Pre War .303 Lee-Enfield For Deer?

[@piobmhor8529]

I used my No.4 for years for hunting white tail deer in Canada, full military stock and original iron sights. It put a lot of venison on the table. Being that it was the only rifle I owned, I really didn’t know anything different. The .303 round is very capable of humanely dispatching a deer. A friend of mine decided to introduce me to a modern hunting rifle one season and leant me his Savage 99 with a Leopold scope. It was half the weight and did the same job. Needless to say, my No.4 is now relegated to the status of range toy, however I do take it out to my tree stand from time to time for old time’s sake. Great rifle.

[@guaporeturns9472]

Hard to beat a Savage 99

[@piobmhor8529]

@@guaporeturns9472 yes, it was a nice rifle. My buddy’s was a little beat up as it was in a house fire years ago and the butt stock got burned. His brother replaced it with a homemade walnut butt that was rather crudely finished. The scope was zeroed nicely and I got a nice six pointer with it. I considered buying it off him, but opted for a new Tikka T3 instead.

[@kootnygreen]

I've carried mine for 25 years now, including this weekend. Its been handed down 3 generations and soon 4. It has never missed a kill shot. Yukon Moose, Dall and stone sheep, bc mule and whitetail. Last year was a heart shot whitetail at 80. This year no luck so far. Still trying. I also carry a little single shot 22 cooey that I've had since 6 years old.

[@pitied3744]

​@@kootnygreenTrudeau: sir hand over your AR15 please

[@ziffification]

lol I posted an near identical post , glad to hear more Canadians having a similar experience

[@h0d632]

I think what’s great about this episode is it shows you don’t need to spend ££££ on a rifle/kit. Saying that though Lee Enfields have gone up in value tremendously.

[@mdog1615]

A decent condition Lee enfield of any variation is $1000 and up (mostly up lol) here in Canada. Most budget hunting rifles worth buying are in the $600-800 range and come with scope. I love hunting with my milsurps but they’ve surpassed the cheap gun stage here unfortunately.

[@Agri-WMH]

That Enfield is probably worth 3x what I paid for my bergara

[@flintironstag9983]

Hello from the US. A friend just took a white tail with a NO4 this past season. Really fantastic rifles.

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for watching, great stuff!

[@Landsersajer]

I am canadian this was my first rifle that i got from my father at 9 years old.. my grand-father gave it to my father who gave it to me… this rifle is my most precious possession

[@seanbrennan3885]

It is surely a family member by now.

[@geoffspitfire5160]

Here in New Zealand the old .303 is still in common use with hunters and range shooters. Fitted with a non drill mount and scope they are good for a lot longer range than 100 yds! My go to is a No. 5 (Jungle Carbine) used for the last 40 odd years and no problems. They do the job just as well now as 100 years ago. Federal , Norma or PPC 150gr ammo is easy to get as well.

[@peterjones4442]

No doubt a scope adds a bit more accuracy at longer ranges. Thanks for the comment Geoff.

[@IngenieurAerospatia]

Yeah, 303 gets a lot of love in the commonwealth countries. My 303 loves the 150gr stuff too. sub 1-MOA at 100m. He's probably getting 4in groups because of stocking up - SMLE with attempt at 'free floating' will usually result in results like that.

[@garycarlin4732]

good old NZ , my N04mk1 with 3-9x40 scope is good at 1000m, No1mk1 and No1mk3 good up around 750 with iron sights my older ones 1896 mk1 carbine around 3-500, martini enfield artillery carbine 2-300m, all fully wooded original

[@garycarlin4732]

still use my 1896 Mk1 carbine, still going strong

[@heccsclips3319]

i love the Enfield .303 is not very common here in the states hard to get a hold of

[@opsoverseas]

Bought one of these for anti piracy options for some friends sailing back to Holland from Oman, local souk took 60 rials off me for one, ammunition was a faff, Russian. 303 copies. Did a bit of basics with the sailors, and off they went. No dramas en voyage and they stripped it to bits and scattered it into Rotterdam harbour before arriving! A solid bit of kit, but not sure I'd use one for deer, no sights, no moderator, and a big brass buttplate to smack me squarely in the shoulder each time. Nice to have the bayonet option though....lol

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for sharing Simon, great little story! Perhaps you'll tell CDS readers more about that sometime.

[@arthurmcbride1235]

They kill deer just fine. Still do now, even the biggest stags, and distances greater than 100 yards too.

