A modern .303 Sporting Rifle

[User00040]

Hi all,

I am interested in hearing about .303 sporting rifles, my interest peaked recently when going over the estate game book, seeing that the .303 became the most popular cartridge by far in the early 1900's (no doubt due to widespread military use).

Quite a few of the old Enfields are still going strong, especially in the former colonies (Aus, NZ, SA, Canada).

Unfortunately, it seems that you are out of luck if you want a modern sporting .303. Ruger made a short run of lever action .303's but apart from that I can't find anything made in this century.

Whilst I would have liked to acquire a .303 and use it for stalking, the asking prices seem ridiculous for somewhat dubious Enfields.

Barnes makes a TSX bullet for the .303 so there must be some demand.

Apart from getting one custom built, are there any alternatives?

Cheers.

 

[Sampo]

I picked up an old .303 Lee Enfield (spoterised) for £200 towards the end of last summer. It has a shorter barrel and quite light, ideal for stalking. As it came with a set of Parker Hale sights, I did try it for target shooting as well (upto 100 yards) and turned out to be very accurate with 175 grain factory ammo. Sierra Pro Hunter and Hornandy Interlock are two bullets that seems to be widely available, so there's got to be someone out stalking with a .303. In my opinion, the Lee Enfields were built to last and perform even with a fair amount of abuse.

Keep an eye out for old Enfields which will still be very accurate. I am also curious as to what others use in the field for the .303

 

[enfieldspares]

Ok. Here it is. The "best" modern .303 sporting rifles IMHO is either a No4(T) or a the Pattern '14(T).

But if not then either the Parker Hale No4 Supreme Deluxe or a RE-PROFILED Pattern '14. So what do I mean? The P-Hale Deluxe was the one where they threw away both the original stock and fore-stock and fitted as original a Japanese 4x 'scope. Later even having a nitrogen filled later version of that same Japanese 4x 'scope. A friend had one from new from Parker Hale.

The re-profiled Pattern '14 was mostly what was known as the BSA Model E (I think) but the re-profiling was in essence making the magazine metal "flat", removing the rearsight protection "ear", filling in any "well" in the top at that place in the receiver and then gently contouring it. The rearsight was then replaced by a midsight on the barrel of typical "rocky mountain" type (that's like the one on most Winchester rifles of that period).

But the best of the best of the sporterised "milsurp" Enfield rifles possibly isn't British made at all? It is the Remington Model 30 and that's in .30-06 with the Model 30SR being the acme.

 

[karamoja]

Hi Calabash,
I love old sporting rifles and using them for their intended purpose. I really do not see the point of having something, not to use it. I really love old enfields!
I have used mine on everything in the UK except Sika. Which one day will happen!
You can get old PH enfields in good condition for a few hundred pounds like in the photo below. There are generally a few in the Holt's sale or on guntrader. The forend normally benefits from bedding around the contacts with the action and they then shoot very well. My next project in line is converting one to 45-70 with a one piece stock.
I took mine to Mull many moons ago and took a cull stag with it. A treasured memory. Here she is, after its last walk! And some surplus pics below to wet the appetite.
Best K

 

[awmc]

My father had a .303 Parker Hale or BSA stalking rifle
Not sure what model although my first stalking rifle was a BSA CF2 in 7x57.
I think in the 70’s BSA provided a wide range of calibres in their stalking rifles including .303

 

[scrumbag]

Lots of old sporterised Lee Enfields around in .303 Brit as said above, Holts tends to be a good source (Have a look at the-saleroom.com as it covers a lot of auction houses) Also the P17s come up too.

Boyds make quite a few sporter stocks for the various "Enfields" so if it needs new wood-work you have options (See "British Lee" under manufacturer)

Enjoy!

