Lee Enfield .303 British
- Thread starter Shimanocono
- Start date
The .303 has prob' taken more Moose in Canada then any other rifle.
.303 Moose hunters I know use 180 grain bullets, and most reload for better quality, and accuracy over the factory loaded stuff.
The rifle is only as good as the person behind it so practice practice practice.
.303 Moose hunters I know use 180 grain bullets, and most reload for better quality, and accuracy over the factory loaded stuff.
The rifle is only as good as the person behind it so practice practice practice.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
Calum said:
About says it all - NEXT??
Cat
Here's another:
Hunting
As a general purpose bush or carry rifle, the Lee Enfield is hard to beat. In the US, 150 grain bullets are the most popular factory loading. In Canada, the 180 grainer is tops. Regardless, the energy that either projectile delivers is more than adequate for deer and black bears. If you reload for either of these animals, consider the 150 grainer. Handloaders can achieve velocities the same as, or close to, the hottest factory load - the Hornady Light Magnum - 2830 fps -MV.
For larger game, 180 or 215 grain bullets are the ticket. You're probably most familiar with the 180 grainers. If you can lay your hands on some 215 grain bullets, you won't be sorry. For close in work, they are the nearest thing to the "big bullet from a big bore" philosophy that has worked so well over the years. All this in a package that doesn't hurt your shoulder.
Years ago, CIL (Canadian Industries Ltd) loaded 215 grain bullets at 2170 fps. After the company's demise, this could only be accomplished by handloading. Nowadays, you can still get this and more, depending on the rifle. Regardless of the action, many moose fell to this heavyweight, some just knocked over by the breeze!
If you're interested in this weight in a jacketed bullet, look to Woodleigh of Australia. You can order them direct from 'down under' or from Huntingtons of California. These are not standard bullets - they're premium fare - so expect to pay a higher price. It's worth it though, 'cause you love your rifle and want to feed it the best!
.
Bullet Selection - Avoiding Performance Mistakes
.
You've probably heard this before. An eastern woods hunter goes out after deer with a rather large, powerful cartridge - say a 300 Winchester Magnum - with a Sierra 200 grain BTSP loaded to 2800 fps. While in the bush, he spots a buck and fires. It looks like a good hit, but the deer runs off, never to be seen again......
Later on, he says to a friend, "Drat! I can't understand why he didn't drop! At 50 yards, he should have fallen like a stone. Maybe the 300s are not all that they're cracked up to be. I need a 338."
(Now, before you question his choice of calibres, let's make one assumption - he only owns one rifle.)
Doubtless you know why his deer didn't drop. The calibre, while not necessarily the best for deep woods, was okay. Knowing that he would encounter game at short range, his handloads were at fault. The bullet was wrong for the job and the cartridge was loaded too hot.
200 grain Sierra Spitzer Boat Tail
Had our hapless hunter taken the time to check any bullet manufacturer's data sheets, he might have put together a different recipe. Using Sierra as an example, let's have a look.
Our hunter used a boat tailed spitzer, but Sierra's profile for their BTSP is clear. It's recommended for ranges of 150 to 500 yards, hmmm.... However, Sierra's round nose profile states optimum performance from 50 to 250 yds. Knowing where he was going to hunt and the range thast he would most likely encounter game, he should have chosen a RN.
Like any other activity, good preparation is half the battle. Handloaders have to read the recommendations laid out for them by the manufacturer of their preferred bullet. If choosing a bullet for a specific animal - one which you've never loaded for - compare different company literature. Don't blindly choose a certain brand or type of bullet based solely on gun magazine articles or other shooters. Bottom line - Search for a bullet designed for the job you expect it to do.
150 grain Sierra Round Nose
Now you ask, what's this got to do with my 303? This doesn't happen with my Lee Enfield! It's not as powerful as a 300 Win Mag and bullet choices are more limited than the 30 calibre cartridges. My loads work fine. Okay, so let's look at the .311 - 150 bullets.
When handloading jacketed bullets, most shooters have only three bullets from which to choose. Hornady, Sierra and Speer. Using the chart below, which bullet would be best if our eastern deer hunter loaded for a 303?
