Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .303 British, 7.62x54R, and .30-40 Krag.

Who hunts with one? I've done a good bit of hunting with the .303 and I'm very impressed with it's on game performance. I've hunted 7.62x54R 's a few times but never got anything with that cartridge. This year I got a .30-40 krag sporter and it's the gun I reach for everytime I go hunting here late. I do think these are three of the best woods cartridges in existence.

I've drug a Mosin around a few times, have never had anything turn up while I've been carrying it.

IMO, It's a bit heavy, not made for walking around with. Works well for stand hunting where shots will be short to mid range.

Friend has shot a couple of deer with his #1 in 303 works great by that s/b no surprise as it shoots a good sized bullet at respectable speeds.

WTF is a "woods cartridge"?

I do have a Smelly #4 Mk I, but hunting wise only with the .30-40

an original Krag:



and a Ruger #1



The Ruger loads are absolutely, positively, not for Krags

When I was in high school a lot of people used the British,and every once in a while you would hear someone talking about their 30-40 .I remember when they were $75-$100 dollar guns,but them days are long gone.

303 British, 30/40 Krag, 7.62x54R, 300 Savage, 308 Winchester; all of these produce velocities between 2400 to 2600 fps with bullets from 165 to 180 grains. As it happens, this velocity range is where conventional bullets work real well.

I have shot more big game with the 303 and 30/40 than I have with all of my other rifle combined just because I seem to see game when I'm carrying that old rifle (it has been barreled in both calibers).
I don't feel like I would be giving anything up if I hunted with nothing but one of these cartridges. My 303 killed elk and deer to beyond 300 yards. As a 30/40, it performs just the same.
I have always intended to build myself a 7.62x54 (probably on a Ruger No. 1) but have never gotten around to it.
Something else about all of these cartridges is that they are easy to load for and are accurate. There is a huge variety of bullets for the true thirty calibers and while there are not as many for the 303, those which are available work well. I have had good results with 180 Sierras, 180 speers, 174 Hornadys, and 180 Normas. I have also use 150 Sierras and like them a lot. GD

.303 british...

Ingwe,
That's as elegant an SMLE sporter as I've ever seen!

I've got:

Ruger No.3 .30/40 Krag
Ruger No.1 .303 British
BSA Model E P-14 Enfield Sporter .303 British

Don't have pictures of the Rugers handy but here's the BSA and some meat...

Great rifles in this thread thus far!

Thanks! I get more comments about that rifle than any other Ive ever posted here.

It also kinda lets you know you don't need an Uber-mag and a Hubble scope for your African Safarti!

I love my tree ought tree No 1. Classic rifle in a classic (and classy) calibre.

Still waiting on the definition of a "woods cartridge".

I inherited a straight issue type SMLE Lithgow this past summer. At this point I have shot it on the range with the issue sights and Winchester Power Points; I'm great at 50 yards but crappy at 100. I recently have gathered together dies, shell holder, trimmer pilot, and found two boxes of 150 grain bullets (one Hornady and one from Sierra). Won't be this season, but by next season I hope to have it where I can shoot it well from a tree out to 100 yards. It is a fine old rifle, that's for sure.

I'll take a kick at it:
Generally short range cartridge, usually pushing a relatively heavy bullet with the alleged ability to carry through brush.

Bagged this porker last week with an 1895 Winchester in 303 and 215gr Woodleighs..

+1!

Simple. Its the cartridge rifle barreled actions are chambered for before they are mated to a stock made of different kinds of woods.

Damn bro, that's a great rifle.