Scrummy

 

[Muir]

I have a Pattern 14 Enfield built by Winchester. It was badly sporterized and I've always intended to take the dog leg bolt off and install a swept bolt, fix the awful job they did of reshaping the rear bridge, and then restocking it. The bore is excellent. If not that route, I'd rebarrel it to 30-40 Krag as that is one of my all time favorite cartridges.~Muir

 

[karamoja]

Just remember if hand loading, if you are loading for an smle Enfield it is only 18ton pressure limit as opposed to standard 20 ton or so of pressure for a p14! A few smle have been blown up that way!
I am very interested in developing a bronze or copper load for it if any one has experience or knowledge of this.
K

 

[Muir]

My next project in line is converting one to 45-70.......
Best K

I was hired to do one of these in 45-90 many, many years ago. Had to latheturn the rim to fit the bolt face and convert to a single stack magazine. The barrel was easy, the magazine gave me a small bushel of fits but I got it done, and then converted another magazine as a back up. In retrospect, I should have charged the guy three times as much. The crazy thing is that I had a Siamese Mauser 98 barreled action sitting in my rack that would have converted to 45-70 easily and inexpensively but it had to be a No1 Enfield and it had to be a 45-90. I have wondered at times who now owns that gun. I still have the reamer and left over brass from the project, 35 years later.~Muir

 

[Muir]

Just remember if hand loading, if you are loading for an smle Enfield it is only 18ton pressure limit as opposed to standard 20 ton or so of pressure for a p14! A few smle have been blown up that way!
I am very interested in developing a bronze or copper load for it if any one has experience or knowledge of this.
K

I have handloaded for many 303's in the Lees, Martini's and P-14. This is not a cartridge you push in the first two. The P-14 is a slightly different beast and I have gone to max several times in a good rifle.~Muir

 

[karamoja]

I was hired to do one of these in 45-90 many, many years ago. Had to latheturn the rim to fit the bolt face and convert to a single stack magazine. The barrel was easy, the magazine gave me a small bushel of fits but I got it done, and then converted another magazine as a back up. In retrospect, I should have charged the guy three times as much. The crazy thing is that I had a Siamese Mauser 98 barreled action sitting in my rack that would have converted to 45-70 easily and inexpensively but it had to be a No1 Enfield and it had to be a 45-90. I have wondered at times who now owns that gun. I still have the reamer and left over brass from the project, 35 years later.~Muir

I would love to own that rifle! I agree the magazine is going to be the hardest part I think. But should be fun and just the thing for deep in the woods!! Sorting out a one piece stock without bankruptcy will be an issue too!!!
Cheers K

 

[Muir]

...And all this talk reminded me that I have a "Sante Fe Arms" No 4 sporter in my gun room that was shipped with an impossibly high 1960's style comb. (So high you can't get your eye in line with the barrel mounted sights.) I never have shot that. I need to get it out and trim down that comb to a usable height.~Muir

 

[Muir]

I would love to own that rifle! I agree the magazine is going to be the hardest part I think. But should be fun and just the thing for deep in the woods!! Sorting out a one piece stock without bankruptcy will be an issue too!!!
Cheers K

I wouldn't have dreamed of the idea but it was featured in an issue of "Rifle" magazine. It was a pretty detailed description of how the project went and what was done. The customer supplied the magazine at the time he requested the job. I may still have it with the reamer?? Dunno. You might research it.

I have seen one piece stocks. It required milling down the sides of the original "socket". The best way I have found to make up a stock for a job like that is to piece it together from other junk stocks. Just cobble and epoxy it all together so that it is the way you would want a finished stock to be, and then ship the 'model' to an outfit that does stock duplication. It's work but you get what you want.~Muir

 

[karamoja]

Screws, dowels and car body filler was the route I was planning. Lol.

 

[alberta boy]

I wouldn't have dreamed of the idea but it was featured in an issue of "Rifle" magazine. It was a pretty detailed description of how the project went and what was done. The customer supplied the magazine at the time he requested the job. I may still have it with the reamer?? Dunno. You might research it.

I have seen one piece stocks. It required milling down the sides of the original "socket". The best way I have found to make up a stock for a job like that is to piece it together from other junk stocks. Just cobble and epoxy it all together so that it is the way you would want a finished stock to be, and then ship the 'model' to an outfit that does stock duplication. It's work but you get what you want.~Muir

I think I still have that issue in the " pile " of Rifle and Handloader magazines I have . I built one myself , actually , I remember talking to you about it . The magazine is definitely the most difficult part . I also turned the rims down on the cartridges , as was suggested in the article . It did make feeding , and adjusting the mag , easier . I've also seen a few one piece stock conversions , including an Ellwood Epps built No 4 sporter , it is a lot of work .
A conversion that I also did and was much easier , was to 444 Marlin . I cheated on the magazine by using a magazine from a Savage bolt action 410 shotgun . I tacked it inside of a surplus No 4 magazine . It worked perfectly . It did give up some mag capacity , but if I can't deal with something with three 300 grain bullets , it's not of this world and I shouldn't have picked a fight with it .

