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303 British?

fastcarsgofast
I was considering getting an SMLE, but being unfamiliar with the 303 British round wanted to know how it stacked up against military rifle rounds.
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10 comments

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  • BGHillbilly
    Depends on what you want to do with it. It is a good round capable of about anything. Problem is most SMLE rifles are worn out, used in both WWI and WWI then passed off to India or Afgan then returned to Briton and sold. Most have headspace issues and worn bores.

    Everybody needs one.
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  • 11b6r
    IF you can find one with a good bore- and good headspace (a chronic issue) they shoot quite well. Cartridge itself is a bit lighter than the .308, good at long range, moderate recoil. Milsurp ammo is becoming VERY scarce, except for some Pakistani stuff that has (for the most part) been poorly stored. surplusrifle.com has good info on a LOT of milsurp weapons.
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  • Ridgerider
    The 303 round has taken more big game in the world including Elephant and Tiger than any other round around. There are manufactures making new ammo for the rifle, Pri Partizan is one and as for head spacing thats one of the easiest fixes of any gun.The bolt head is numbered from 0-3 so bad head spacing with a 0 bolt head replace with a 1, 2, or 3 bolt head that just screws on and off. India made their own at the Ishapore facility and the Afgans copied it as well and known as the Kyber Pass special which should be left well alone. As for the British, Canadian, and the American (Stevens Savage)along with the Australian and the Indian rifles there are some very good shooting examples out there including on this site.
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  • Tailgunner1954
    How does the 303 stack up? Well back when men were men, ALL the military rounds used were about equil. Us, the Germans, Italians, Russians, British, Japanese and every other country used full power cartridges.
    The British, Italians and Japanese all used the 303 British as their main armorment in aircraft MG's
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by fastcarsgofast
    I was considering getting an SMLE, but being unfamiliar with the 303 British round wanted to know how it stacked up against military rifle rounds.


    Its not a slouch round. While its a LITTLE less powerful than most of the usual older service rounds (EG .308, .30-06, 7.62x54R, etc), its still pretty powerful.

    Anything you might do with a .308, you could do with this round.

    Unfortunately, as mentioned, surplus ammo is scarce to non-existent.
    Fortunately, given the historical popularity of the load, and quantity of guns made, commercial loads and reloadable brass are still being manufactured and are readily available.

    If you do want to reload, just realize that despite the ".303" name, the .303 bullets are actually a little fatter than the more usual .30 caliber rounds like the .308. I think it takes .312 bullets, which you would want to use for best accuracy.
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  • dfletcher
    There are plenty of very good No4 MkII Enfields out there, some made in the mid to late 50s have seen little if any use at all and are like new. I have a 1955 made MkII, looks like it was made yesterday.

    You can usually pick up a good No4 MkI for $250.00, main difference between the MkI and MkII is the receiver mounted trigger.

    The 303 is a fine round, keep in mind most of the older surplus is corrosive and the bullet diameter (for reloading) is not .308 but rather .310 - .312 diameter. I'd suggest reloading, keep an eye on your brass as the rear mounted lugs supposedly allow the brass to stretch a bit and reduce brass life. A 150 grain bullet about 2,500 fps would be a typical loading.

    A company named CadTechnik makes a neat little no drill scope mount for the No4 & No5, it's solid and doesn't rely on friction or require removal of your rear sight. Looks good too.
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  • fastcarsgofast
    Thanks for the help guys. I think I might be sold the 303 SMLE.
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  • armilite
    quote:
    USA
    24 Posts

    Posted - 10/29/2009 : 10:00:27 AM Show Profile Email Poster Reply with Quote
    The 303 round has taken more big game in the world including Elephant and Tiger than any other round around.


    You forgot about the part that it has also wounded more.
    The .303 is a good all around cartridge. What it does lack how ever are a good selection of hunting bullets. I've always had one lying around in one version or another. As far as power it fits in with pretty much every one elses military round at the time. If I were you I would go ahead and buy one, there a blast especially in the #5 Jungle Carbine.
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  • Spartacus
    agree with most of what's been said already.
    prvi ammo is good and the price is right. I actually think it shoots better than most of the milsurp out there. it's soft point which i like better for hunting.
    the No4 Mk1* is what i have. made in longbranch 1945. it's one of my most accurate long guns. right up there with the match garand at distance. be careful about the headspace though, the head bolts are getting very hard to come by, especially the #2.
    you can still find No4's in good shape for under $200, a bargain by my thinking.
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  • Riomouse911
    Other than a balky extractor and extractor spring, my lend-lease Savage No. 1 Mk 4 is a hoot to shoot. Low recoil and pretty darn accurate. I'd say the .303 is more along the lines of the .30-40 Krag than a .308 Win, but in any case in Canada it has been used for caribou, deer, moose and even smaller whales by Inuit hunters for many years. I think you'll like it once you get one and shoot it a bit.
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