[@starwarsraul13]

The .303 is basically a .308 win with a rim. .308 kills a good amount of deer. So yes the .303 will kill as much as it's the same cartridge

[@wes326]

My first deer rifle, bought it out of a barrel in a pawn shop around 1978 for $35. Wish I still had it. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheBeaker59]

I shoot a No4mk1* Longbranch as issued I have hunted with it and take it on all my hunts though usually as back up rifle (I prefer to use a bit more accurate rifle as some shots are up to 300m in our countryside) But it is an awesome plinking rifle particularly with the mild cast lead loads I make for it 200gr hollow point at 1700fps has plenty of energy and stopping power for large deer though I mainly use it for feral goats. What most people don't realize is how delightful they are to shoot one of my favorite things is to take young guys down to a quarry I manage hand them the 303 and a hundred rounds of ammo and just let them have (safe and controlled) fun.

[@daviddavey1727]

Known to take game even larger than deer. A favorite in Canada

[@smartypants5036]

I purchased a .303 Enfield that had been built as a project for training from brand new parts out of a military armory. The wood work was fully sported out and light weighted. The rifle had 10 rounds through it before I got it. What a great but a little short weapon fitted out with a good scope and rail. I hand load for it with QUALITY sport bullets designed for the .303 bullet speeds. It is a very capable deer weapon.

[@rupertmcnaughtdavis3649]

Nice to see a fellow South African in action! 303 is an underrated caliber.I have shot duiker, mountain reedbuck, springbuck, blesbuck,fallow deer and bushbuck with a 303,all with open sights.

[@tristangallagher2035]

Absolutely. I shot my first deer and many subsequent ones with a 1913 BSA made SMLE. No I MK III. The rifle is absolutely accurate enough, and the cartridge is very effective for quick, clean kills on large deer. Canadians hunt moose with them, and carry the No 4 mk2 for bear protection in the far North.

[@MrWadeant]

Love seeing the old war horses out and about, I am hopefully going to take a red stag with my 1943 No.4 (full wood, and irons) here in NZ towards the end of October. Just one small point, you are both British are you not? They are stags and hinds not bucks and does, the secessionists over in the states can go look up the meaning! :P Long live King Charles!

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks Mr Wadeant, good to hear from you and thanks for watching. In fact, CWD, Roe, Muntjac and Fallow are referred to as Bucks and Does and Red & Sika as Stag and Hind. Hope that clarifies the issue. Good luck with your hunt for a Red Stag!

[@MrWadeant]

@@peterjones4442 well there we go, today I learned! Thank you for the info :D

[@grayharker6271]

True story, In the late 80s a friend of mine had a room mate in North Carolina. His roommate bought an Enfield and a box of corelocks from Rose's Department store for $89. A few months later he needed some money so he sold it to my friend. He took it home to Wisconsin at Christmas. He gave it and the box of rounds to his father. A few days later, his Pa took the rifle, cleaned it and took it deer hunting. He saw a good size buck silhouetted on a rise,drew a bead and shot it. What he didn't know was there was a doe standing on the other side of the buck. The bullet dropped both of them where they stood! He took the rifle and the box of ammo missing one round, put in the gun case. And as far as I know its never been fired again!

[@BSA-AirRifle-Plinking]

An incredible story

[@johnclark1925]

This is a great episode, I think I have watched it over a dozen times over the past year it has been out. Really interesting, the rapid shots, the history, the view from someone knowledgeable but not having handled one before and then of course the iron sighted shot. Bravo. ❤️🏆

[@Double-xposure]

I'm from India & this is the first rifle i saw in real life when i was kid

[@sgtmajtrapp3391]

Have been a fan of the No.1Mark 3 Lee Enfield since I was a kid during those great days of surplus rifles 1960's here in the United States. I STILL have one in outstanding condition, over those many decades I have hunted periodically but especially in my teens with a .303, as have some of my hunting buddies along with my brother and his son. My brother killed a wild boar with an original No4 Mark 1 as did his son with a No5. Enjoyed seeing that .303 in the deervwoods, brought back memories with the No 1 Mark 3.

[@peterjones4442]

That beautiful old, full stock, looks great against the green of the woods doesn't it. Thanks for watching.

[@mirandahotspring4019]

Thousands of ex army .303s were used in New Zealand for deer hunting. The excess wood was usually stripped off, a sniper pad and a telescopic sight added and that was it. I know many people who even used military ammo, just grinding a few mm off the tips of the bullets to make a poor man's hollow point! Best one was the later Jungle Carbine, the woodwork was already cut down.

