Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada So, tell me about your 303 British....

Hi Dwayne:

If you haven't yet read the book it is well worth your time.

http://www.goodreports.net/reviews/threedayroad.htm

Regards,
Nic

n007;
Thank you kindly for the book recommendation Nic, I will definitely see if I can lay hands on it for winter reading season.

I hope this finds you and yours well this very warm evening sir. We're at over 30� during the day, which makes it tough to get excited about hunting really - but of course we will be up on the hill at first light anyway!

All the best luck in your upcoming hunts this season and thanks again for the book report.

Dwayne

Good hunting!

the 303 has probably killed more game in Africa than any other cartridge, what more is there to say.

Dad's old 303 filled the freezer of moose meat every year of my youth until I turned 15 and I started going out with the tractor and the benet with my brothers and get us a moose too. It was my first big game rifle, certainly a big jump from the Kooey repeater 22 that I used to shoot partridges and rabbits with. Kinda nostalgic and a beloved rifle in many Canadian homes.

I missed this before, but thanks for posting this Dwayne!

from that link: "In February, 1915, he was deployed overseas with the 1st Canadian Infantry Battalion of the 1st Canadian Division � the first contingent of Canadian troops sent to fight in Europe."

My Grandfather was in the same first contingent of Canadian troops sent to Europe (it was Ontario based, where both men were from). He saw a lot of action -- it is interesting to wonder if the two ever met.

It is possible: there were only 1121 men, and they were together for years. There were a lot less of the original group as time went on too. Ypres (where the Germans used gas for the first time) was a bad one -- the Canadians were the only lines that did NOT break during the gas attack and my Grandfather (who kept firing his Vickers machine gun) was one of them.

In addition to Ypres, both men also fought at the battle of Passchendaele.

Interesting to think of anyway. Sorry for the rambling... and thanks again Dwayne.

Added note to stay on topic: My first rifle for hunting moose and deer was a borrowed Lee-Enfield .303 too. 180gr for deer, 215 grainers for moose!

John

thanks for the canadian history lesson. I never heard of him,

Just got back from camp where I had pulled the trigger on the 303 for the first time. It's a pleasant handling gun, and I got on target quick at 25 yards. Moving out to 100, the gun still shot well, not minute of inch, but certainly minute of deer. And this with the first load I picked out of thin air.

I enjoyed shooting it and will tinker more to find what she might like.

I shot 200 gr. Speer Grand Slams over 38.5 gr. of IMR 4320, and also a few 215 gr. Woodleighs over 41 gr of H380.

Soon it will be time to whomp something with fur!

Thanks to all for your input. I enjoyed reading the stories behind the caliber, of which I doubt I would have found on my own. Good group of guys, you 303 shooters.

Randy,

Bevan King in Pouce Coupe, BC, makes excellent .311 barrels. I had him rebarrel a Ross M10 for me, and the thing shoots like a match rifle.

Also, his reamer cuts the proper dimension chamber, rather than the oversize ones found in most Lee Enfields. No bulged bases or goofy shoulders.

Ted

PM me with an address or telephone # please and thanks. Randy

What's a 303 Brit without bulged bases and goofy shoulders. That's the whole challenge.

PM sent

A lot of 303 British users would be amazed at the change in their rifle's performance if they took it to a gunsmith for repairs. A cheap fix is setting the barrel back. Doing so will bring the chamber into spec and thereby, reduce the stretch.

Virtually every shooter will watch case life triple and in most instances, accuracy will be better. With the chamber dimensions within spec, the mechanism will propel the bullets into tighter groups.

Steve:

When I was considering a .303 with a .30 barrel, I was calling it the .300-03 . I was thinking in terms of an H&R in 30/30 rechambered.

I agree with you on the "setting back" of the barrels as well. My 1895 in .303 has a barrel that looks to be on its last legs, but its a very accurate rifle - probably due to its having a proper chamber.

I call the cartridge a 7.62 British. It's a smart way to re-barrel the action and improves the bullet selection.

I have used .311 barrels made by Shilen, Mc Gowan, and Ron Smith. All seem fine. The Shilen was especially accurate.
When I rebarreled my own #4 to a 30 caliber, I went with the 30/40 Krag. Not a lot of difference between the two cartridges.
The 30/40 feeds well from the #4's magazine.
I have also rebarreled a P14 to 30/40.
Load a Lee Enfield too heavily and case head separations will result; regardless of headspace or chamber dimensions. No such concerns with a P14 or a Ruger No.1.
Just like belted cartridges, cartridges which headspace on the rim will always have some head clearance built into the rifle/brass combination. This is necessary since the solid rim isn't readily compressible. As a consequence of this, using the shoulder to eliminate head clearance will improve case life.
My first big game animal (pronghorn antelope)was killed with a 303. So were the next couple of dozen. None of the rifles I have used since that 303 have really killed noticably better. GD