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#2213445 - 05/20/08 09:53 PM

The Canada Rifle

Jeff_O
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Registered: 04/21/07
Posts: 7214
Loc: Wetter'n Oregon

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If me, a lowly Oregonian, shouldn't be posting here then just run me off.

Was wondering what the typical Canadian rifle is. Enfield in .303?

-jeff

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#2213451 - 05/20/08 09:56 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Jeff_O]

catnthehat
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Registered: 12/19/03
Posts: 2408
Loc: Alberta

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There certainly are a mess of them around, maybe more than there are Springfields down your way.

I would not want to hazard a guess for newer rifles though, I see a lot of Savages Remingtons, and Winchesters at our range...
Cat

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#2213469 - 05/20/08 10:21 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Jeff_O]

BC30cal
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Registered: 05/30/07
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Loc: South Central BC

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Mr. Jeff O;
When I was a kid, the most common rifles by a fair margin was the Cooey bolt action single shot .22. They still sold for $25 in the ‘70’s. Used ones were half that. Dad bought his in the '30's for under $4.

Centerfires were a mix of .303’s, with lots of Mark III and P14’s and less Mark V’s at least in Saskatchewan as I recall. Again, I remember seeing 45 gallon drums full of them for sale at the Army and Navy Store in Regina for as low as $10. A “sporter” without full wood was something like $15. I'm not sure how many .303's I've owned over time, but to say lots is pretty close....

The non-military surplus favorite in Saskatchewan I’d guess was the ’94 Winchester first and the 99 Savage next, but away back in frequency of sightings.

I recall my father coming home with a straight grip 99 in .250 which I fell immediately and totally in love with. That he was to later trade it for a Model 100 Winchester caused almost irreparable damage between us! $;\)$

These days it’s tough to say really, but that was the “Canadian Rifle” of the late ’60’s and early ’70’s of my childhood.

I’d have no doubt it could have varied regionally and by quite a wide margin at that.

Regards,
Dwayne

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#2213783 - 05/21/08 06:42 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: BC30cal]

Murf
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Registered: 06/26/01
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Loc: Regina, Sask.

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Years ago one smart cookie travelled throughout Sask trading surplus .303's and a couple boxes of ammo for many many fine old Winnies, Marlins, etc in 44-40, 38-55 etc. Guys who were having trouble feeding the older guns saw the trade as a good deal. Of course the collector made a very good return on his $10 investment.

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#2213794 - 05/21/08 06:49 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Jeff_O]

Slugo
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Registered: 05/12/03
Posts: 9
Loc: Ontario, Canada

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The 303 is by far the most popular accross the country, particularly among natives in the north. Few hunt camps anywhere in Canada haven't seen a 303. My experience is that there are regional favorites even within the provinces. Ontario loves Remington 760's in 30-06 and 308, often with see-through mounts. There are a tremendous number of Savage 99's in 300, 303 & 250 in the area from Huntsville to Sudbury & North Bay.

Are there regional favorites in the US? What about out west in Canada?

Edited by Slugo (05/21/08 06:50 AM)

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#2213959 - 05/21/08 08:27 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Slugo]

n007
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Registered: 12/19/02
Posts: 552
Loc: Victoria, BC, Canada

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There were a lot of .303's around 40 years ago, for a lot of people their first centre fire rifle. Not so much anymore, don't know anyone that I hunt with that uses one, but most everyone I know has at least one in their gun safe. No one calibre or make of rifle dominates out here that I can tell.

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#2213978 - 05/21/08 08:37 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: n007]

Leverboy
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Registered: 03/08/03
Posts: 157
Loc: Spruce Grove Alberta

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With the exception of last year, for the past ten years i have hunted on average 20 days a year and i have yet to see a .303 in the field or at the range. The one classic rifle i have seen often in the field and at the range has been the Savage 99.