[@CountydeerstalkingCoUk]

Thanks for your contribution!

[@Notyourphone.]

I really can't agree more with your respect of firearms and the proper way to use them.

[@samhunt9380]

The .303, many of them from pre WW1, were issued to New Zealand Forest Service deer cullers from the early 1920's until the early 1960's, when I was issued one. Cullers accounted for about 30 million deer in that 40 years. Enjoyed the video, subscribed. Cheers.

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for your input Sam, super interesting stuff!

[@wildernesskiwi8749]

You beat me to it Sam. It’s possibly not an exaggeration to say millions of deer have been shot by .303s here in New Zealand.

[@raleighthomas3079]

A great, very interesting video! Here in the U.S. there are a fair number of 303’s used by hunters for deer hunting, mainly states bordering Canada. The Canadian’s still have a large number of 303’s still in use, picked up over the years from surplus stocks sold off at very reasonable prices. Very effective on deer, moose, etc. I’ve fired them with friends but not owned one myself, I would love to find a Mk-4 at a reasonable price, knowing they are not cheap anymore regardless. Just found your channel, very good content and interesting to learn about hunting in the UK! Thank you!

[@peterjones4442]

Great to have you on board and thanks for the comment.

[@Afro408]

A 303 for hunting? Hell yes!! A 215gr round nose, soft nose Woodleigh bullet from the old 3oh, is nearly as good as the venerable.318 Westly Richards. I used a No 1 MkIII carbine for hunting pigs etc, for years and it never failed to deliver the bacon. 👍😁👏👏👏 I currently own a HRBCo Martini Henry actioned .303 and the bore is still in VG condition. I have used it for target shooting and now enjoy shooting it with cast lead projectiles. 😁

[@mobilegoat1]

Just about every home in Newfoundland and Labrador had a 303 Lee enfield rifle for hunting moose and caribou .

[@kenlansing1216]

Even considering it's refinished, that rifle is in beautiful shape!

[@petemacfarlane6478]

Thanks from Tasmania for another great short film Peter. Especially appreciative that all safety, sustainablity and humane practice aspects are included in the footage. I've a faint, somewhat romantic notion to use an old 6.5x55 Carl Gustav for deer stalking, but where I stalk (for Fallow) it is often 'a long shot or no shot', so the scoped rifle will keep going into the gun bag for now.

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for the comment Pete and for watching, I have to be honest, I find it easier to get closer to Roe and often find that my shots on Fallow are rangier!

[@BushyB9883]

I’ve got a 1942 M38 Husqvarna and a 1921 M96 Carl Gustav both in 6.5x55 in W.A. Very accurate rifles. The Gustav was drilled and sporterised with a scope long ago and the Husky is stock. I prefer the Husky for general use and putting down cattle on the farm. The scoped Gustav is great at long range though.

[@FatGuyBiking]

My first deer rifle was a New in Box Lee Enfield no. 4 (Jungle Carbine) in 303 I bought this rifle when I was 12 for $50 at the time I didnt know the significance of the box with oiled paper and I burned it but I still have this rifle to this day. The No. 4 had a reputation for terrible accuracy however I must have got a fluke because the first deer I got with it was at a little over 200 meters on a powerline and drilled it through both lungs and severed the arteries going into the heart. I have since retired it of course and its become a safe queen and use a cheap Savage axis in 308 for deer. At the time (90s) the only ammo I could find were remington core-lokt round nose FMJ which I was never a fan for deer hunting and would usually blow right through and the deer didnt even know it was hit. Ive probably took about 6 deer with that rifle and every single one ran at least 100 meters before expiring. The last time I used it I had someone load me some ballistic tipped bullets and first shot dropped the deer instantly and it was a bad shot a little further back but because the bullet expanded the shock from that dropped it. After that season I switch to a 30-06 with some optics but I take out the 303 every couple years and run a magazine through it.

[@gavingaming123]

Nicely done lads, smoothest bolt and cock on closing ensures a rapid rate of fire. James Paris Lee the inventor of the rifle was born in Hawick here in the Scottish Borders. Three generations of my family used the various models and marks of the Lee Enfield and due to them being good /lucky soldiers I'm here today. Thanks for sharing. Best. GD

[@CountydeerstalkingCoUk]

Pleasure Gavin, thanks for watching.

