A Gift - for my 303 Warthog Rifle

Odinsraven

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I possess a Shirley which is my main warthog rifle - when in RSA - A Friend stopped by and gave me these

Nitro - non corrosive primer - 215 Gr -

cant wait until June - only 30 of them so a one shot zero and off we go !

Love Iceland - only person with a 303 hunting rifle -

and recently added a 303-25 ! cant even register it ! as they never heard of it !

So its another 303 - got you - nope it is necked down to 25 cal - like the 30-06 - OK so it is a 25-06 nope its a 303-25 - ahh forget it will get your IT guy to update the database ! - one pint later - Done !

303 215 gr.jpg
 
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I possess a Shirley which is my main warthog rifle - when in RSA - A Friend stopped by and gave me these -

and recently added a 303-25 ! cant even register it ! as they never heard of it !

So its another 303 - got you - nope it is necked down to 25 cal - like the 30-06 - OK so it is a 25-06 nope its a 303-25 - ahh forget it will get your IT guy to update the database ! - one pint later - Done !

The 303 has been the base for a number of necked up and down conversions from the 22, 243, 25, 35, and the 375 a on the 303 case. I have one that I converted to a slighty shortened 405 Win with a 320gn bullet.
So long as the cases are neck sized after forming there is no problem with them stretching which is the usual downfall with FLS cases and a chamber that is longer than the sizing dies.

Your 303 with the 215gn bullet will be a hammer and while I am familiar with a number of LE appelations I have not heard of the "Shirley so can you add a little on how it got this nickname.
 
Yes when the culling is done for the day I like to take a walk and look for a trophy warthog - rules are must be trophy - must be left handed - and 100m max range !
Left handed as a couple of PH's I know are left handed !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keeps it interesting for the last hour of the day !


Number 4 mk1 - made at

In addition, BSA Co. built a plant in Shirley (a suburb of Birmingham) to manufacture the No. 4 rifle. Production was under way at these plants by the middle of 1941. Shirley was interesting as they sub contracted parts manuacture to local small workshops to dramatically increase production - so probably one of the first just in time manufacturing facilities
 
Well the Warthogs wont go far when hit with that.

As Von Gruff said many calibres made off the 303 case especially in Australia and New Zealand. Missed the 303/270. The 303/25 was very popular with Roo (Kangaroo) shooters after WW2.

Learnt something new today as well.(y)
 
Well the Warthogs wont go far when hit with that.

As Von Gruff said many calibres made off the 303 case especially in Australia and New Zealand. Missed the 303/270. The 303/25 was very popular with Roo (Kangaroo) shooters after WW2.

Learnt something new today as well.(y)
Rule303
A bit of useless ing o for you mate. Len Richardson back in the day thought the 270/303 was to much gun for Sambar so he rebarreled to 243/303 loaded or with 90 grain Sako projectiles and said it was the ideal cal for Sambar.
They must have got tougher since then because blokes now use the 338,375 and even the 458.
How times have changed
Bob
 
I possess a Shirley which is my main warthog rifle - when in RSA - A Friend stopped by and gave me these

Nitro - non corrosive primer - 215 Gr -

cant wait until June - only 30 of them so a one shot zero and off we go !

Love Iceland - only person with a 303 hunting rifle -

and recently added a 303-25 ! cant even register it ! as they never heard of it !

So its another 303 - got you - nope it is necked down to 25 cal - like the 30-06 - OK so it is a 25-06 nope its a 303-25 - ahh forget it will get your IT guy to update the database ! - one pint later - Done !

View attachment 259653
I often scout around for Remington 215 gr factory loads for my LSA factory Sporter. It likes them a lot.
 
Back when the men in my extended family only had one rifle, a favorite uncles favorite rifle was a SMLE 303, but I don't know which model. Whatever happened to it I don't know because he died in 1964 and his son died about five years ago.
 
I possess a Shirley which is my main warthog rifle - when in RSA - A Friend stopped by and gave me these

Nitro - non corrosive primer - 215 Gr -

cant wait until June - only 30 of them so a one shot zero and off we go !

Love Iceland - only person with a 303 hunting rifle -

and recently added a 303-25 ! cant even register it ! as they never heard of it !

So its another 303 - got you - nope it is necked down to 25 cal - like the 30-06 - OK so it is a 25-06 nope its a 303-25 - ahh forget it will get your IT guy to update the database ! - one pint later - Done !

