Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 303 enfield

The .303 Brit in an Enfield ain't pretty compared to some rigs, ain't a rip snortin' cartridge like a belted magnum, ain't as light as a modern titanium carbine, but I'd put money on the fact that there are more of them in up here trapper's cabins and wilderness living families, owned by people who can shoot them , not talk about them, than any other rifle /cartridge combination.

For someone to say that a cartridge and rifle s is "crap" proves that that person is nothing but a troll - a stuck up one, a that!
I could give a rats arse for any of the big belted mags, gimme an Enfield any day of I am heading back into the bush and the choice between a magnum and a 303Brit.
ingwe, that is a great looking ( and obviously great shooting) rifle!
Cat

I am with Cat in the Hat, I live in Northern Saskatchewan and the majority of people who do any hunting in these parts use .303 rifles that were purchased 50-60 years ago and they still get the job done no problem. The .303 in Northern Canada is the equivalent to a Win 94 in many parts of the USA. I often find myself toting my No1 MK111 sporter when out in the bush.

Who said the .303 is crap...we'll delete their post!!
I've always has a thing for the rimmed cartridges. They are like "D" cups to me, just great to admire....
The .303 is a cool killer as well as the .30/40 Krag.They both do a lot without recoil and muzzle blast.Plain ol' guns...classic

catnthehat; thanks...I'm obviously in the .303 camp. Maybe its not my first choice for alot, but its not my last choice for anything. When I took mine to Africa I had the pleasure of hunting with what was then the oldest licensed PH in Namibia ( he has since passed...) and when I told him I was shooting a .303 he got visibly excited and said " greattt! we used to shoot the chitt out of stuff with .303s back in the thirties!..."I think he got as big of a kick out of sneaking up on that old Hartebeest as I did...
Ingwe

7stw said it 0n page 1 or 2 of this topic

Thought I'd put up this pic for those that want to use strippers with their Smelly's.
"Three up, two down" is how the British army taught the old man. And so it was passed on to me. The loose rounds' position is exagerated for clarity. Don't ask me why it works, but it does.

Pete

Thanks for that tidbit...I didn't know that.....
Also thanks for the qualifier on why it works...I was gonna ask...
Ingwe

If you want more out of your .303 you can always try a .303 Epps.

http://www.303british.com/id20.html

I don't hunt with the .303 but I always take my sporterized model along as a spare and camp gun. I have a soft spot for the .303 British as it was my first center fire rifle. Bought it for 20.00 when I was 13 years old, MK4 with a full wood stock and a rear peep sight. Heavy thing but accurate and as a first rifle for a youngster you could do a lot worse. Capable of taking a lot of abuse and still function.

When I was a lad I kind of fell in love with a 22/303 chambering, but did not have the cash to buy it. I have the cash now and a spare smiley to convert, but have not been able to find any info on it.

Does anyone have leads?

Randy

The .303/22, sometimes known as the .22/303 is a wildcat centrefire rifle cartridge, based on the .303 British, necked down to fire a .224 projectile, originating in Australia in the 1930s as a cartridge for sporterised rifles, particularly on the Lee Enfield action, similar versions also appeared in Canada around the same time[3].

The .303/22 was very popular for a number of reasons, one being that the .22 caliber was better suited to small game than the .303, the rifles were cheap and plentiful and in New South Wales ownership of military cartridges was severely restricted. Several versions existed, including the full length Falcon, the shortened Sprinter, the even shorter Wasp, the Varmint-R and many others[4]. Although Lee Enfields were the most common, conversion of other rifles mostly suited to rimmed cartridges such as P14 Enfield, Martini Enfield, 1885 and 1895 Winchesters were often seen, as well as 98 and 96 Mausers[5].

Loaded ammunition and brass was produced by the Super Cartridge Company, Riverbrand, ICI and Sportco, some using new Boxer primed cases, others using military Berdan primed cases. Cases can be formed simply by necking down .303 British brass available from Remington, Federal, Winchester, Sellier & Bellot and others. Reloading dies are made by most larger manufacturers, like RCBS, CH[6] and Simplex[7].

n007 I have read that info too but am looking for reamers, dimensions etc. Shilen makes 22 cal barrels but does not chamber them. I have looked at Clymer's site but do not see them.

Thanks for the response though.

Randy

The top rounds RIM must be in front of the one below it,if not JAMO.....If the stripper clip is loaded proper,it will function right side up or up side down...bloody neat little thing.

I think Butler Creek, or some other cheepo outfit makes synthetic stocks for the Enfields. I've often thought a lightweight full on bushbusting badazz could made by chopping a barrel to around 20", removing the old military rear sight, adding an old fixed 4X, and loading 180 grainers over a healthy dose of ol' 3031. It would handle all you'd ever care to see in the woods, and would be a very capable unit.

R.

ATI and Ram-Line both make synthetic stocks.

The ATI is a fairly decent stock; heavy, but solid. The RamLine, is, IMHO, junk. And, yes, I've had and still have both.

VA, what's the LOP with the Ramline?

Pete

I would look for the information at some of the Australian gun sites, here is a place to start.

http://thehunterslife.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9167

Just like my truck gun that I bought from S.I.R. Sporting Goods in 1964, converted by Parker Hale but with a Monte Carlo style stock and end and grip caps with white line spacers...with a 4x Bushnell scope, leather sling, cleaning kit, 2 boxes of ammo and canvas case $46.95 and no tax...

Has taken deer, moose, caribou, pronghorn antelope, walrus, seal, Musk Ox, black bear and loaned to an Inuit friend to take Narwhal and polar bear...

Had the stock refinished and metal deep blued five years ago for our 40th anniversary...still behind the seat of the farm truck though.....

I should have read the whole thread before posting the first one...

Mr ingwe, that is the version of the Parker Hale that I have although they used rosewood for the caps not ebony and with white line spacers and of course the side mount scope mounts...Do you like using the five shot mag? I prefer it as the ten shot seems to me to get in the way of everything!

My family all served, from the first Boer War through Korea and all those that carried the .303 (after 2nd Boer War) brought them home with them, so I have inherited the complete collection of every Model and Mark version from the Remington Lee and Lee Metford to the last issued sniper rifle...On loan to a local museum, which greatly reduces the insurance costs and the storage problems...Helped they were avid collectors, pack rats actually!

Actually, on one side, they started serving when we got kicked out of the USA for being loyalists and served with the 60th Loyal American Regiment (the first Green Jackets) against the Continental troops in the American War of Rebellion!

I had Farquharson style actions made by WR, Rigby, Fraser and Gibbs and a double rifle by WR and a Rook rifle by Army/Navy all in .303 but unfortunately they got destroyed in a house fire 2 Xmas ago along with 136 other guns with other calibers and shotguns by H&H, Jeffery, Greener, Boss, McNaughton and a Purdey...Yes, the insurance covered it all to my insured limit, which was about 30% light primarily, for not keeping abreast of the replacement values and to a lesser degree, money saving...

We weren't left bereft of firearms as we all had guns at the farm and cottage but my daughters (six still at home and four married off, nearly) had to replace their air and smallbore target rifles and pistols which was a drag for them...

7STW -- The SMLE was issued to many game departments in Africa and of course to the Game Park guards and served admirably until the 1980s in India/Pakistan and is considered to be the best battle rifle to come out of either World Wars...

The SMLE just feels right. It certainly is my favorite rifle with a bayonet - no toy, that.