[@lawrencehudson9939]

The Canadians to our north still have a large following for 303 Enfields. The game tend to be larger and many of the Enfields have been sporterized and now mount rifle scopes but the 303 with appropriate expanding projectiles can handle any game in North America. I have taken deer with my grandfather's 1903 Springfield. Nice program.

[@Glimpsedshow]

I bought a 1944 Lee Enfield for £150 and refurbished it, including polishing the trigger etc. I now have a classic 1970's x4 scope on it and hand load 150grain soft points - used it on a good few deer. great rife.

[@peterjones4442]

Incredible value for money. Thanks for the comment.

[@Glimpsedshow]

@@peterjones4442 Mines currently about 1.5 MOA - It could probably do better if I optimised the hand loads and used better bullets. At the moment i'm just using random old brass (my current brass is origional stuff from the 1940's I got it from a mate that works at the imperial war museum in Leeds) and some bargain .311 PPU soft points.

[@peterjones4442]

@@Glimpsedshow certainly good enough for cavity shots on deer at reasonable ranges.

[@cg_justin_5327]

I hunt deer with my 1924 Mosin Nagant with iron sights. Its does EXACTLY what it says on the wrapper.

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for the comment, that's another interesting old piece. I have to say I do like stalking in close and like you, enjoy using iron sights.

[@USMC_BABE38]

this is a great riffle i can't complain about it! i have several in my gun safe i will not own anything else but the 303 brit! Thanks for posting!

[@bobjohnson7207]

I was at the range with the old Lithgow which has never lost a match. Yeah there's better modern rifles that have fallen to the old beauty. A young fellow at the range asked what it was and he said the oh the 303 British is the perfect cartridge. Hi praise indeed.

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for the comment Bob

[@karlheinzvonkroemann2217]

Any WW1 or WW2 bolt rifles are great for deer. They are just about all .30 caliber or close to it. The K98k Mauser is .323 caliber, the Russian 7.62mm is .30 calibler, the Italian Mannlicher Carcarno in 6.5mm is 30 caliber. The Japanese Arisaka in 6.5mm and the type 99 in 7.7mm again are in the .30 caliber range. Perfect for any kind of Deer, in Europe or North America. Most of the rifles used the WW's are still plentiful and pretty cheap. Nobody should be surprised that these rifles still work. They've mostly been rearsenaled at least once unless they were Vet bring-backs. In the later case a thin coat of oil and keeping the barrels clean after shooting is all they ever need.

[@MatthewCEBamber]

I'm from the UK and really didn't know hunting was a thing here 🤣 love the channel and subscribed.

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for the comment, please feel free to get in touch if you fancy giving it a go!

[@hellishcyberdemon7112]

@@peterjones4442 I thought in the UK hunting was seen as exclusive for the lords (the 1%, people in gov, lords who own castles) and not for dirty peasants (the 99%, everyone else who lives in a flat or a regular house)

[@EmpireSafaris]

I still use 303 here in New Zealand, I load 308 bullets as there aren’t a large range of 303 bullets

[@allenlarabie8854]

Love the show... great content and great rifle...👍🏼👍🏼

[@pfcparts7728]

The sun may have set on the British empire, but it never sets on the Lee Enfield, from Canada to South Africa, it still serves today.

[@BashingBambi]

I started stalking with a 1917 BSA SMLE in 303, that and my 1907 Swedish cavalry carbine have filled my freezer many a time

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for the comment and for watching.

[@pauldogon2578]

A great rifle with a still relevant cartridge, it has and can take down a wide variety of game, it's been around since the age of black powder and has fought a good few wars as well as putting food on a lot of tables as a hunting rifle.

[@MrAwesomal]

cool fact: up until 5 or so years ago the lee enfield was still standard issue for The Canadian Rangers

[@pierevojzola9737]

Hi, an interesting display of a mad minute shooting. I am now 86 and served for twenty years in three different armies so obviously I am very experienced with this rifle in the long and short barrel as well as the Bren. We were taught to stay in the aim when using the bolt to feed a new round. I saw the young ex Marine coming out of the aim, thats wrong. When we changed to the FM the method was naturally very similar. What did happen was that the new generation of soldiers brought up on SLR’s got through much more ammunition than the old sweats who started on the Lee Enfield. This was very apparent in the Radfan in 64 when 3 Para unexpectedly went through our ammunition in just a few days. Got a bollocking from the CSM! Good rifles and even better with a Bren barrel to convert it to a sport rifle. On discharge from the army in NZ in 71 we had a chance to pick them up for NZ$10 each, but they sure were worn out. Some Indian police force’s still use these rifles that were made in India under licence. Cheers mate. Harera

[@jmukadventures]

wow that gun is a thing of beauty.

