Good Old .303, Who Anyone Use It?

My Deer rifle is an "as issued" number 4 mk 1. The battle sights are fine out to 100 yards, and as they are so basic, low light is not a problem..
 
Also keep a few store bought factory .303 loads of similar bullet grain weight handy to know how far to seat your bullet when you reload.

My first reloading book (speers 10) didn't mention the overall length, and the Internet was down that night.
I had to run to the store before they closed, and by a box of ammo. :redface: :D

Also if you are shopping for a .303 sporter, I'd pick one that has a scope, and the Iron sights also as a back up in case you break your scope out in the woods.
 
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We tricked out a 303 for deer on texada island almost identical to pharoh's buddy's rig. Works like a hot damn. We had a red dot scope on it at first (which is great! - lightning fast gun) but i must admit as amphib suggested it's nice to have the light gathering of a real scope sometimes.

303'll kill a moose stone dead with a decent hit. You're range isn't as great as some of the super-duper no-fat-ultrawide mega magnums, but it's plenty for moose in most cases. (around here anyway. )
 
I agree with what everyone has said about the .303 so far. It's a world-class cartridge.

I do have a couple of cautions, however.

First is price. No matter how you slice it, a brand-new commercial rifle in .30-06, .308, .300 Winchester Magnum, etc. is going to be superior to that old Lee-Enfield in every respect that matters for hunting. Period. Know also that a brand-new Stevens Model 200, which exemplies the best of modern strength, accuracy and manufacturing tolerances can be had for a little over $300. Therefore, if you are going to get a bubba'd Lee-Enfield, make sure you pay WAY, WAY less than $300 for the whole package, including stock and bedding, etc. Frankly, if given the choice between an excellent bubba'd Lee-Enfield with a beautiful stock for $200 or a new Stevens in, say, .30-06 or .300 Winchester Magnum for $320, you would be a monkey to go with the Lee-Enfield. Period.

Second is quality. This is even more important. Unless you really know your stuff, you can end up buying some real junk. There are millions of Lee-Enfields out there in all kinds of condition, and some of them have been bubba'd very badly indeed. In addition, the diameter and condition of those bores varies more than any other rifle you can buy. This means that accuracy with conventional bullets is really hit and miss. I'm not kidding. Some of those barrels actually mike .316 or even .317, and .311 bullets will not be accurate. Those of us who really like our .303s tend to finesse the loads and use the fattest bullet we can find. (Hornady makes a .312 that seems to work in most rifles.) The same simply cannot be said of a new rifle like the Stevens, which will have a barrel made to incredible tolerances.

You might find that your bubba'd .303 needs special bedding or conditions to shoot well. With all of the .303s of my acquaintance, I have personally found that accuracy only lasts for a handful of shots before fouling becomes a factor and some kind of cleaning is necessary. Contrast this with, say, my competition .308 Palma rifle, which will allow me to shoot 300 rounds without cleaning. Then, when I clean it, two patches and the whole thing is done. (Newer barrels have the hardness and internal polish that makes routine cleaning much easier, and less frequent than worn military barrels.)

I'm not trying to discourage you from your plan. I'm only trying to offer you some alternate suggestions. There was once a time, at least a generation ago, when most people started out with a bubba'd .303 (I'm one of them). At that time, the price difference between a new sporting rifle and an old .303 was much greater than it is today. Now, 30 or 40 years later, those same old .303s are getting really gnarly. On the other hand, the factories are pumping out brand-new hunting rifles made with the best steels and CNC machining for less than the price of a new clutch on your car. These new rifles will be stronger, more accurate, easier to keep clean, more powerful, have more reloading (and re-barreling) options and be ready to go from the outset, with little or no monkeying around.

Therefore, I'd think the economics and practicalities through carefully before buying.

Good luck.
 
A-zone said:
Well, that's a lot more civilized that our regs.:cool:
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Depends on the day.
I've hunted many days, when it is very very dark at the half hour point.

On topic, I see no reason to bugger up another 303 action by drilling holes in it.
If you must, my uncle hunted for years with a 303 that had a B&L 3X9 on it. He never had an issue.
 
On topic, I see no reason to bugger up another 303 action by drilling holes in it.
If you must, my uncle hunted for years with a 303 that had a B&L 3X9 on it. He never had an issue.
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We use one of those non-drill mounts (they screw into existing holes for the sights and such.) THey work great actually although they're a teeny bit high. But you can always put on a cheek pad if you like.
 
p-17 said:
I agree with what everyone has said about the .303 so far. It's a world-class cartridge.

I do have a couple of cautions, however.

First is price. No matter how you slice it, a brand-new commercial rifle in .30-06, .308, .300 Winchester Magnum, etc. is going to be superior to that old Lee-Enfield in every respect that matters for hunting. Period. Know also that a brand-new Stevens Model 200, which exemplies the best of modern strength, accuracy and manufacturing tolerances can be had for a little over $300. Therefore, if you are going to get a bubba'd Lee-Enfield, make sure you pay WAY, WAY less than $300 for the whole package, including stock and bedding, etc. Frankly, if given the choice between an excellent bubba'd Lee-Enfield with a beautiful stock for $200 or a new Stevens in, say, .30-06 or .300 Winchester Magnum for $320, you would be a monkey to go with the Lee-Enfield. Period.

