can't wait long enough to catch one of the bargains, or you aren't confident about assessing a used gun, a new Stevens 200 is great value for money, and the Marlin XL7s seem to be giving them a run for the money, too.
 
Stevens 200

I'd get the Stevens in 7mm-08 for a deer rifle. :cool:

2007-10-27_091302_1aCoffee.gif

NAA.
 
Go with the Stevens if you want to know you are getting an accurate gun.

Like someone said above, alot of LEs out there can't shoot and therefore get sold, alot. I have 2, one is sportized and shoots patterns, not groups, and there is no apparent issues with it, headspace is fine, barrel is good :confused:. The other is a full wood original that I can shoot 3-4" groups at 200 yards with iron sights.
 
Go with the steven's I have had Lee they are ok but a steven will shoot better forsure. Maybe in a 7-08 or 270
 
If you don't need a scoped rifle, I'd buy an all matching LE No.5 carbine. They can be bought in VG condition for less than $350 and are collectable as long as they haven't been bubba'd.

If your hunting needs require a scope then I'd go with the Stevens.
 
LE's are a classic rifle and I would argue that they have killed more game than just about any other rifle, but these guns are now getting very old and have generally have plenty of wear down the barrels.

Many gunsmiths won't re-barrel LE actions because they feel the steel can get brittle and unsafe.

I think you'd be better off buying a modern firearm built for using hunting ammo and modern cartridges.
 
i would have to say, go with a brand new rifle! if you have problems with it, you will have an easier time to get it repaired or replaced. If you want an enfield, get one as well, or for your second rifle. they are great guns, in a great calibre, but most are heavy, old and hard to add optics...
 
Unless you know someone and he lets you go out and shoot it, don't buy an Enfield. As others have said, some Enfields can't hit the side of a barn door. Some will even throw bullets sideways!

Your're better off with the Stevens, Savage, or Marlin.
 
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