What accuracy to expect out of a scoped No.4?

CanuckShooter

CanuckShooter

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What would you guys say one could expect accuracy wise from a sporterized Lee Enfield No.4 Mk. 1 or 2, that has been drilled and tapped for a scope mount using hunting ammo? Assuming it is a 5 groove barrel with sharp rifling, with no other mods done to the rifle.

Let's say accuracy at 50, 100, 200?

Thanks!
 
Accuracy

If you are lucky, you may get a 5 shot group at 100 yards, off a solid rest, of about 3 inches. By lucky, I mean lucky in that particular rifle. If your group size is about like that, be happy and go hunting.
 
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My guess would be somewhere around 3 inches at a hundred yards ... On a good day ... Which is what these things were designed for in the first place.
 
With hand loads My # 4 and it has an excellent barrel not much usage will shoot 1.5 and under!
But the other mil enfield rifles i have and had did MOA softball to MOA of Football??
 
I had a 5 groove bbl Parker Hale sporter that shot Canadian issue 180gr soft points less than an inch and a half routinely - often less than an inch. It depends on who did the sporter job particularly the barrel...
 
My Parker Hale sporter would shoot numerous loads into an inch or less (five shot groups). Best load was with Sierra 125 grain .308 bullets. Second best was Sierra 150 .311 bullets.
A friend's similar rifle didn't shoot quite as well but was a solid 1 1/2 moa rifle. Regards, Bill.
 
Lee Enfields and P14s, are at least 50 years old. They are in varying condition states throughout. They were also made with varying bore diameters, factory go/no go tolerances, anywhere from .308 to .317 have been encountered in my rifles. The .308 bore is on a 1944 Savage No4 Mk1* and the .317 bore is on a 1942 dated Lithgow No1 mkIII*. Both of these rifles are in VG+ condition. The Savage is an honest 1.5 inch shooter, if I do my part and the Lithgow shoots a steady 5 inch group at 100yds. The bores on both of these rifles are in 98% condition, neither of them have been FTRed. So it's a crap shoot as to what you have and how well it will shoot. The accepted thought is that a 4 in group should be attainable with issue ammunition. I suspect that with the variances in tolerance on both ammunition and rifles there was a lot of leeway given. Another thing, I have some WW2 ammo that was loaded in the US, it's bullet diameters are .308in.
So depending on your ammo and bore diameter, and if the rifle was and still is bedded properly, you may or may not have an accurate rifle. Just another note of interest, CIL used to manufacture soft point 303 bullets in various diameters, from .310-.314. bearhunter
 
There are two or three unaltered #4's the Rangers have here that will shoot MOA, but they are the exception to the rule. Until I saw those rifles shoot, I wouldn't of believed that kind of accuracy was possible without some tweaking. All are Long Branch 1950's manufactured, with 5 groove barrels. I believe 2.5 MOA is probably more representative of the breed, and war time production rifles with 2 groove barrels might even be 4 MOA. I've heard that some folks have seen good accuracy with a 2 groove barrel, but I never have.
 
Have a 1943 Longbranch #4 that I bought already sporterized. Added a Ramline plastic stock and a S&K insta scope mount and later had it reamed to .303 Epps. It has its original/issued factory barrel.

With 180 gr.IVI KKSP bullets and loaded with H335 it has shot 0.60 inch /3 shots/100yds..2480 avg.fps.
With the Hornady BTSPZ 165 gr (.308) and Imr 4895 it has likewise shot 0.60 at 2500 fps avg.
It shoots 125 gr. (.308) Ballistic tips to 1.25 inch regularly 3 shots 100 yds .with 2650 fps avg. and H335.
My kid brother has a 1944 Longbranch .303 Brit. as issued from the factory and can almost replicate the above accuracy loads (plus/minus a few grains) with original peep sights also at 100 yds.

Have owned some in the past that I was happy to get just 3.0 inch groups/100 yds. Some are great and some are not..
 
I once took all of my Lee Enfields to Rosebud for a serious shootout. Ammo was FN fmj ball loads and my then favorite handload of 47 grs. Olin 760 , Win. L.R. primer, and a pulled British FMJ bullets.

Rifles were three Longbranch no. 4mk1*'s, a 43 and 2 50's, the 50's were brand new. Also used a 45 Faz no 5 mk 1, a Parker hale sporter faz 43 no4 mk1 with a nice walnut stained birch monte carlo checkered stock , and a no. "no.3 BSA High Velocity sporter". Mine is based on an early (1906) No1 action. It has a beautiful svelte British sporter stock and cape sights (3 folding leafs and a folding, adjustable ladder sight) . It has the worst bore of the bunch, it is frosty.

The Parker hale has a 4-12 scope, all the #4's have stock peeps, and the BSA has open express sights.

For 6,, 5 shot groups, averaged , the BSA came in at 1.050, the Parker Hale 1.200, and all the rest were virtually identical at 1.375.

For 6 10 shot groups averaged, the Parker Hale was 1.7, all the no 4's were at 1.95, the BSA 2.1 and the no5 2.25.

All the rifles in shooting these groups shot the ocasional 3 shot 1/2 inch group. Does this mean I have 6 Lee Enfields that shoot 1/2 inch groups?
 
The No.4 I just gave to my daughter just loved Federal 180 gr. ammo and gave me a best three shot group of just over 1/2 inch.
 
Hornady 150gr SP, H335/Benchmark, CCI BR2, Lee collet sized DIZ/Gavelot brass. With molied bullets, I was able to go MOA or better on a few No4's I had sporterised out to 200yds. All were 2 groove barrels from various manf.

Big issue is getting the right bullet for the bore. Hornady are the largest, Speer smallest. Sierra in the middle. I got better results from hornady then any other bullet.

all rifles had been bedded into their stocks with barrels free floated.

I was very surprised and pleased at how well these war relics shot.

Jerry
 
i get 1.5" at 100 with mine 2" on a cold day* me shaking so much LOL
i use the cheap winchester grey box or federa lblue box.
 
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