Second is quality. This is even more important. Unless you really know your stuff, you can end up buying some real junk. There are millions of Lee-Enfields out there in all kinds of condition, and some of them have been bubba'd very badly indeed. In addition, the diameter and condition of those bores varies more than any other rifle you can buy. This means that accuracy with conventional bullets is really hit and miss. I'm not kidding. Some of those barrels actually mike .316 or even .317, and .311 bullets will not be accurate. Those of us who really like our .303s tend to finesse the loads and use the fattest bullet we can find. (Hornady makes a .312 that seems to work in most rifles.) The same simply cannot be said of a new rifle like the Stevens, which will have a barrel made to incredible tolerances.

You might find that your bubba'd .303 needs special bedding or conditions to shoot well. With all of the .303s of my acquaintance, I have personally found that accuracy only lasts for a handful of shots before fouling becomes a factor and some kind of cleaning is necessary. Contrast this with, say, my competition .308 Palma rifle, which will allow me to shoot 300 rounds without cleaning. Then, when I clean it, two patches and the whole thing is done. (Newer barrels have the hardness and internal polish that makes routine cleaning much easier, and less frequent than worn military barrels.)

I'm not trying to discourage you from your plan. I'm only trying to offer you some alternate suggestions. There was once a time, at least a generation ago, when most people started out with a bubba'd .303 (I'm one of them). At that time, the price difference between a new sporting rifle and an old .303 was much greater than it is today. Now, 30 or 40 years later, those same old .303s are getting really gnarly. On the other hand, the factories are pumping out brand-new hunting rifles made with the best steels and CNC machining for less than the price of a new clutch on your car. These new rifles will be stronger, more accurate, easier to keep clean, more powerful, have more reloading (and re-barreling) options and be ready to go from the outset, with little or no monkeying around.

Therefore, I'd think the economics and practicalities through carefully before buying.

Good luck.
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Thank you for your input. I appreciate it :)

I am not just going to buy the first sporter I see. There are a few at the gun shop in town that have nice, sharp and shiny bores. A little pricey, but he said that he is flexible on his prices.

Not all Lee's are worn out P17. I've seen some that are so mint that they look to have never been fired before!



There are good ones out there, and I will be buying only the very best that I can find.

There is just something about them that I love so much. I know they are not original "and I love the original furniture on them in all models" but there is just something that feels cool about owning a gun that was used in the war.

I am not trying to cheap out. I just want one because of the history behind them =)

EDIT 2 ADD: How important is headspace on a .303? and what is considered safe, and unsafe?
 
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I inherited an old 303 enfield when my grandpa died. It sat in my cabinet for a long time. Finally I cut the barrel length down a little with a hacksaw. A machinist I work with squared up the face in a lathe, and I crowned using a hand drill and die grinding stone. Then I cut off all the military sights, filed and reblued. Built a side scope mount out of SS angle iron. Put a cheap ram-line plastic stock on it. Cut the clip off so it mounts inside like a magazine box and welded a piece of stainless on for a floor plate(not hinged). I filled in the cheap checkering on the stock with epoxy, sanded and painted a nice textured black. Then mounted a cheap 4x bushnell. Long story short- my 13 yr old likes it a lot and has shot 2 deer with it. Believe it or not, off the bench it will group federal 150gr factory loads under an inch.
 
mod7rem said:
I inherited an old 303 enfield when my grandpa died. It sat in my cabinet for a long time. Finally I cut the barrel length down a little with a hacksaw. A machinist I work with squared up the face in a lathe, and I crowned using a hand drill and die grinding stone. Then I cut off all the military sights, filed and reblued. Built a side scope mount out of SS angle iron. Put a cheap ram-line plastic stock on it. Cut the clip off so it mounts inside like a magazine box and welded a piece of stainless on for a floor plate(not hinged). I filled in the cheap checkering on the stock with epoxy, sanded and painted a nice textured black. Then mounted a cheap 4x bushnell. Long story short- my 13 yr old likes it a lot and has shot 2 deer with it. Believe it or not, off the bench it will group federal 150gr factory loads under an inch.
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You could have spent all that time on a real hunting rifle. :)
 
mod7rem said:
I inherited an old 303 enfield when my grandpa died. It sat in my cabinet for a long time. Finally I cut the barrel length down a little with a hacksaw.
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Methinks you could have sold it in original condition for fair bit of coin, and had enough for the sporter you really wanted. :(
 
My Grandfather hunted all his life with no.1 mk3 Lee enfield (iron sights) and never had problems filling the freezing (even in low light conditions). Just get used to the rifle and know its limitations. Most of the hunting in NE Ontario will give you a shot under 100 yards so you should be fine. I personally dont' use one as my main hunting rifle but I will have one backing me up this fall.
 
Have fun with your .303. You certainly won't need a .342 Bazooka Long Range Short Extra Magnum Super in the latest configuration to shoot a moose. If you piled up all the moose that have fallen to a good old .303, you would have a good sized pile!!
 
The .303 British has ballistics very close to the .308 Win. and you can use heavier bullets then the .308. I just got back from camping and I like taking some protection just in case of wild animals and violent criminals. And here was my choice this time. :D
JungleCarbine.jpg
 
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