Just wondered the other day back to times when everyone had 1-3 of them under the bed, next to an entire crate of ammo or two, whether this is still the case?( or at least in the gunsafe these days). Not that it would be a very popular 'hunting choice' these days, is it still considered one of the most prolific calibres just in rifle numbers out there and bulk ammo available? If not what centrefire calibre holds the title as most common in aussie gunsafes now- 223,243, 308?

I don't recall the days you mention. My father only had shotguns and .22s on our farm.

Favourite calibres vary here depending on the state and game available. If the magazine ads are anything to go by, small calibres from .17 to .270 fill most needs. However, in Victoria (it's the smallest contiguous state but has the biggest deer) calibres like the .30/06, 338WM, 35 Whelen and 9.3x62 are almost as common these days - and several deer hunters I know prefer the .458 Win.

.22 Rimfire and 223 are most likely the most popular calibre across all of Australia followed closely by .308.

Would be plenty of 303's around, just not
shot as much. And cheap bulk ammo hard
to come by now.

Short answer, no not anywhere like what it used to be.

During the 50s to the 70s, there were a lot of 303s, and other modded SMLEs in hunting circles. If you look at photos of the old Sambar hunters, many of them were carrying sporterised 303s. And for decades, the 303 was the standard rifle for match rifle prone competition shooting.

When I started shooting in the 1980s (when you could buy guns and ammo at Kmart stores) 303 ammo in "disposals" and sporting goods stores was very common. 303s sold for $79 to about $99 from memory.

But from the 1980s onwards, shooters started moving much more to commercial rifles. As already noted, 303s are very much on the outer, and sporting rifles and cartridges are far more common today.