In a number of books on African hunting, written by PH's or folks growing up in Africa, I read that they started out with with 303 Lee Enfields. A few questions for those with experience (Aussies and Kiwis and others who have used them as well).

1) I assume that the use of the 303 arose from the British influence in southern Africa and from inexpensive military surplus rifles being available from the early 1900's on.
2) I assume Low pressure, modest velocity, heavy for caliber bullets, correct? The old African mantra.
3) Somewhere I read that the Lee Enfields were quite accurate and that the sights were very good. I think this was a 50's or later writer, so I assume later version rifles with apeture sights, but is there something about them that made them good?
4) I think these are clip feed rifles, correct?
5) Also read some comment to the effect that the Enfield was quicker to reload (second shot) than other bolt actions, true? and why?
6) Are these rifles still commonly used in southern Africa?

Thanks, just an accumlation of questions from reading, I have no experience or knowledge of the Enfield, and was curious.

John

If you go a bit up north you will find that 303's are well known and used in Canada as well.

So many people underestimate the 303 and with the advent of reloading and good bullets the 303 is a medium paced 30-06.

I have shot most of my game with my 303 got the rifle when I was 16 previously borrowed a 308 for all my previous hunting. The biggest game I have shot with the 303 is kudu bulls and there was no feeling or lack of power neither did the kudus complain

I have also read somewhere I think in the Magnum magazine as well that when the English forces started to use the enfields in the trenches that the german forces thought they were shot at with machine gun fire as the tempo of reloading and firing came at such a speed unheard of before.

303's are commonly used in RSA and a lot of people think they are not up to todays standard but an interesting fact is the that the 3rd best ammo sales in RSA is of the 303. First 30-06 and second 243 I believe.

John,

Part of the .303 evolution into the bolt action British service caliber was dropping the weight of bullet to, as I recall, 174 grains from 215 grains with an increase in velocity.

I'll be taking a double in .303 to Africa this July. Just got word that the regulation of the barrels to my load of IMR 4350 and the 215 grain bullet seems to have worked with velocity about 2100 fps. Should be fine for gemsbok, kudu and smaller, but maybe a little light for Hartmans mtn. zebra unless I pick my shot carefully...

Regards, Tim

1) I assume that the use of the 303 arose from the British influence in southern Africa and from inexpensive military surplus rifles being available from the early 1900's on.

Correct. Tons of them around after WWII, and local armies bought them by the truckload after Independence.

2) I assume Low pressure, modest velocity, heavy for caliber bullets, correct? The old African mantra.

Well... I'd say that the most intricate reasoning was merely "It's here, it's cheap, ammo is available, and it works".

3) Somewhere I read that the Lee Enfields were quite accurate and that the sights were very good. I think this was a 50's or later writer, so I assume later version rifles with apeture sights, but is there something about them that made them good?

Some models have a large aperture ring at the rear of the action. An excellent "ghost ring".

4) I think these are clip feed rifles, correct?

I've seen 5 rounds clips in pictures, but never in use.

5) Also read some comment to the effect that the Enfield was quicker to reload (second shot) than other bolt actions, true? and why?

The Enfield cocks on closing, so when you open the bolt you only have to extract the case. Easier than to open a bolt while the cocking system resists you. Then, when you slam it close you do exactly that: slam it close. The whole thing is slightly faster. As far as I'm concerned, I can notice the difference, but it's not that much...

6) Are these rifles still commonly used in southern Africa?

You bet they are... Thousands of them still in service. Of course they show their age, and having been maintained to local standards, you may not get many benchrest-grade rifles out of them! I've seen some truly creative maintenance work done on them, especially on the stocks...

I believe that the Lee Enfield is one of the fastest bolt actions, due to the fact that as you lift the bolt it is sprung loaded and jumps straight back ejecting the round. Or is it the other way round?

Many of us have used them and still use them.
Cons:
1) Scope mounting ranges from rock solid to dodgy depending on the smith that does it.
2) Military butt-stocks are not great for scoped use but can be replaced easily with retro-fit sporter stocks. I am actually working on a cheap cheek-piece additon on a No.4 right now (bubba-ing a choate cheek riser).
3) Head-sapce can be quite generous and chambers quite large - neck sizing only in required to get any decent case life (normally). Head space can be very to correct on the No.4's.
4) 2-stage military trigger is not great but can be replaced (new triggers often cost as much as the old guns!), However the triggers are also not that bad by mil-surp standard and the second stage can be lightened by lightly stoning the cocking piece 'bent' - be safe with this. Compared to an SKS trigger it feels like a precison bench rest let-off!
5) 10rnd mags looks 'ugly' but can be replaced with a 5 rnd mag if need be.
6) if you want a magnum .30" then get a .300 a Lee Enfield/.303 is a 46000psi cartridge. Hotter loads will not only hammer your brass but are pushing the action (which is stonger than most give it credit for). If properly heat treated and made from good steel many have been converted to .308Win, like the Ishapore's from India.
7) Some old rifles are shot out or have barrels ruined by corrosive ammo. However even a barrel that looks a bit tired can still work just fine.

