My new (to me) .303

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:
@Badboymelvin
Russ
There are many things to look at with the old No1 Mk111.
The first is the head space even if it is correct according to the gauges a change in bolt head to make it a mili poofteenth tighter. Find someone either a few bolt heads and try swapping them out until you get the right one.
Bed the action and the Knox form.
Try putting some upward pressure on the barrel usually around 5 pounds.
Try reloading it with 2209 behind the 150s it gives less bolt thrust.
I got excellent accuracy out of my old threeO using Barnes 150gn TSX and the worked a treat on Sambar.
Hornaday 150s seemed to work the best in my rifle.
In some case the reloading die won't size the neck small enough for the projectile. To solve this I use my 308 FLS die and just neck size the case. Gives tighter neck tension and better shot to shot start pressure.
My dad used to trick up the old SMLEs for interservice shoots when he was a RAAF armourer so he taught me a thing or three about them.
Hope this helps mate
Bob
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Bob you are a man of many talents.
 
Love the .303 British...in my Ruger No.1!

A Lee Enfield I would avoid...... as long as can grab a Mauser or a Mannlicher.


:cool:

HWL
 
Badboymelvin said:
Hey Bob,

I really, really like your rifle! I'd buy that in a heartbeat!

Russ
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@Badboymelvin
All that is done to it is a good second hand H barrel fitted and shortened to 22 inches and a screw on cheeck riser.
Bob
 
Tom Leoni said:
Hello, Bad Boy, you'll find--I'm sure--plenty of fans of the .303 on this board. Just the fact that Saint W.D.M. Bell used it extensively on elephant earns it a privileged spot in the Great African Cartridges Hall of Fame--plus, the fact that it has been the British Empire's military cartridge for 80 years makes it a staple from Canada to Australia and to South Africa and the rest of Albion's former colonies in the Dark Continent.

I myself am preparing to go on a safari in June, and one of two rifles I'm taking is precisely a .303.

View attachment 464480

Due to the ammo and components shortage, my choice in bullets is limited to Prvi Partizan 174gr boat tail soft points, which give more than satisfactory hunting accuracy in this rifle. This Watson Bros Martini is an absolute tack-driver with 180gr Federal Power-Shok, although I only have a handful of rounds left of this brand and it's impossible to find more. These are all .311" diameter. I wish Hornady's .312" offerings were available--especially the 174gr round nose InterLock--but trying to find them has been a fool's errand.

Of course, what I really wish to take are the splendid 215-grain bullets that made this caliber a killer of any game on Earth in the hands of the likes of Bell. As far as I know, only Woodleigh and Hawk make them--the first being the victim of a November, 2011, fire that has placed production on hold, the latter so overstretched as to be backordered for over 8 months.

I'm glad every time I see a new .303 initiate. This caliber truly has it all. By the way, since your rifle has already been radically altered from its original military configuration, you may want to consider outfitting it with a new barrel. It's widely available for the N. 2 Mk. IV and for a few hundred dollars you can have it installed and headspaced. The problem with many of the existing barrels on British service rifles is that their throats are more or less shot out because of the use of Cordite, which has a very high nitrocellulose (=explosive) content. This is why you're limited to a certain accuracy ceiling, no matter how perfect your handloads. With a new barrel, you can truly explore all the potential of this wonderful (and wonderfully-historical cartridge).
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Hi Tom - reviving this post after a couple of years, but I'd love to see some more pictures of that rifle if you ever have the time.

Haven't seen anything like it. Gorgeous.
 
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Oh yeah, plenty of 303 fans here! I’ve got a couple Enfields and a No.1 in 303 and would unnatural things for a double chambered as such!
 
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My first center fire was a No1 Mk4 that I bought for $17.00; took a bus downtown because I wasn't old enough to drive. I later sporterized it in highschool shop classes. Over the very many years it has been my go-to deer rifle.

The Lee Enfield likes a long heavy bullet. It was originally designed for a 215gr RN, you may have better luck with bullets it was designed for.
 
Lads,

When I was an early teen, growing up in communist California, the first time I went deer hunting, I had no rifle.
That was approximately during 1967.
So, I borrowed from one of my father’s friends, a .303 exactly like the one pictured below.
He had bought it through the mail during the early 1960’s, for $12. U.S.A. dollars.

Being as it was California, only fork horn bucks and larger were legal.
My friends and myself only saw does, fawns and a couple of spike bucks.
So, on the afternoon of the last day, we shot ground squirrels.
That rifle was so accurate with Remington 180 gr RNSP ammunition that, I was able to clobber several squirrels with it.
Today, I am blessed to have a couple of excellent hunting rifles in other calibers.
But, if I had another .303, I would happily hunt with it again, no worries.

A friend in South Africa (Hannes Swanepoel) told me about a client of his who shot a large bull kudu, lengthwise with one, with a 215 gr Woodleigh RNSP.
Upon being struck with that round, the kudu dropped to the shot and a second shot was not required.
The bullet was recovered and had mushroomed text book perfect.

What history fan that hunts, doesn’t dream of owning an original Rigby slant box Mauser in .303 British caliber ?

Cheers,
Velo Doggo.

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OxfordTheCat said:
Hi Tom - reviving this post after a couple of years, but I'd love to see some more pictures of that rifle if you ever have the time.

Haven't seen anything like it. Gorgeous.
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Voila’

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Love the 303 . Here are the 2 I have currently . A Purdey double rifle which happily Shoots 180 grain pills at 2550 fps . Made in 1898 . Great for deer . Also a Lee Speed by BSA & M in their No1 Pattern - pre 1897 manufacture . Shoots 215 grain pills circa 2200 fps . It is brilliant on pigs . Comes with original ( optional ) 10 shot detachable magazine . I am expecting to pick up another 303 Lee Speed No1 retailed by Army & Navy when it arrives from the UK later this month . Has the sleeker looking 5 shot mag .

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PCC600 said:
Love the 303 . Here are the 2 I have currently . A Purdey double rifle which happily Shoots 180 grain pills at 2550 fps . Made in 1898 . Great for deer . Also a Lee Speed by BSA & M in their No1 Pattern - pre 1897 manufacture . Shoots 215 grain pills circa 2200 fps . It is brilliant on pigs . Comes with original ( optional ) 10 shot detachable magazine . I am expecting to pick up another 303 Lee Speed No1 retailed by Army & Navy when it arrives from the UK later this month . Has the sleeker looking 5 shot mag .

View attachment 585368View attachment 585370View attachment 585371
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I've been looking for a Lee Speed for a long time, but I can't seem to find one. Since a few years ago, they sure have dried up here in the US...
 
Tom Leoni said:
I've been looking for a Lee Speed for a long time, but I can't seem to find one. Since a few years ago, they sure have dried up here in the US...
Click to expand...
The most recent ones I've seen have also about doubled in final sale price.
 
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