View attachment 259653
@Odinsraven
The 303 in your possession sounds like a No4 Mk1 action made at the BSA factory in Shirley in England. The No4 action is a flat sided action as opposed to the rounded side of the No1 Mk111 SMLE. It should have been made in the early 1940s thru to the 1950s. It is a very desirable rifle up there with the Canadian fazakerley.
The 25/303 cartridge was mainly common in Canada and Australia. In Australia it was at one stage a commercial cartridge loaded by both Riverbrand and the Super cartridge company. It was very popular with professional kangaroo shooters and fired an 87 grain soft point bullet made by Tipan bullets. It's velocity varied from 2,700 fps to 3,000fps depending on the load. The faster load was recommended for use in front locking actions only. It was also considered a good hunting cartridge for pigs goats and deer.
I still use my own version of the 25/303 but greatly improved for a lot of my hunting to great effect.
20200314_103228.jpg

A highly modified 25/303.
Hopefully my little rant helps you. I do like my 303s and their derivatives.
Bob
 
Well the Warthogs wont go far when hit with that.

As Von Gruff said many calibres made off the 303 case especially in Australia and New Zealand. Missed the 303/270. The 303/25 was very popular with Roo (Kangaroo) shooters after WW2.

Learnt something new today as well.(y)
@Rule303
Len Richardson was a sambar hunter back in the days of yore and he considered the 270/303 to be to much gun for them so switched to the 243/303 loaded with 90grain Sako projectiles. Oh how times have changed with the 270 Winchester being the minimum caliber by law .
Bob
 
len was a funny guy.
he was referred to as "the doyen of deerstalkers".
yes he preferred to use the 303/243 himself, but recommended others use something bigger.
that was back in the days when deer whereabouts were kept as a secret by the elite.
bruce.
 
Len Richardson was a sambar hunter back in the days of yore and he considered the 270/303 to be to much gun for them so switched to the 243/303 loaded with 90grain Sako projectiles. Oh how times have changed with the 270 Winchester being the minimum caliber by law .
Bob

For good reason too,I know a bit about sambar and a 90GR projectile is too light unless one is spotlighting and head shooting ... just like a lot of the legends did in the older days as it was perfectly legal at that time...hmmmm and yes a LOT of the legends used the light then played the shot in daylight card for the magazine at the time.
I shot a lot of sambar with my 30-06 this year for a change and it is one of the great sambar calibres and has proven itself forever but I can tell you positively that it does not put them down with the great authority that my 7mm mag does.
A 90 gr 243/303 for big stags smacked in a muddy shoulder just doesnt compare.
 
For good reason too,I know a bit about sambar and a 90GR projectile is too light unless one is spotlighting and head shooting ... just like a lot of the legends did in the older days as it was perfectly legal at that time...hmmmm and yes a LOT of the legends used the light then played the shot in daylight card for the magazine at the time.
I shot a lot of sambar with my 30-06 this year for a change and it is one of the great sambar calibres and has proven itself forever but I can tell you positively that it does not put them down with the great authority that my 7mm mag does.
A 90 gr 243/303 for big stags smacked in a muddy shoulder just doesnt compare.
@sambarhunter
The 444 Marlin w ith 280 grain Woodleigh RNSP @ almost 2,400fps puts them down with authority as well. Would love to try my Whelen out on them with 250 grain round nose.
Bob
 
The 444 Marlin w ith 280 grain Woodleigh RNSP @ almost 2,400fps
And so it should at the ranges meant for it. which isnt far at all.
Another super stopper is the 45/70.
I took a mate out for deer one evening and said they will come out of the bush 'there' its 300 yards on the rf. He had his 45/70 with him and said "i would much prefer a shot at 200 yards"
He bought one of my .338 Win Mags ...

The big old heavy sluggers have their place of course but are not in my recommendations for a new chum as a sambar rifle.
 
And so it should at the ranges meant for it. which isnt far at all.
Another super stopper is the 45/70.
I took a mate out for deer one evening and said they will come out of the bush 'there' its 300 yards on the rf. He had his 45/70 with him and said "i would much prefer a shot at 200 yards"
He bought one of my .338 Win Mags ...

The big old heavy sluggers have their place of course but are not in my recommendations for a new chum as a sambar rifle.
@sambarhunter
My last sambar was at 170 yards with the 444. After that I went with a 270 loaded with 130grain ACP projectiles. Very deadly.
Bob
 
Apart from the original 303 only the 303/243 got much use in South Africa, as the 6mm Musgrave.
Case stretching and separation is common on those built on Lee actions, P14 and single shots are actually quite nice.
A Wesley Richards falling block in 6mm Mus was left unsold at a recent collectors auction. I should of actually just bought the damn thing for about AUS$3500. I cant think of a classier "voorsit" Springbok rifle.
 

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