Thread: SMLE 303

Hello ,
Im looking at this ol 303 for my first deer hunting rifle.
I have a collection of mostly rim fire guns ( .22 and .22mag ) and a ol under over shotgun.

Does this 303 require much to get it up to speed to shoot dear without spending a whole lot of money on her , as that would defeat the purpose of buying her..

Could i get your opinion on this ol girl for a first deer gun , untill i buy a decent 308 .
Thanks in advance

link below
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketpl...3?bof=cDSG1sDt

well the deer cullers used them successfully for long enough. Id say if that's what you like get it learn what its limitations are and learn to be proficient with it and go and shoot deer. You wont win any fashion parades with it tho.....

it will do the job. best to get closer than you would have otherwise. It will certainly make you appreciate a light weight rifle

Originally Posted by Jusepy

Hello ,
Im looking at this ol 303 for my first deer hunting rifle.
I have a collection of mostly rim fire guns ( .22 and .22mag ) and a ol under over shotgun.

Does this 303 require much to get it up to speed to shoot dear without spending a whole lot of money on her , as that would defeat the purpose of buying her..

Could i get your opinion on this ol girl for a first deer gun , untill i buy a decent 308 .
Thanks in advance

link below
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketpl...3?bof=cDSG1sDt

I'd save up for more modern 2nd hand hunting rifle as your first centrefire.
Something like a Tikka T3 or Howa 1500.

Most 303s for sale these days are well worn, with the odd exception.
Removing the charging bridge on the SMLE can actually result in the action being less stiff and prone to flexing given its age.
Plus this one isn't drilled for a scope mount, so if you want to use a scope, its not really suitable without more cost and work to fit one.

If you don't reload then .303 ammo is pretty expensive, you can get .308 from belmont for about a third the price of a .303 round from Guncity.

You can get some pretty good Remington/Winchester/Ruger 243 308 etc for a good price incl scope.
Would be a better option.

This is indicative
https://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/hun...e4b36f2868-007

I have 3 older 303s. A dirty barrel is nearly always a pitted/rusted barrel. Yes they can shoot straight enough but deadly accurate is I suspect optimistic. A good 303 with a bright worn bore with some rifling is more use than any pitted bore. A bright worn bore will make a nice cast bullet rifle out to 150m with minute of dinner plate accuracy. You can kill a lot of deer with that. But you will need to reload. 303B brass, factory ammo and components are not as expensive as some think. But you can do better with 308. A good 303 with bright bore and scope mounts will cost you upwards from around $600, if you can find one. A 308 for the same money will give you a better rifle with better performance and a lot more options. A rough 303 is still a good utility rifle on the farm and in the stock yards but after that they are best for the ardent and the knowledgeable. I'll take a 303 to do a bit of goat shooting. But I would normally prefer a 308 (or 223) if I'm spending money to go deer stalking. Others will differ.

Originally Posted by Jusepy

Hello ,
Im looking at this ol 303 for my first deer hunting rifle.
I have a collection of mostly rim fire guns ( .22 and .22mag ) and a ol under over shotgun.

Does this 303 require much to get it up to speed to shoot dear without spending a whole lot of money on her , as that would defeat the purpose of buying her..

Could i get your opinion on this ol girl for a first deer gun , untill i buy a decent 308 .
Thanks in advance

link below
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketpl...3?bof=cDSG1sDt

Greetings Jusepy,
Having started hunting with a no1 Lee Enfield in the late 1960's I really can't recommend one as a first centre fire rifle. If you can shoot it as is (no scope just the original sights) it would do part of the job but you will soon tire of the limitations. Best to save the pennies and get something that you will last you for some time. These days a .303 is something that you have additional to your first line hunting rifle, I have two. Your choice of the .308 is a good one. The .303 on Trade me has seen a lot of use and the vice marks on the barrel reinforce should ring alarm bells.
Regards Grandpamac.

I had a 303 for a good number of years, a PH conversion, with a really good BSA barrel on it. And was scoped with a decent scope. Last nine shots before I sold it resulted in 7 animals down, the furtherest at about 350. That thing was accurate and I tried to get within 200 metres of any animal I wanted. Sold it for $350 without the scope. Theres some good similar ones coming up for sale occasionally but you never really know what you're gonna get until you buy it and try it. $350 goes a long way to buying a more modern rifle. I would suggest you hold out and look for a Howa, or a Husky 1600, or a BSA, etc etc.

Ok thanks lads , im picking up what you are putting down.
The only reason I was considering it wasits in my home town and its dirt cheap . Probably a reason for that though as you lads are saying.
Thanks ill hold off and save my pennies some more for something that will last me for life.

Thanks granpamac , i didnt even notice those marks on the barrel . I was kinda excited about it because its a old rifle and would be a piece of history.

Originally Posted by Jusepy

Thanks granpamac , i didnt even notice those marks on the barrel . I was kinda excited about it because its a old rifle and would be a piece of history.

I managed to get a really good Lithgow sporter (same year as the one on TM) off this forum 18 months ago for $150.
But 303s seem to have doubled in price since then and some really rubbish ones are now selling for way more than their worth.
Just look at the ridiculous prices Guncity are asking for both fully wooded and POS sporterised ones.
Its still fun owning them though. But not as a primary hunting rifle.

Most .303s are accurate enough for hunting at 1-200m, usually the gun will shoot better than most people can shoot standing unsupported.

For those distances use flat bottom, round-noses or spitzer projectiles -- boat tail projectiles for some reason don't always shoot well in Lee Enfields, more so in worn barrels, but there is no hard and fast rule.

For 1-200m a fixed 4x scope is fine and low power scopes usually gather plenty light. They'll give you a good enough sight picture to assess your guns accuracy. I'd not bother scoping the rifle in that TM auction. You could use an offset picatinny mount to mount a small red dot and use the two holes on the left side of the receiver where the charger bridge was attached to mount this with some screws. Just need to ream a thread in the holes, a bit of drilling... I don't know what tools you have, but it can be done.

Lee Enfields have NOT got match triggers but heavy, creepy two-stage triggers and a longish lock-time so a bipod is a real bonus for accurate shooting or get in the habit of using your backpack as a support.

Here is an offset torch mount which could be drilled and screwed to those charger bridge holes to mount a red dot on:

Originally Posted by Jusepy

Thanks granpamac , i didnt even notice those marks on the barrel . I was kinda excited about it because its a old rifle and would be a piece of history.

Greetings again Jusepy,
Thanks for your reply. My early experience with .303 rifles drove me nuts. Handloading for them (yes there were two, a number 1 Parker Hale conversion and a jungle carbine) was a very steep learning curve for a novice. After a few years they were replaced with a Rem 700 .308 which I still have over 40 years later. Handloading was a dream. More recently two .303 rifles have joined the crew. I handload for both of them much more easily having learnt how to get around most of their problems. They are both no 4 rifles made in 1942. The iron sighted one gets taken to the range from time to time and the scoped one gets taken into the bush for the odd ritual hunt (no expectations of any need to make loud noises or carry anything heavy). The latter rifle belonged to a friend who left the planet way too early and I always think of him when I load for it or carry it.
You will likely find your own odd ball rifles that mean something to you and you will know them when you see them.
All the best and regards Grandpamac.

Maybe look around for a m96 sporter its a good round. I started out with one and still got it and use it seems to work fine...