SMLE 303

threes things pop out to me.....
fit a slip on rubber butplate...just cause it eliminates the recoil factor
get someone else to shoot a group for you...someone who normally shoots well with thier own rifle...eliminates the YOU factor
borrow another scope of known pedigree.....you DONT NEED TO ALTER ZERO..... so can take out of mates rings,screw into yours for test and then he can put it back,morethan likely wont shift his zero by more than fly pooh...good excuse for him to check zero......eliminates the "scope is faaarked" factor
there is little in this world more frustrating than a scope that wont hold zero,you can never trust it and will waste a lot of ammunition trying to sort rifle when its scope causeing issue.

bugger,if had seen WHERE rifle was coming from,could have tested it for you before you purchased...too late now. @Cordite what say you about the top wood??? is this an issue???@Gundoc any insite here.....cant recall whats the accepted norm its been so many yers since Ive cradles a SMLE.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

bugger,if had seen WHERE rifle was coming from,could have tested it for you before you purchased...too late now. @Cordite what say you about the top wood??? is this an issue???@Gundoc any insite here.....cant recall whats the accepted norm its been so many yers since Ive cradles a SMLE.

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The top wood shown is the bare minimum, to stop burning your fingers. Not enough to prevent mirage from a hot barrel though. But for hunting neither is an issue. Nice SMLE sporter there. Protect your ears.

From the photo I've seen, its missing the mid barrel band. So that barrel could be whipping all over the place.

It looks like the charger bridge is gone as well.
Really needs someone to check to ensure the receiver is fitted nice and flat to the stock and the trigger guard is nice and flat underneath.

Thanks for still reading my thread lads !
So last night i did some more research and found a useful utube video , This video looked at different groupings from an enfeild which then pointed to different problems with the gun and how to fix them. My groupings ( loosely used term as it was just spraying bullets around ) was pointing to a loose stock and also loose trigger guard.
Thanks dogmatic your on to it !
Thanks everyone else , I will also try eliminating my shooting and get my brother in law to have shoot with it and also try a scope off one of my other guns to eliminate those areas too.

I will report back later on today when i have got emily out of her warm bed and had a decent look over her.
Cheers

Sooooo ,
I gathered up my courage and took the old girl apart.
I think I found something weird in the stock but unsure , The big silver rod with a piece of rubber glued to the end.
Not sure if its to do with the old owner trying to supress some of the recoil or add weight to the gun ( why would you )?
It also had a small piece of brass , a shim perhaps under the barrel under the wood.
I dont have a long enough screwdriver to see if the stock bolt is tight enough and to complete the dissasembly.
Anyways heres some pics..

Attachment 174062
Attachment 174064
Attachment 174065
Attachment 174067
Attachment 174069

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dogmatix

From the photo I've seen, its missing the mid barrel band. So that barrel could be whipping all over the place.

It looks like the charger bridge is gone as well.
Really needs someone to check to ensure the receiver is fitted nice and flat to the stock and the trigger guard is nice and flat underneath.

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Does anyone know where i can get a mid barrel band ? I have noticed , now you mention it , the front of the foregrip can wiggle side to side alittle bit. A band of some sort would tighten this up .

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jusepy

Does anyone know where i can get a mid barrel band ? I have noticed , now you mention it , the front of the foregrip can wiggle side to side alittle bit. A band of some sort would tighten this up .

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I sold like 6 of them last week! :XD:

The band worked in conjunction with a spring pushing the barrel upwards from the nose cap.
It was all to dampen the barrel harmonics, especially when the barrel was heated from rapid fire.
Most sporters required some tweaking to get shooting well to compensate in the absence of them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dogmatix

From the photo I've seen, its missing the mid barrel band. So that barrel could be whipping all over the place.

It looks like the charger bridge is gone as well.
Really needs someone to check to ensure the receiver is fitted nice and flat to the stock and the trigger guard is nice and flat underneath.

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Good point. My first sporter started shooting really badly when I misplaced the little spiral spring washer which went with the screw retaining the mid barrel ring -- that was obviously part of the barrel tuning too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dogmatix

I sold like 6 of them last week! :XD:

The band worked in conjunction with a spring pushing the barrel upwards from the nose cap.
It was all to dampen the barrel harmonics, especially when the barrel was heated from rapid fire.
Most sporters required some tweaking to get shooting well to compensate in the absence of them.

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Bugger !
do you have any left ??

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cordite

Good point. My first sporter started shooting really badly when I misplaced the little spiral spring washer which went with the screw retaining the mid barrel ring -- that was obviously part of the barrel tuning too.

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This Lithgow sporter was missing the band, but had really good upward pressure from the end of the stock so shot well.
But I sourced an original replacement Lithgow coachwood stock, so it got put back to full wood.

Attachment 174095

This 1917 Enfield sporter has the band still and shoots excellent for its age.

Attachment 174096

Those rifles are Very Very Nice!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jusepy

Bugger !
do you have any left ??

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Sorry no.
But they are on TM, look for TM seller bottla. Although he's not selling anything at the moment.

@Jusepy I do have the Lithgow sporter stock you can have, but it will need proper bedding to fit your rifle.

I saved bottla to my watchlist and favourites.
Wow thank you so much , that would be amazing !

Let me put a coat of linseed oil on it and I'll get it ready to send down to you later this week.

Ok. Thanks again. You sir are a legend.
Can I send you a bottle of your favorite poison ?