Pros:
1) Can deliver decent accuracy for 250yrd hunting if the barrel is in good shape.
2) The safety is actually damn good in my opinion, better than many modern rifles. It disengages the sear and locks the firing pin The safety catch is well located and functions positively. It a good design to carry 'cocked and locked'.
3) 174/180gr .30 cal bullet leaving the muzzle at 2400fps has enough clout for any game up to kudu/wildebeest.
4) .310/.311 bullets available form 123grs to 215grs. Some LE's with good barrels deiver good accuarcy with .308" bullets.

The good condition military rifles with matching numbers are increasingly rare as most were bubba-ed in the past. Many conversions too - 6mm/.303 being quite common in SA and a mate of mine has a No1MkIII converted to .223 which is quite accurate despite a trigger that has deteriorated.

The 'anti-.303' crowd has no real emperical foundation for their hate of .303's. I hear some guys say that a .303 wounds game (a hold over from using mil-surp FMJ's to hunt, something also perpetrated by .223 and .308 owners).

They are kinda ugly and clunky but are very servicable hunting rifles in a calibre that is as useful on game as a .308

Thousands of hunters in SA, Canada and Aus use them very statisfactorily.

The SMLE was notoriously inaccurate because of the mix of truth and rumors of the 'wandering zero". Multitudes of theories exist as to what caused this and which variants were affected. Google around and waste a few hours.

Militarily, at the time, they were tops, but accuracy-wise, the Springfield and Mauser were better.

How did the old saying go?

The Americans showed up with a target rifle.
The Germans showed up with a sporting rifle.
The British showed up with a battle rifle.

Well, I don't know whether the rifles we used were 'accurized" or not, but my (smallbore) club used to shoot at Bisley twice a year. We shot at ranges up to 900 yards (open sights). The best shooters were very good. I generally got a lot of "magpies"! The ammo was standard military ammo dated in the '40s!!!! As I recollect, British units were trained in rapid fire, the idea being to press the trigger as the bolt closed down. Certainly not very accurate, but good enough for Mons!
Peter.

I had no problems with accuracy when I took 2 Blesbuck with 2 shots at 220 meters with my 303.



With the 215gr at 2000fps it is a great bushveld calibre for up to and even Eland if you make sure of shot placement.

Gerhard,

Just by chance what speed did you get with the GS bullets, my barrel is quite worn out and was recently recrowned by good friend Terry Blauwkamp. It shoots much better now but I think its time again to play with it a bit if I get time this season.

My normal load is 174gr RN hornady with S335 39.5gr CCI 200 then I get an average of 2350 fps. So I think there is a good chance I will get a bit more velocity out of the GS bullets.

Boet,

I have to go and look up in my reloading stats.

I can not remember at all.

The 215gr Rhino was 2000fps


These were the 170gr if I remember correctly



140gr

The SMLE's are a fast action because of the mentioned cock on closing and that it's a pretty smooth feeding action. About the springing open after firing that's not true. Only when you reopen the bolt after closing and cocking it and not firing it, does it do that. When it's unfired the firing pin spring keeps the bolt under tension.

I think the sights on them are pretty good. Most have a square front post with either a U groove rear or peep sight. Much better sight picture the Mauser triangular front sight and inverted triangular groove rear. Don't get me wrong, once you get use to the Mauser sights and know how to use them they can be very accurate.

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Carney:
John,

Part of the .303 evolution into the bolt action British service caliber was dropping the weight of bullet to, as I recall, 174 grains from 215 grains with an increase in velocity.

I'll be taking a double in .303 to Africa this July. Just got word that the regulation of the barrels to my load of IMR 4350 and the 215 grain bullet seems to have worked with velocity about 2100 fps. Should be fine for gemsbok, kudu and smaller, but maybe a little light for Hartmans mtn. zebra unless I pick my shot carefully...

Regards, Tim

Tim do you have photos of the double?

Would love to see it.

I see on their pricelist they only have the 140gr and not any 170gr it's a pitty would have loved a 170gr. They advertise the 140gr at 2800fps max But I suppose I would be happy to get 2600fps in mine.

[/QUOTE]

Tim do you have photos of the double?

Would love to see it.[/QUOTE]

Gerhard,

Here's a sample. I'll be taking a full set once it's back from regulation.

Completed in December 1897. It's a back action, C-grade H&H. Just asked Ken Stewart to make me a 100 solids in 215 grain and will pick them up there.

