Thread: SMLE 303

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

Not mine

I use a lee loader for mine got a 3 a 4 and a 5. I hear a lot of people recon they boot like shit but i dont notice it

Originally Posted by northdude

I use a lee loader for mine got a 3 a 4 and a 5. I hear a lot of people recon they boot like shit but i dont notice it

Yes, the Lee Loader is great kit, for what it does/costs, and they only neck size to boot so easy on brass, but don't be loading for your mates unless their chamber matches yours- unlikely.

Wow thanks everyone for all the advice and tips.
Got the police order form today and sent it , bloody hell its not cheap to get the rifle sent too and pick up from your dealer is it. ah well shit happens.
Cant say the police officer was overly helpful either , when i handed him the form he said ' what do you want me to do with this..."
Fuck sake mate , do your job and sign it and send it. But I was much more polite than that.
Anyways , time to do some research on the ol girl and see what ive got myself into..

Originally Posted by Jusepy

I dont have any mates that reload , but im sure i will keep this gun for years as i dont part with things easily lol .

I will buy a 308 eventually but needed something to go hunting with the brother in law as he reckons two guns on a deer hunt is better than one so ill make this old girl work.

He wont be happy with what I brought though but it will be me shooting it not him. He has a tikka 308 and has been hunting for a few years where as its basically I have not shot a deer yet but been out a few times with him. I have done lots of rabbit shooting so know how to handle a rifle though.

Congrats Jusepy,
That side mount for the scope will eliminate problems from a loose bridge (they are riveted on) that I think my original No 1 had. They usually shoot well even if the barrel is a bit pitted provided the crown is not damaged. As mentioned above the heavy projectiles often shoot best, 174 or 180 grain round nose are good. Also as above keep all your cases and don't shoot any of the military rounds. The Greek stuff currently available can be OK but the soft point is best for hunting. .303 rifles often shoot different loads to completely different places so you need to zero with your hunting rounds.
You can load light loads with a Lee Loader, as I do, but you will probably need someone to help you set it up and do an initial prep on your fired cases. This could save a lot of frustration along the way. I am not far away from the Manawatu and am happy to do some coaching if needed.
Enjoy the journey Grandpamac.

Hey grandpamac ,
I was wondering about the scope mount on this as it looks like its screwed on ? I am thinking of upgrading the scope eventually . How do i check the crown if it ok or damaged before i fire it ?

Nice scope setup. Use chin weld instead of cheek weld for that rifle, saves you investing in a riser pad and keeps things lighter.

Originally Posted by Jusepy

Hey grandpamac ,
I was wondering about the scope mount on this as it looks like its screwed on ? I am thinking of upgrading the scope eventually . How do i check the crown if it ok or damaged before i fire it ?

take a pic of it and we can tell you

One thing to remember with the 303, the bolt locks with lugs at the rear. If you take a video of the bolt as it fires you will see it bends quite appreciably under the pressure load of firing a round. All quite normal..however, the design relies on the brass cartridge, at the moment of firing, expanding to meet and grip the chamber walls. If you have oil or grease in the chamber prior to firing, there is no grip between the chamber wall and the brass. So the bolt takes all the pressure load. Which eventually, as robust as they are, leads to wear and tear and headspace issues. Easy to solve at the range, use a swab with isopropyl alcohol or better, brake cleaner, to wipe the chamber out. For a day hunt do before leaving home and re-oil on returning and cleaning the rifle.

I used to use a Lee Loader and loaded Hornady 174 gr round nose projectiles. Not a long range round but sure knocked them over!

Originally Posted by Jhon

One thing to remember with the 303, the bolt locks with lugs at the rear. If you take a video of the bolt as it fires you will see it bends quite appreciably under the pressure load of firing a round. All quite normal..however, the design relies on the brass cartridge, at the moment of firing, expanding to meet and grip the chamber walls. If you have oil or grease in the chamber prior to firing, there is no grip between the chamber wall and the brass. So the bolt takes all the pressure load. Which eventually, as robust as they are, leads to wear and tear and headspace issues. Easy to solve at the range, use a swab with isopropyl alcohol or better, brake cleaner, to wipe the chamber out. For a day hunt do before leaving home and re-oil on returning and cleaning the rifle.

I always wipe the chamber and barrel out for all my centrefires with meths to remove the oil before firing. Wasn't for that reason though.

Originally Posted by Jusepy

Hey grandpamac ,
I was wondering about the scope mount on this as it looks like its screwed on ? I am thinking of upgrading the scope eventually . How do i check the crown if it ok or damaged before i fire it ?

Greetings Again,
If you look at the crown from the muzzle end (unloaded of course) you should be able to see each groove and land, probably 5 of each. You might need a magnifying glass. There should also be no nicks or dents to the edges. Unfortunately this is often found from careless use of a pull through or cleaning from the muzzle with a cleaning rod. It is fairly easily re crowned if needed. As far as the scope mount goes the side mount is one of the best as long as everything is tight. Best to test fire first to see if there are problems. Saves a lot of busy work for no return.
Regards Grandpamac.

The crown when worn will look rounded , a good crown should look sharp all the way round. If it's damaged it can be re crowned which will help accuracy a lot.
I have a couple of 303 s and the Isphore model I have has a bit of a worn crown but still shoots well with 150 gr Hornady bullets. I want to try some 180 gr bullets some day to see how it shoots with them.

I started this thread a while ago; lots of helpful 303 info from members in it

https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....hree-oh-60232/

Here ya go, not mine
https://www.trademe.co.nz/a.aspx?id=...C-8862D34A0245