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.

Agree with the others on the Enfield. Looks at home with that African game.

Ingwe,

Every time you post pics of that rifle I am forced to add my accolades to everyone else.

The best sporter conversion ever!!!

I've got an as issud No 1 Mk 5 jungle carbine in 303 of course it was my grandpas. He like a lot of folks in the day rummaged through a barrel of war surplus rifles at the local hardware store, picked one out and paid the lofty price of I'm pretty sure he told me $5. They sold long branches the same way this would be in the early 1950s in northern BC. I've never packed it in hunting season should do something about that some time. Its no tack driver but no worse than about 4 moa but stupid reliable its never been babied and still feeds and extracts anything I've fed it perfectly. Loud little bastid though with the short bbl and flash hider. ..

Thanks to you and everybody else! It actually made a nice light rifle to carry in the bush.


Another oblique peek at it. Thanks again guys!

My buddy just found one at a local pawn shop/gun store this summer. Has the handguard removed and the stock forend shaped a tad but otherwise stock. What a hoot to shoot that thing with the factory irons! We shot it field positions out to 150 and it was plenty accurate for hunting. The trigger was unique feeling in my experience and surprisingly easy to shoot well. If I ever come across one I may just have to snag it. My buddy is adamant that his will not be toyed with in any way! He wants the old school experience!

His new job affords him a little more time during hunting season so I'm trying to get him to take that thing out (but he's also a 9.3 slut and has a really nice AHR massaged CZ so that may get the call...)

x whatever ingwe that's a very cool rifle very nicely done looks the part on those pics big time.

mojo the trigger on those things is a little strange alright but serviceable like you say once you get used to the sloppy take up and crunchy release But yeah I love the military sights too nice big peep right smack where it should be and the ladder stowed out of the way quite well, which its fun to play with further out too

Shot my first deer with a .303 #1 SMLE. Missed a couple with a #4. Moved on and never regretted it.

Just hunted with a good friend who uses a Mosin. His is in plastic furniture. He's accurate with it to 300 or more with the iron sights. Former Army good and an excellent shot. He loves the cartridge and the rifle.

Me - I'd choose a 303 because you can build a rifle as beautiful as Ingwe's.

Of course you didn't mention the Campfire's favorite whore - the 7 Mauser. That's what I took elk hunting this year - I'm a huge fan with the way that cartridge shoots.

Mosins killed enough motivated Nazis... I'm sure an ungulate wouldn't pose much of a problem.

My 30/40 was a little more than $75.00. I carried it last year but did not kill anything with it yet. Kind of hate to put the first scratch in it. It shoots factory Remington stuff pretty well.

Dat is a skookum 30-40!

We don't have enough bandwidth for me to post pics of all the stuff Ive killed with the 7x57....


Took one on that same Africa trip....a couple teaser pics.


1909 Square bridged Argentine by Dennis Erhardt...

Some really nice rifles shown here in some old classics!! Just picked this one up in .30-40 and hope to get out with it this deer season in PA!



PennDog

Nice to find an ole' 30-40 krag ready to hunt.

Doc

My little brother loves to hunt pigs with Grandads old sportarized Enfield .303 at the Ranch. He's probably killed several pick up loads with it over the years. Kills em DRT.

Tell you what...I really like how mine feels now with the Synthetic Stock set. Even standing it is the steadiest Rifle I now own. Maybe due to the long heavy barrel but it really is stable and unwavering. Know what I like? it accepts stripper clips!

Back just a bit before my time My Grandfather and Great Grandfather both used Mosins(grandpa still says the 7.62x54 was better on a deer than the .308 he replaced it with), my Great Uncle(Grandpa's younger brother) had a SMLE .303. All they could afford at the time, Dad started with a 98 in 8x57(should be on this list IMO). Little brother and I started with an old M98(me) and a SMLE(little brother). They all still worked too...

that is an awesome looking krag!!!!!!

your the man ingwe!!!

It's the opposite of a "beanfield rifle".

All I know is a "brush rifle" is good for shooting brush....

Which begs a question: I keep hearing about these evil "black" rifles....

Penn Dog, Your sporterized Krag is a beauty and is just what I'm looking for next on my list of rifles I'd like to own, something with a peep sight. I waited patiently for my Marlin 30-30, let the games begin!

Same for me -- that is the best Lee Enfield sporter I've ever seen.

Ingwe, can you tell us who stocked that rifle? They have really got an eye for it!

John

I stocked the rifle. Bought a semi-inlet from the Great American Gunstock Company....which I fervently hope is no longer in business...what a bunch of turds to deal with... Anyway I rasped the thing into shape, put on the ebony for end and English red pad, checkered and finished it myself.

Thanks for the kind words!