If you have a load in Somchem powder that will put a 215 gr bullet at or just under 2100 fps, please share it with me.

Regards, Tim

WOW

She is a beauty !!!!

Puta madre!

Thats a damn fne looking .303 double.

The most important question is - who doesn't have a soft spot for the .303 British? wot...

Tim: You should really warn some of us when you are about to post a picture of such a lovely girl so we can get our oxygen handy.
The comment about the "wandering zero" applied only to the No. 5 Jungle Carbine. The SMLEs I have shot have all been 1 1/2-inch guns at 100 yards with decent ammo, and some tighter.

Thanks. I'm delighted to be another in a line of caretakers of this fine rifle. I hear that the 50 yard composite group is about 3/4 to 1 inch with my IMR4350 handload. We'll see...

Regards, Tim

She can come hunting with me any day.

Can not wait to see more photos and read the hunt report later in the year.

quote:

Originally posted by Safari-Hunt:
I see on their pricelist they only have the 140gr and not any 170gr it's a pitty would have loved a 170gr. They advertise the 140gr at 2800fps max But I suppose I would be happy to get 2600fps in mine.

the 140gr is what one of my mates use. they have taken hes 303 to new heights he get 2700 in a 21" barrel groups sub MOA with excellent penetration

Age nee man Kerels...

you are a bunch of verraaiers....my great grandpa refused to use the .303 even when the mauser bullets were finished...he said it was not right. Then one of his friends pointed out the poetic justice of knocking over the Khakis with their own rifles, and he changed his mind.

Said to me dad that he would never otherwise have changed, the Mausers were just to good to be true.

Then the Germans (WHY???) decided the 7x57 was to light and they changed to 8x57....any case the rest is history......again, it was not the Brits that won WW1, I think there is a continent known as North America (yes I believe the canadians went as well) that entered the war at some stage...and were them lads not shooting something called a 30-06...

Nah...don't piss in your pants boys....I give Fred a lot of mielies about his .303..(just like I bite guys who drives Landrovers)

Truth is there are to many of the old military stuff lying around being used as hunting rifles in Africa, and it has given the calibre a bad name.

I have seen it work magic in the right hands.....Enjoy....Personaly? I will never use it....the world has moved on to bigger and better things.....hahahaha

Charl,

If you look at photos from both Boer wars you will see lots of Brit rifles in Boer hands- Martinis in the first and LOTS of Lee Metfords in the second (with some Martinis still). Boere were not rich and considering how many Brit mil-surp rifles had entered SA there were many in Boer hands.

In fact, the Transvaal Republic ordered 17000 Martini Henry's from Westley Richards with ZAR stamped on the reciever (I forget the date).

Yes .303 milsurp FMJ's gave the 'ou-vertroubaar' a bad name but .303 milsurp seems thin on the ground these days and more expensive than other mil-surp cartridges.

If the use of FMJ's is still an problem with the .303 then its definately very true of the .223 and .308 for which mil-surp FMJ's are still common and unfortunatley used by some - I know at least one ranch manager who uses military FMJ's.

quote:

Originally posted by infinito:
Age nee man Kerels...

you are a bunch of verraaiers....my great grandpa refused to use the .303 even when the mauser bullets were finished...he said it was not right. Then one of his friends pointed out the poetic justice of knocking over the Khakis with their own rifles, and he changed his mind.

Said to me dad that he would never otherwise have changed, the Mausers were just to good to be true.

Then the Germans (WHY???) decided the 7x57 was to light and they changed to 8x57....any case the rest is history......again, it was not the Brits that won WW1, I think there is a continent known as North America (yes I believe the canadians went as well) that entered the war at some stage...and were them lads not shooting something called a 30-06...

Nah...don't piss in your pants boys....I give Fred a lot of mielies about his .303..(just like I bite guys who drives Landrovers)

Truth is there are to many of the old military stuff lying around being used as hunting rifles in Africa, and it has given the calibre a bad name.

I have seen it work magic in the right hands.....Enjoy....Personaly? I will never use it....the world has moved on to bigger and better things.....hahahaha

A minor historical point, but we (the US) did not enter WWI until 1917. Also, from the day WWI started, 1 August 1914, the Royal Navy's blockade, did not allow a single merchant ship to either enter or leave a German port. Guess they won down there too...jorge

My old gun guru used to say the Enfield shot 2" @100yds,2" @200yds and 2" @ 300 yds. It was because of the rifling and bullet weight combination. He was a dyed in the wool Mauser fan but he respected the Enfield and shot it well.

Thank you Jorge! I did not respond to the bullshit because he had a smiley face, so I figured he knew he was up to his hip boots in it.
Peter.