Any ideas why the lump of steel was hiding in the stock where the oil and cleaning rod usually is kept ?
Attachment 174101

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jusepy

Any ideas why the lump of steel was hiding in the stock where the oil and cleaning rod usually is kept ?
Attachment 174101

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Hollow stock would make a noise

to add weight,to dampen recoil....pump shottie I used for last 6 seasons had 11oz of lead inside bit of old tent pole in same location,sure took the sting out of 3" steel loads.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mauser308

Is that little bit of steel hollow or liquid filled? If you can feel like a heavy weight in it - it might be one of the old style mercury recoil dampeners. If so they work really well but don't let the internals get out. Not kosher in this day and age, will likely start a total environmental freak out!

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Ah i assumed it was a piece of solid metal , with a piece of rubber glued to the end. I will have a closer look tommorow.

Alot of interesting information on the web about these rifles and also found a site dedicated to the ol lee enfeild , so I am currently browsing that for information.
Rifle still in pieces and shall go back togeather later this week.

Lee Loader for 303. Not mine

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=...C-8862D34A0245

Hello again friends.
Well I had the armourer look over the gun at work and he found not alot wrong with the old girl. He glued in the trigger guard bush and had a look at the stock and forestock.
I filled down the glassing job the previous owner had done as the barrel was sitting up on it slightly by the receiver .
I guess all thats left is to try and shoot her again and take my time and sort my breathing out.
Wont be this weekend though as the weather is shit.
Im bidding on a lee loader kit too so i will be able to load me own !

Me again !

Well i thought id share this book of wisdom I found on the world wide web last night.
http://http://www.nzha.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/the_2012_complete_book_on_lee_enfield_accurizing.p df

Roger has a YT channel and is a member of the 'lee Enfield owners new Zealand' FB page.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dogmatix

Roger has a YT channel and is a member of the 'lee Enfield owners new Zealand' FB page.

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Thanks dogmatix , im just trying his techniques at the moment and seeing where i need to add shims or bed my forestock.
Appears i have quite alot of work to do at the bedding around the trigger , shimmed it up temporarily with cardboard shims and hello ..... the play in the forestock disappeared.

Attachment 174702

Attachment 174703

I just won this .... Happy days !!!

YOU gone and done it now Dude...welcome to the rabbit hole....Shootersnz/Robert from Tokoroa is on trademe and sells cast projectiles for really good prices....you could do a hell of a lot worse than make up soft plinking loads using them.... loads of guys are using 7.62x39mm projectiles in 303 brits too...when they work,they work well,being lighter at 123grns the recoil will be less.
food for thought.

I know , I know .... Im a sucker for punishment !

Those Lee Loaders put out good ammo. We used them in several calibers 303 included. What we ended up doing was buying a set of powder scales and loading the rounds a bit hotter than the powder thrower could do. We used these for a fair while until I got a RCBS press. From memory the thrower was about 4-5 grains less than the book max in the 270 I loaded for.

you can buy full set of spoons...the spoon provided with kit will only work with powder listed for it....but I can have a look and see what it will throw with other powders...cause I have the full set and accompanied chart,with about 60 powders listed.
nothing wrong with loads 4-5grns below max either for a case that takes 50-60grns LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

you can buy full set of spoons...the spoon provided with kit will only work with powder listed for it....but I can have a look and see what it will throw with other powders...cause I have the full set and accompanied chart,with about 60 powders listed.
nothing wrong with loads 4-5grns below max either for a case that takes 50-60grns LOL

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Yes you are right they still killed well, back then we didn't know to much about ballistics, it went bang and animals fell over.

When you start reloading it comes with lots of warnings, warnings not to exceed published data, warnings not to improperly store powder, warnings not to use powder that has been improperly stored, warnings not to do anything until you have read all the warnings.

One thing they don’t warn you about,

He who spends $300 on reloading equipment risks spending $3000+ on reloading equipment.

Welcome to reloading
:)

Thanks lads ,
Im waiting for the postman to turn up with it. Been collecting my PPU brass to reload once ive figured out how to. Lots of infrmation on youtube and on here.
Then to find the powder and the projectiles and the primers lol....

So my lee loader turned up..
Punched out the primer on some PPU brass I have saved , then renecked it .....
and that was it as I have no powder or primers yet.
I will punch out all the old primers in the brass I have and sort out some primers and powder and of course some projectiles then post some photos of my new rounds...

Well I've delved back down the reloading rabbit hole and bought a Lee Loader for the old three-oh..... Used to load for it years ago. Be fun to have a play again. What have I done ha ha :)

Nice one bumblefoot , I punched out all the old primers out of the used PPU brass I had the other night. Was a good education in part of the loading practice.
Been pricing up primers , powders and projectiles ... Not alot around at the moment. I have calculated that I would only save 30 bucks at this stage if i were to load 100 rounds or buy 100 round.
I will keep looking and buy bit by bit of the reloading gear.

but if you buy cast and trail boss and make up plinking loads....or just plain mild loads you will save a heck of alot more.....close to rimfire prices.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

but if you buy cast and trail boss and make up plinking loads....or just plain mild loads you will save a heck of alot more.....close to rimfire prices.

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Nope, you'll spend a lot more that you would never have otherwise spent :) that's what reloading is all about, spending more lol

sorry...you will save more PER ROUND....more bangs for your buck