303 British

I know it's older that dirt and there are a ton of rounds that are better than it,but I was wondering if anybody out there still hunts with this round every once in awhile or if any?

It's one of my favorite cartridges. I have had a lot of success with .303 British over the years. I figured out a long time ago that I got the best performance with handloads versus factory loads. I've been shooting .303 for better than 20 years. Sure it's old, but everything I ever shot with it didn't complain too much that I shot them with an antique cartridge. On the lighter side, I'm trying to figure out how to slip a new Ruger No. 1 in .303 past the head biscuit maker....

I plan on hunting with mine a bit this year, got to get a load worked up. Letting the ole .270 take a break this year and go a bit old school with my .300 Savage and my .303 Brit. After killing my biggest buck a couple years ago with my 110 year old 7x57 something just gets me about doing things the way they did before short mags, scent lok, and all the other new hyped up things they say you need to kill big bucks came about.

I like hunting with the "old" odd ball guns and ammo that nobody uses anymore
got my eyes on a 8mm Mauser that I'm trying to talk my brother out of

The rifle I am using for deer this year is a 1942 British Enfield MK4 #1. The ammo is Privi Partisan SP BT 180grain. The cost at gun shows is about $18-$20 per 20 rd box. I have ordered from Ammunition To Go online and the last I bought was $80.00 for 100 rds. This is a gun I love to shoot as I too prefer older weapons. It's just something about the feel and smell of these older guns. Glad to see others feel the same way!!.

I bought a No 1 Mk III* Enfield 1918 manufactured "SMELLY" in 1957 for $8.88. When I first got the rifle all the sporting ammo I could find was Remington 215 gr soft point. I killed a deer and a 250 pound black bear with that rifle. The results were satisfactory even though the cartridge was developed in 1888.

I sporterized the rifle by shortening the stock and removed the clip bridge, so it would look more like a Lee-Speed BSA Sporting Rifle. I also removed the open rear sight and installed a Lyman Model 66 peep sight on it. I still have the rifle. I gave it to my Uncle Frank for a Christmas present and my Aunt Helen gave me the rifle after my Uncle died in 1984.

It is very accurate with reloads but the cases cannot be full lenght resized or they seperate at the head after a few rounds.

Doug

Doug Bowser wrote:I bought a No 1 Mk III* Enfield 1918 manufactured "SMELLY" in 1957 for $8.88. When I first got the rifle all the sporting ammo I could find was Remington 215 gr soft point. I killed a deer and a 250 pound black bear with that rifle. The results were satisfactory even though the cartridge was developed in 1888.

I sporterized the rifle by shortening the stock and removed the clip bridge, so it would look more like a Lee-Speed BSA Sporting Rifle. I also removed the open rear sight and installed a Lyman Model 66 peep sight on it. I still have the rifle. I gave it to my Uncle Frank for a Christmas present and my Aunt Helen gave me the rifle after my Uncle died in 1984.

It is very accurate with reloads but the cases cannot be full lenght resized or they seperate at the head after a few rounds.

Doug

Hmmm..... Brings to mind a question:

Is that a problem common to Enfields (or maybe that specific model of Enfield) or just your rifle in particular? Reason I ask: A friend and I were shooting a couple of WWI-era Enfields he bought at the H'burg show last year and about every other round we fired of some fresh but mild-to-moderate reloads were splitting just forward of the head (maybe 1/8"). He was worried the headspace was out on both.

The action of the Lee-Enfield No 1 MkIII* has a LOT of spring in it. Much more than the No4 Mk1. It is common to have the heads of the case crack as if there were excessive headspace, when reloading. To solve the problem, start with once fired brass and partially resize the brass so it will just enter the chamber easily. This will make the case contact the shoulder of the chamber as if it were rimless. The brass will last as long as rimless brass after loading this way. My Smelly has perfect headspace. I have the gauges.

I have been using WRA 45 brass I have had since 1957 and it has not headspace seperated yet.

Doug

PhillipM wrote:All I know about them is that the front of the bolt came in multiple sizes to change the headspace. I suspect many have been mismatched over the years.

The No 1 MkIII* bolt heads are made in different lenghts but they are not marked as to which they are. You have to try a few and check headspace as you go.

The No 4 Mk1 bolt head has numbers on it indicating what length the bolt head is. 0-1-2-and 3. 0 being the shortest and 3 being the longest. To tighten headspace try the next higher number from the one in the rifle. I have quite a few bolt heads and a headspace gauge. I could help someone that thinks they have a problem.

Doug

Doug Bowser wrote:The action of the Lee-Enfield No 1 MkIII* has a LOT of spring in it. Much more than the No4 Mk1. It is common to have the heads of the case crack as if there were excessive headspace, when reloading. To solve the problem, start with once fired brass and partially resize the brass so it will just enter the chamber easily. This will make the case contact the shoulder of the chamber as if it were rimless. The brass will last as long as rimless brass after loading this way. My Smelly has perfect headspace. I have the gauges.

I have been using WRA 45 brass I have had since 1957 and it has not headspace seperated yet.

Doug

Thanks, Doug.

I'll mention this to my friend about partial resizing.

The spring on my Mk III is pretty crazy