Bullet Best Performance Range
Hornady 150 Grain Spire Point 2300 - 2700 fps*
Sierra 150 Grain Spitzer 2700 - 3400 fps*
Speer 150 Grain Spire Point not provided
.
*Best Performance Range -
The velocities are published recommendations from the individual manufacturers, found in their reloading manuals.
As you can see from the chart, the performance range varies. Check your reloading manual and you will see that most of the maximum loads for this bullet weight seldom exceed 2700 fps. If you choose the Sierra projectile, you've got to use a double base powder and get it moving fast. There are a few powders that will do this safely, but not many. And remember, even if you get 2700 fps at the muzzle, it starts to shed energy immediately. At 100 yds your bullet will lose about 300 fps, effectively removing it from Sierra's optimum performance window. Is it going to mushroom properly?
Hornady's offering rates much better. Its upper end matches Sierra's lower end of the window. At 100 yards, Hornady's bullet is still within "the zone", if it starts out at 2700 fps. A further look at the manufacturer's data reveals that the ballistic coefficient is better with the Hornady as well. It should only lose about 250 fps at the 100 yard mark.
Speer doesn't list any information for their bullet, so that means you should contact the company for more information.
This short example should demonstrate the reason why some research is necessary before working up a load. Gather the information you need before you sit down at the reloading bench. Determine which bullet you'll need to properly get the job done by checking the expected velocity from your manual and the best performance range for your bullet. Don't be one of the people that uses poor bullet performance as an excuse for inadequate workups!
Target Shooting
.
Many US shooters will be surprised to hear that Commonwealth countries still include the 303 British cartridge in service style competitions. Don't forget that the 303 British was the official service round for many nations for over 60 years! In its pure form, the cartridge was a 174 grain pointed bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2440 fps (Mk VII). In many competitions, these rounds are supplied. In less formal matches, shooters can bring their own.
Believe it or not, the 303 British has got its 'second wind'. A number of new bullets have become available to reloaders in the last few years. If you shoot in competition, Sierra and Hornady have 3 super offerings between them.
Plinking / Varmints and....Deer?
.
125 grain bullets are often overlooked by many reloaders. It's too bad because these bullets are not only useful but fun to shoot as well! You can drive these little wonders at close to 3000 fps and accuracy is not bad. The trick is to find the combination of bullet and powder. Although Sierras may not be everyone's choice in other calibres, their 125 grain spitzer is just the ticket if you want a combination varmint /deer gun. Sierra designed them to function from 2000 to 3000 fps. The other companies consider them a 7.62x39 bullet, which means their design envelope is approximately 1900 to 2500 fps. So, if you're strolling through the bush with these in your magazine, you've got a bullet that makes the 7.62x39 look like a wimp. Loaded to max, I got 2916 fps with this bullet. At 100 yards, it packs 1861 ft/lb of energy and at 200 hundred yards it still has 1453 ft/lb. Take that all you Model 94 and SKS owners!
If you load it down a bit, you can use Winchester 123/125 grainers as a plinker/varmint round. The recoil is non existant and that makes it fun to shoot!
Cast
.
There are a lot of choices in this category. You can use pistol bullets as plinkers, larger cast rifle bullets as deer medicine or develop an accuracy load for your local club military shoot. I hope that those of you that fire them will send your favourite recipe along to share with the rest of us. We've had some inputs already. You can find them here. Cast Bullet Loads
Home
Hunting
As a general purpose bush or carry rifle, the Lee Enfield is hard to beat. In the US, 150 grain bullets are the most popular factory loading. In Canada, the 180 grainer is tops. Regardless, the energy that either projectile delivers is more than adequate for deer and black bears. If you reload for either of these animals, consider the 150 grainer. Handloaders can achieve velocities the same as, or close to, the hottest factory load - the Hornady Light Magnum - 2830 fps -MV.
For larger game, 180 or 215 grain bullets are the ticket. You're probably most familiar with the 180 grainers. If you can lay your hands on some 215 grain bullets, you won't be sorry. For close in work, they are the nearest thing to the "big bullet from a big bore" philosophy that has worked so well over the years. All this in a package that doesn't hurt your shoulder.