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#2214787 - 05/21/08 04:07 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Leverboy]

Rooney
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Registered: 09/26/07
Posts: 135
Loc: Southern Manitoba

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The only .303 I've seen in years is in my gun safe. You see everything now. T3s seem to have made an inroad in some places, but as someone posted, regional preferences rule.

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#2215143 - 05/21/08 07:07 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Rooney]

Murf
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Registered: 06/26/01
Posts: 200
Loc: Regina, Sask.

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My son still uses the No4 Mk1 I handed over to him. I had gone to different and " better" calibers years before, many of which were culled, but whenever deer season was open Nov 11 I felt the old war horse needed the exercise.

That Lee Enfield I bought in the very early sixties still shoots very well. a 1 inch 5 shot group at 100 yards last year, and packs enough punch for any member of the deer family up to and including moose and elk.

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#2215218 - 05/21/08 07:49 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Jeff_O]

KodiakHntr
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Registered: 05/19/07
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Loc: Northern BC

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Originally Posted By: Jeff_O

Was wondering what the typical Canadian rifle is. Enfield in .303?

-jeff

It IS kind of funny if you think about....

Kind of a stereotype you got going on there Jeff. Mind you, all you guys down south hunt with AR15's don't you?

Oh wait, there's another stereotype. Our gun purchases up here are influenced by the same marketing that yours are down there....We all hunt and shoot with the same stuff...Other than the AR's that is...A few people own them, but you can only shoot them at a range...

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#2215242 - 05/21/08 08:08 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: KodiakHntr]

SamOlson
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Registered: 02/01/06
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Loc: Montucky

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Nothing like a good moose lefse burrito for breakfast.

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#2215305 - 05/21/08 09:01 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: SamOlson]

troutfly
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Registered: 09/15/06
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Loc: SE Alberta

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I still make it a point to hunt with my .303 at least a few times each season.
IMHO the Enfield and the Cooey rifles are likely the quintessential Canadian hunting rifle in many ways. (Cooey also made shotguns)
As I mentioned, I hunt with my .303 and my hunting partner hunts with his Cooey 30-06, the only rifle he owns and he has hunted with it for 30 plus years and is darn good with it.
WRT to the younger folks, the field is likely filled with Sako's, Remingtons, Winchesters, Savages etc. likely bolts with synthetic stocks, S/S action/barrel, scopes and no open sights.
Lots of us older guys have these too of course to a certain degree, but we all likely started out with one of the others.

Edited by troutfly (05/21/08 09:39 PM)
Edit Reason: sp & content

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#2215320 - 05/21/08 09:13 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Jeff_O]

stubblejumper
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Registered: 07/26/03
Posts: 3098
Loc: Alberta Canada

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The most common rifles that I see in the field are bolt action rifles in 30-06 or 7mmremmag.Remington 700s and browning a-bolts are both very common as are savages.

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#2215340 - 05/21/08 09:39 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: stubblejumper]

greydog
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Registered: 06/11/04
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I started gunsmithing professionally, in Kamloops BC, about 31 years ago. In the intervening years I have worked on less than 100 Lee Enfield 303s. I have seen few sold.
Most work was drilling and tapping and mounting scopes. I have rebarreled one in 303 and restocked one as well. Forty years ago, it was common to see them in the field. It is less so now. GD

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#2215349 - 05/21/08 09:47 PM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Jeff_O]

Duckshoot
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Registered: 07/31/05
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Loc: Nimpo lake B.C. and Winfield B...

