.303 British?

[Mr. 16 gauge]

One cartridge that has always intrigued me (but I've never had an opportunity to play with) is the .303 British. I've never shot one, but I've heard that the actions on the Enfields are "butter smooth".....

I've read that the cases for the .303 don't last long (reloading wise), and will only last for 3-4 firings....has that been the experience of other folks here?

I think that this might be a good rifle for deer/hogs, but what, in your opinion, would be the largest game animal that you could ethically take with the .303?(let's limit the range to 200 yards, for the sake of argument).

Finally, are there any Enfield's out there that should be generally avoided, for one reason or another? Are there any 'bargain' enfields out there? Thanks in advance for your responses.

[Gil Martin]

My first rifle was a No. I Mark III .303 Enfield from WWI made in 1916 that set me back $15.88 back in 1958. Within its limitations the .303 British is a fine cartridge. True, the actions are smooth, but the rear locking lugs of the action tends to stretch cases and reduce the number of possible reloads. Neck sizing helps to a point, but mot very much. I have a .303 P-14 Enfield (the forerunner of the U.S 1917 Enfield) that is much kinder to cases due to the front locking lugs of the action.

The Enfields commonly used in WWII made in England , Canada and other Commonwealth countries are probably the best of the lot. They are known as the No. 4 Mark I, have peep sights and replacement bolt heads are available to tighten up the headspace to a point.

The .303 British is very common in Canada and has probably taken all the big game that country has to offer.

Personally, I would avoid the Enfields made in India. They may be encountered in .303 and some are being sold in .308. I have one, but never shoot it. Hope this helps. All the best...
Gil

[Adam Helmer]

Mr. 16 gauge,

I have many .303 rifles and some are better than others; apparently due to wide bore and chamber variations due to the rushed war efforts of WWI and WWII.

Gil is correct, one may be able to locate a No.4 or No. 5 replacement bolt head that tightens up long headspace. Bolt heads are numbered "0", 1, 2, 3, and 4. I disagree with Gil about Enfields made in India. Many MkIII* .303 rifles were made post WWII and then came the .308 MkIII and 2A1 Jungle Carbine .308 arms that really are well made arms. Most are in far better condition than WWII rifles.

I reload jacketed and cast bullets for my Enfields and have not had a head separation since I backed off the resizing die so there is a slight "crunch" fit in each individual rifle. I load ammo specifically for individual arms and label the boxes. After 7 or 8 jacketed loadings, I use the cases for cast loads as I do with other high power rifle cases.

I recommend the .303 or .308 Enfields (including those made in India) for hogs, deer and bear. The limiting factor will be the iron sights. I think hits to 200 and 300 yards are reasonable expectations predicated on shooter skill.

Adam

[Brithunter]

Oh dear I had to laugh at the case life comment Now i don't know how many handloads I have got from cases, never counted but I have yet to have a case failure on re-loaded cases. My dies are RCBS reloader specials and the cases are HXP-69. The rifles I ahve loaded for are:-

P-H Supreme sporterised BSA 1916 No1 Mk111
P-H De Luxe sporterised BSA 1916 No1 Mk111
P-H targetised ERA P-14
SSA No1 Mk111
Century arms P-14 Sporter
Martini Enfield AC11
No4T
P-H sporterised No4 1/2
BSA sporting rifle on Metford carbine action
BSA Model E
BSA Model C
Martin Muscat 303 bore

And no I do not usually keep cases segregated, the exception is the the Mucat martini that is of Belgian maufacture and the shoulder is different to British military and sporting chambers.

Modern American made brass is more often that not undersized which causes the brass to stretch more. I use this to my advantage with R.P brass as I use it to shorten and form into 6.5x53R as even the web area is undersized but corect for the 6.5x53R case.

[Adam Helmer]

Brithunter,

Please tell us how you resize your .303 British cartridge cases. Are you saying you never had a case separation on a .303 British reload? Never is a looong time, LOL.

Adam

[Gil Martin]

Glad you enjoyed my comments on .303 case life in the British Enfields. I have been shooting No. I Mark III and No. 4 Mark I rifles since 1958. What I said regarding case life was based on my personal experiences. Your experiences may vary. All the best...
Gil