Years ago, CIL (Canadian Industries Ltd) loaded 215 grain bullets at 2170 fps. After the company's demise, this could only be accomplished by handloading. Nowadays, you can still get this and more, depending on the rifle. Regardless of the action, many moose fell to this heavyweight, some just knocked over by the breeze!
If you're interested in this weight in a jacketed bullet, look to Woodleigh of Australia. You can order them direct from 'down under' or from Huntingtons of California. These are not standard bullets - they're premium fare - so expect to pay a higher price. It's worth it though, 'cause you love your rifle and want to feed it the best!
.
Bullet Selection - Avoiding Performance Mistakes
.
You've probably heard this before. An eastern woods hunter goes out after deer with a rather large, powerful cartridge - say a 300 Winchester Magnum - with a Sierra 200 grain BTSP loaded to 2800 fps. While in the bush, he spots a buck and fires. It looks like a good hit, but the deer runs off, never to be seen again......
Later on, he says to a friend, "Drat! I can't understand why he didn't drop! At 50 yards, he should have fallen like a stone. Maybe the 300s are not all that they're cracked up to be. I need a 338."
(Now, before you question his choice of calibres, let's make one assumption - he only owns one rifle.)
Doubtless you know why his deer didn't drop. The calibre, while not necessarily the best for deep woods, was okay. Knowing that he would encounter game at short range, his handloads were at fault. The bullet was wrong for the job and the cartridge was loaded too hot.
200 grain Sierra Spitzer Boat Tail
Had our hapless hunter taken the time to check any bullet manufacturer's data sheets, he might have put together a different recipe. Using Sierra as an example, let's have a look.
Our hunter used a boat tailed spitzer, but Sierra's profile for their BTSP is clear. It's recommended for ranges of 150 to 500 yards, hmmm.... However, Sierra's round nose profile states optimum performance from 50 to 250 yds. Knowing where he was going to hunt and the range thast he would most likely encounter game, he should have chosen a RN.
Like any other activity, good preparation is half the battle. Handloaders have to read the recommendations laid out for them by the manufacturer of their preferred bullet. If choosing a bullet for a specific animal - one which you've never loaded for - compare different company literature. Don't blindly choose a certain brand or type of bullet based solely on gun magazine articles or other shooters. Bottom line - Search for a bullet designed for the job you expect it to do.
150 grain Sierra Round Nose
Now you ask, what's this got to do with my 303? This doesn't happen with my Lee Enfield! It's not as powerful as a 300 Win Mag and bullet choices are more limited than the 30 calibre cartridges. My loads work fine. Okay, so let's look at the .311 - 150 bullets.
When handloading jacketed bullets, most shooters have only three bullets from which to choose. Hornady, Sierra and Speer. Using the chart below, which bullet would be best if our eastern deer hunter loaded for a 303?
Bullet Best Performance Range
Hornady 150 Grain Spire Point 2300 - 2700 fps*
Sierra 150 Grain Spitzer 2700 - 3400 fps*
Speer 150 Grain Spire Point not provided
.
*Best Performance Range -
The velocities are published recommendations from the individual manufacturers, found in their reloading manuals.
As you can see from the chart, the performance range varies. Check your reloading manual and you will see that most of the maximum loads for this bullet weight seldom exceed 2700 fps. If you choose the Sierra projectile, you've got to use a double base powder and get it moving fast. There are a few powders that will do this safely, but not many. And remember, even if you get 2700 fps at the muzzle, it starts to shed energy immediately. At 100 yds your bullet will lose about 300 fps, effectively removing it from Sierra's optimum performance window. Is it going to mushroom properly?
Hornady's offering rates much better. Its upper end matches Sierra's lower end of the window. At 100 yards, Hornady's bullet is still within "the zone", if it starts out at 2700 fps. A further look at the manufacturer's data reveals that the ballistic coefficient is better with the Hornady as well. It should only lose about 250 fps at the 100 yard mark.
Speer doesn't list any information for their bullet, so that means you should contact the company for more information.