AB

 

[alberta boy]

Hi all,

I am interested in hearing about .303 sporting rifles, my interest peaked recently when going over the estate game book, seeing that the .303 became the most popular cartridge by far in the early 1900's (no doubt due to widespread military use).

Quite a few of the old Enfields are still going strong, especially in the former colonies (Aus, NZ, SA, Canada).

Unfortunately, it seems that you are out of luck if you want a modern sporting .303. Ruger made a short run of lever action .303's but apart from that I can't find anything made in this century.

Whilst I would have liked to acquire a .303 and use it for stalking, the asking prices seem ridiculous for somewhat dubious Enfields.

Barnes makes a TSX bullet for the .303 so there must be some demand.

Apart from getting one custom built, are there any alternatives?

Cheers.

Apart from the No 1 , I can't think of any current production rifles chambered in 303 Brit . That being said , the various surplus rifles are still extremely popular here for hunting . There are a few barrel makers in Alberta who still turn out quite a few replacement barrels just for that market , including for the 1905 and 1910 Ross rifles ( bizarre barrel thread ) . I've used a lot of rifles chambered n 303 Brit for hunting over the last 40 odd years , it is an utterly reliable cartridge . As you point out , the major factor is finding one with a good bore . It's a simple thing here , there's thousands of them available that have been sporterized , Parker hale , Globeco and Churchill conversions are the most readily available as well as simple cut down jobs that were done by many companies after the war . They sell for a few hundred dollars here and it's easy to find one with a good bore . I like the Longbranch No 4's in particular , not because they're Canadian , well maybe just a little , but because they're built to tighter tolerances and tend to be quite accurate . I have a post war LB No4 mrk 2 Parker Hale sporter that will consistently shoot 1 MOA and under with any decent load . I think there's a picture of me holding it on here somewhere . If I were limited to one rifle , God forbid , it would probably be one of these , your mileage may vary lol .

AB

Edit I found the picture , search Alberta Buck , wow seven years ago , it seems like yesterday

 

[enfieldspares]

What people often forget is that our 303 Mk VII that was a 174 grain bullet at 2,450 fps was in fact a "knock off" British response to the 7mm Mauser stock 175 grain loading that had battered us about so when in the hands of Boer farmers.

 

[Harry mac]

...And all this talk reminded me that I have a "Sante Fe Arms" No 4 sporter in my gun room that was shipped with an impossibly high 1960's style comb. (So high you can't get your eye in line with the barrel mounted sights.) I never have shot that. I need to get it out and trim down that comb to a usable height.~Muir

Or fit a scope. Or would that be more work than reprofiling the stock?

 

[Muir]

Or fit a scope. Or would that be more work than reprofiling the stock?

I could do it but I like irons.~Muir

 

[alberta boy]

I could do it but I like irons.~Muir

I like the issue sights on the No4's . I'm pretty much finished another Long Branch No 4 Mrk1* that I picked up . It has a two groove barrel that is bright and shiny and came with , what appears to be , an old Fajen sporter stock . I was going to scope it but after putting a few magazines of ammo through it , I'm going to leave it as is . It has an L flip , 300/600 yard sight on it . Who ever owned it before had installed a slightly higher and wider fore sight on it and carefully sighted it in . It will put 180 grain bullets just above the top of the blade at 100 yards using the 300 yard setting . It loves my standard load of Sierra 180's over a charge of 4350 and will consistently shoot about 2 MOA . The sights are bullet proof and quite user friendly , it is definitely a rough use rifle . It's only issue , for me at least , is it was refinished using a high gloss black ceracote finish . Not a huge thing , but it annoys me . I'll just drag it through the dog hair Poplars and Wolf Willows for a while , that'll knock the new look off very quickly lol . I will post a pic when it's together .

AB