Thread: Cheap .303s... how bad are they?

Thinking of getting an old .303 either a parker or enfield, id use it as a budget bush gun so Ill be shooting under 100 yards most likely.

However i heard that some of these old guns couldnt hit the broadside of a barn let alone the broadside of a deer.. is it worth the investment?

I wouldnt spend more than $250 and wouldnt bother with an optic.

Cheers guys!

depends how fucked it is

Obviously i would avoid ones that have been totally neglected or been the victim of time, You get what you pay for so i dont mind a bit of pitting or even rust as i can just sand/reblue. The ones i looked all generally seem to be in okay condition for the age.

if the bores fucked it wont shoot accurately and if its real bad the bullet will actually tumble and hit the target sideways
if the bores good they can be very accurate

most sporterized rifles are around that $100-$150 mark but not all are equal you need to view the rifle and know what your looking at to get a good one

a good way to get an idea if its completely fucked or not is get a 303 round and stick the projectile in the muzzle end it should be a tight fit if its sloppy its fucked but you need to look at the rifling aswell
doesn't realy matter what the outside looks like its the inside that matters I've seen mint looking rifles with fucked bores and I've seen absolute shitters with an awesome bore give me the shitter with the good bore any day of the week as you say you can tidy up the outside if need be

Some are in fantastic condition and some are only good as a tomato stake.
A Parker hale conversion in fair condition makes for a very nice rifle and can be cheep-the one I have looks like it's hardly been used and cost less than your budget. Some people do try and sell them high so bide you time

Ill try that test with the bullet and muzzle, so basically if i still see rifling it should be sweet?

I really dont care if it looks like junk as it will be out in the elements anyway and its a tool not a display piece

Really appreciating the help guys!

I had a mint unsporterised one, awesome metal work, no rust or pitting. The bore however was pitted the full length. It wasn't my cup of tea anyway so I sold it to an enthusiast who later told me it shot like a demon.

Originally Posted by Scottishkiwi

Ill try that test with the bullet and muzzle, so basically if i still see rifling it should be sweet?

I really dont care if it looks like junk as it will be out in the elements anyway and its a tool not a display piece

Really appreciating the help guys!

no they will all have rifling I depends on the quality of it how smooth it is how much pitting it has from past rust ect etc

personally though don't waste your money save up and buy a more modern bush gun

@rambo-6mmrem Its only to tie me over and to get me out in the bush more, once i gain more experience and confidence ill step up to a remington or tikka.. plus im a history buff so its cool to have a piece of history.. even if its a bit rusty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FATTLGUPIc

heres an idea 1st barrel not so good 2nd barrel good

That bore scopes a neat bit of kit. Will gun stores have that kinda thing handy?

Got to be careful with those bore scopes. I had an old BLR 308 with a "badly pitted bore" where it had suffered neglect by previous owner to me. Only problem I had was it was hard to say goodbye. It shot inch and a half at 100m with cheap ammo and was light to carry. A bit hard on extraction but worth it. Bore scope and gunsmith said barrel was stuffed and not to expect anything better than a shot gun pattern and I know of a 8x57 mauser woth a "corroded throat" that shot every bit as well....yet the other newer rifle a mate had, mint bore and shot like shit......

another one to look at would be a m96/m38 usually can be picked up cheap and usualy a very accurate rifle

I shot a mates enfield 303 last week , at 100 metres with open sights ...... shooting at a clay ... holy fuk was it bad , im no marksmen but I wouldn't hunt with his one unless the deer were all standing togeather shoulder to shoulder .....

Even with a dodgy bore they can suprise you, I have one withh a throat so worn a projectile will drop to nearly the rear sight, and the bore would could only be described as containing traces of rifling. It shoots 4 1/2 in groups at 100 with surplus ammo or flat base reloads perfectly adequate for close range hunting. However use a boat tail bullet and if they hit the target they're sideways. 10 round mag and clip loading you can almost match a black gun for speed