This short example should demonstrate the reason why some research is necessary before working up a load. Gather the information you need before you sit down at the reloading bench. Determine which bullet you'll need to properly get the job done by checking the expected velocity from your manual and the best performance range for your bullet. Don't be one of the people that uses poor bullet performance as an excuse for inadequate workups!
Target Shooting
.
Many US shooters will be surprised to hear that Commonwealth countries still include the 303 British cartridge in service style competitions. Don't forget that the 303 British was the official service round for many nations for over 60 years! In its pure form, the cartridge was a 174 grain pointed bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2440 fps (Mk VII). In many competitions, these rounds are supplied. In less formal matches, shooters can bring their own.
Believe it or not, the 303 British has got its 'second wind'. A number of new bullets have become available to reloaders in the last few years. If you shoot in competition, Sierra and Hornady have 3 super offerings between them.
Plinking / Varmints and....Deer?
.
125 grain bullets are often overlooked by many reloaders. It's too bad because these bullets are not only useful but fun to shoot as well! You can drive these little wonders at close to 3000 fps and accuracy is not bad. The trick is to find the combination of bullet and powder. Although Sierras may not be everyone's choice in other calibres, their 125 grain spitzer is just the ticket if you want a combination varmint /deer gun. Sierra designed them to function from 2000 to 3000 fps. The other companies consider them a 7.62x39 bullet, which means their design envelope is approximately 1900 to 2500 fps. So, if you're strolling through the bush with these in your magazine, you've got a bullet that makes the 7.62x39 look like a wimp. Loaded to max, I got 2916 fps with this bullet. At 100 yards, it packs 1861 ft/lb of energy and at 200 hundred yards it still has 1453 ft/lb. Take that all you Model 94 and SKS owners!
If you load it down a bit, you can use Winchester 123/125 grainers as a plinker/varmint round. The recoil is non existant and that makes it fun to shoot!
Cast
.
There are a lot of choices in this category. You can use pistol bullets as plinkers, larger cast rifle bullets as deer medicine or develop an accuracy load for your local club military shoot. I hope that those of you that fire them will send your favourite recipe along to share with the rest of us. We've had some inputs already. You can find them here. Cast Bullet Loads
Home
i use the .303 for deer and bear have had for some time so does my grandfather cant go wrong with it really tons of stopping power and fairly accurate with factory ammo in the sense of hunting keep in mind they arnt 1000 yrd tack drivers so dont expect 1/4 MOA but minute of deer/moose/bear is defintly feasable even out to 300 with some practice
Only thing that would worry me is ammo avalibilty. Winchester list 1 factory load, federal list 2.
Now if you go for sometyhing like a 30-06 there's 22 factory loads from federal, 16 factory loads from winchester.
So the question is do you reload your own ammo?
Now if you go for sometyhing like a 30-06 there's 22 factory loads from federal, 16 factory loads from winchester.
So the question is do you reload your own ammo?
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
You can buy .303 British ammo absolutely anywhere ammo is sold, anmd you only need 180 anyway, which is what is most often available.
If not, go with 150's and fogedaboudit!
It's one of thoise calibers that ain't pretty, ###y, or supoer fast.
What it DOES do is drop anyhting that it is pointed at out to 300 yards or so, and with regularity.
All you have to do is know how to shoot.
A super mag is not going to help a fella that can't, but the .303 may give him a bit of an edge because it isn't going to whollop the daylights out of him and make him flinch!
Cat
If not, go with 150's and fogedaboudit!
It's one of thoise calibers that ain't pretty, ###y, or supoer fast.
What it DOES do is drop anyhting that it is pointed at out to 300 yards or so, and with regularity.
All you have to do is know how to shoot.
A super mag is not going to help a fella that can't, but the .303 may give him a bit of an edge because it isn't going to whollop the daylights out of him and make him flinch!
Cat
Like they all say above.
I am completely switching to the 303 British for all my hunting this year. I like to go against the current marketing trends of the WSSMs and Ultramags and use the old and underrated 303, mind you I also drive a 1982 motorcycle for the same reason.