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You used to see 303 lee enfields every where you went on hunting trips when I was a kid, and of course every little store and gas station had 303 british ammo right next to the 30-06 and 30-30 ammo. you do not see them in the field much any more but I think almost every hunter and shooter in canada has one or more in the back of the closet.(or safe these days) I will never forget going in to the Army and Navy store in New Westminster, B.C. as a kid with my dad and they had the lee enfield rifles stacked in 45 gallon drums your choice for 9.95,the kicker is the bolts were in a seperate box and you just grabbed any one and went. no wonder they had a bad reputation for stretching brass as the action locks up in the rear but also the amourers had I think it was three different bolt heads availible to them that increased in length by .002 each and they would adjust head space that way( the bolt heads just thread on and of like a nut on a bolt). And the 303 milsurp ammo was just Pennies and people would site in with the cheap stuff and buy one box of the good stuff for hunting, quite often Imperial sabre tip ammunition the for runner of the ballitic tip or the bronz point because these actions were brutal on soft lead tips.

Edited by Duckshoot (05/21/08 10:48 PM)

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#2215421 - 05/22/08 02:11 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Jeff_O]

Seafire
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Registered: 04/20/04
Posts: 1571
Loc: Southern Oregon USA

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Being an American I thought you could only tell a Canadian rifle after someone shot it...

It would go "booom... eh?" where an American rifle just went "Boom"....

or were those guys in the bar in Saskatoon just pulling my leg again???

of course, you could tell a Canadian rifle another way also...

it you shot it and had a 3 inch group with it... then drank 4 or 5 Molsons or O'Keefe's or LaBatt's and then it gave you a 1/2 group, you could normally tell it was a Canadian rifle...

or if the stock was taking off after hunting season and used as a hockey stick.. it was also a Canadian rifle...

or if someone burned a maple leaf into the side of the stock.. it was definitely a Canadian rifle...

you Canucks are just a lovable distinctive bunch is all, eh?

Edited by Seafire (05/22/08 02:15 AM)

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#2215428 - 05/22/08 02:54 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Seafire]

SuperCub
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Registered: 06/27/02
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Loc: SJ/NB Canada

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I'd say that the Canadians fought two World Wars with the .303British has alot to do with the popularity here, but you don't see nearly as many in the field as you would have 30yrs ago.

I'd say most have been relegated as spare/loaner rifles these days. The ones in original condition are quite popular with collectors.

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#2215698 - 05/22/08 07:45 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: SuperCub]

Murf
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Registered: 06/26/01
Posts: 200
Loc: Regina, Sask.

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I rarely saw anyone who used a LE in original condition for hunting even in the 1950's. Most were converted sporters with original butt stock but the top wood removed and ofen the barrel chopped. The monte carlo stocked sporters were a later developement.
Most of the old guns are gone now, many left to rust away in barns and garages when the owners got enough cash together to buy more modern toys. I believe the move to scopes played a large part in their demise. Scoping the LE and using a scope on the low stocks designed for iron sights made a new rifle appealing. In the 1950's and 60's many went to Remington slide actions. Even these were much lower in price. $79.00 for a Remmie in those days already drilled and tapped and a stock that gave some cheek support. My first LE was supplanted by a Rem 788 which cost $160 with a scope installed. By then the LE's were running more like $80.00 unscoped and still military butt stock.
Just glad I kept the old gal and yes sentimentality played a role in my keeping the old war horse around.

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#2215718 - 05/22/08 08:01 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: Murf]

1OntarioJim
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Registered: 08/09/05
Posts: 841
Loc: N. Shore, L. Ontario

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Our local gun club has several hundred members. In addition, we hold at least a couple of general sight in days for non-members each fall.

Nowadays I can probably count the number of .303's I see each year on the fingers of one hand. Most common are Remington 700's, 760's and 742's. Apart from those there is a mixture of Winchesters, Tikka's, A-bolts, etc.

.303's seem to be most often used by young people who can't afford a better rifle or by persons who are only very casual hunters.

Jim

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#2215821 - 05/22/08 09:09 AM

Re: The Canada Rifle [Re: 1OntarioJim]

Jeff_O
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Registered: 04/21/07
Posts: 7214
Loc: Wetter'n Oregon

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I've been enjoying the replies- thanks, eh!

What is a "Cooey" rifle?

-jeff

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