The rifles are not the most tuned machines, trigger and accuracy in an old milsurp will not be as nice as a modern hunting rifle but some gunsmith work will make things much better. And you won't have to worry about getting it dirty in the field.
Cheers
I am completely switching to the 303 British for all my hunting this year. I like to go against the current marketing trends of the WSSMs and Ultramags and use the old and underrated 303, mind you I also drive a 1982 motorcycle for the same reason.
The rifles are not the most tuned machines, trigger and accuracy in an old milsurp will not be as nice as a modern hunting rifle but some gunsmith work will make things much better. And you won't have to worry about getting it dirty in the field.
Cheers
.303 brit.
The only thing wrong that I have experienced w/.303 is that some brass separates at the head after 1 or 2 shots due to excessive head space which may have been designed into the gun for improved functioning in dirty battlefield conditions, a bolt swap can cure that! M.T. Chambers cast bullet list shows a 206 gr. gas check spitzer sized to .312" for the .303!
The only thing wrong that I have experienced w/.303 is that some brass separates at the head after 1 or 2 shots due to excessive head space which may have been designed into the gun for improved functioning in dirty battlefield conditions, a bolt swap can cure that! M.T. Chambers cast bullet list shows a 206 gr. gas check spitzer sized to .312" for the .303!
They work just fine.
BTW - if you want to 'fiddle' with it - you can buy a scope mount that doesn't need gunsmithing from places like marstar. We bought one for our 303, quite happy with it.
You can also gussy it up with a synth stock if you want.
303's are great first hunting guns. And within their range they'll flatten a moose. Know the gun, know how far you can shoot, and you're good to go.
BTW - if you want to 'fiddle' with it - you can buy a scope mount that doesn't need gunsmithing from places like marstar. We bought one for our 303, quite happy with it.
You can also gussy it up with a synth stock if you want.
303's are great first hunting guns. And within their range they'll flatten a moose. Know the gun, know how far you can shoot, and you're good to go.
- Location
- Manitoulin Island
You can buy heavier bullets from .303british.com website. There is also lots of info about the rifles at that site. The .303 180 grain is fine for deer and moose. The 150 grain is fine for deer. The heavier bullets would be better for
big brown bears. The .303 is said to have killed (and wounded) more of the African big 5 than any other calibre. That doesn't mean it is a good choice for big African game. It is not as suitable for long range shooting as some newer cartridge, but most deer and moose are shot at close range. Met an old recluse in the bush near Tobermorey in about 1958 when I was on my first deer hunt there. He said "I'd like to get a deer, but I don't have any shells left for my .303". I asked "how many do you need?" He said "just one". So obviously, he had faith in a .303.
big brown bears. The .303 is said to have killed (and wounded) more of the African big 5 than any other calibre. That doesn't mean it is a good choice for big African game. It is not as suitable for long range shooting as some newer cartridge, but most deer and moose are shot at close range. Met an old recluse in the bush near Tobermorey in about 1958 when I was on my first deer hunt there. He said "I'd like to get a deer, but I don't have any shells left for my .303". I asked "how many do you need?" He said "just one". So obviously, he had faith in a .303.
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madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
1 hunter + a .303 British Lee Enfield = a dead whatever you shoot with it. This has the standard US disclaimer "except possibly the large bears" Hell I would shoot any big bear with my sporter and handloaded CIL 215 gr bullets.
cheers Darryl
cheers Darryl
When hunting mooses, should only employ non-Bubba'd .303s, that way if 10 shots ain't enough you can fix bayonets and have at it. fFor this reason (longer bayonet) the #1 is to be slightly prefered. Best ofverall is the Martini Henry; you only get one shot, but bayonet is a SWORD!
The 303 enfield is perhaps one of the most versatile rifles available.It can easily be used to pound tent pegs,as a crowbar or as a doorstop and you don't feel guilty about scratching or denting it.And if it should cease to fire ,a replacement is usually available for a low price.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
Likely it was a Canadian Ranger Patrol that you encountered on Ellsmere.geologist said:
My Brother was stationed in Yellowknife for 5 years, and was in charge of the
Northern Rangers, and they went up there regularly.
Cat
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