[@thendnjedi1388]

i picked up an enfield that was converted to a sporting rifle, however the barrel wasn’t cut and it retains everything except for the wood, and i just picked up all new pieces and the nose cap and all of the other bits. when the weather permits i’m gonna redo the entire wood and refinish it and she’s gonna look like she did in the day beautiful gun

[@peterjones4442]

Sounds like am enjoyable project. Best of luck!

[@thendnjedi1388]

@@peterjones4442 thanks! i hope it goes well, i’m so glad it wasn’t cut at the barrel or tapped for s scope. it’s always good to find a rifle like that that wasn’t touched

[@Spocklee]

my pops hunted with one of these when i was a kid. good memories rip dad 💚

[@reloadnorth7722]

If a 22 Magnum or a 223 can harvest a little deer, the 303 is more than enough to do the job. I still use my 1942 Longbranch for moose here in Canada ( I also use a 308 WIn ). A few other hunters I know also use the 303 from various years, all with great success on moose, bear, caribou, etc. I am also a Canadian Infantry veteran, so owning this rifle that was made in Mississauga Ontario at the Longbranch Armories fills me with great pride. Stay safe and happy shooting.

[@garysmitherman]

What an interesting video. I learned to shoot full bore as a 13 year old Army cadet on the 303 mk 4 . What a kick for a 13 year old boy as I was back then. Fired all sorts since then. Well done.

[@MrTremewan]

My first deer hunting was with a 1915 .303 SMLE. It did the job well. The only negative I remember is the weight -- that iron bayonet lug must weigh more than a pound all by itself.

[@jimf1964]

Untold thousands of moose were taken, and many still are , up here in canada with these. Hardwear stores or sporting goods stores used to literally have barrels filled with them after the wars, and sold them for next to nothing. They’re even being used in Afghanistan nowadays. In fact they make copies of them. Many came with far better sights than what you’ve got. Perhaps it was pre or early war production over late war.

[@williambarnes4612]

Those things are deer killing machines. Seen a lot of them in the Michigan woods back in the seventies 😮

[@stephanegauthier8895]

I used a 303brit for moose (canada).

[@davidhowe7844]

I love how theres a question mark on the end of the title like "we're not sure if it'll work so lets see" meanwhile folks here in canada have been using 303s for everything from whitetails to moose for decades

[@derekheuring2984]

Still a few Lee Enfields used for hunting in Canada but definitely not as common as when I went on my first hunt in 1966 which is a shame since the cartridge/rifle combination is perfect for Black bear, deer, elk and moose if you don't push the range too far. By the '90's I had hung up my milsurps for hunting purposes although I still handload and participate in Service Rifle matches.

[@Subtleknife12367]

I currently only have a shotgun but am planning to add a Lee Enfield to the collection within 5 years. Its always been a dream of mine to own one and use it for hunting.

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for watching, if you are looking to make the transition from SGC to an FAC then keep us in mind, we'll be happy to help.

[@tealforce1]

What a great show today Funny enough I have just purchased a Lee Enfield number 4 and have it for deer stalking. Want to use open sights and get back to basics what better than the Lee, well I guess I could buy a Rigby highland stalker but the good lady would not be best pleased when she found out how much it was Keep up the good work

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for the comment and good luck with the Lee Enfield, great to hear that other people are choosing to stalk with these fabulous old rifles!

[@hypoSPEED666]

I have a 1941 lithgow no1mk3 and with handloads my best is right at 2 inches at 100 yards shes definitely a keeper and is my new rifle for hogs

[@TheGrenadier97]

The Lee-Enfield family are definitely the best bolt actions battle rifles around.

[@kafferhond435]

The Lee Enfield 303 has likely taken more game in Southern Africa than any other bolt action rifle. To this day, you will be hard presses to find a farm in Namibia without a "three-oh-three" in the gunsafe. A good many venision hunters still use sporterised Enfields.

[@peterjones4442]

Hard to believe that they are still going after all these years, but with so many in circulation, I suppose its to be expected. Thanks for watching and for the comment!

[@kafferhond435]

@@peterjones4442 Some of the .303's with shot-out barrels were re barreled by Musgrave in South Africa to 6mm Musgrave. Basically, its to the 303 what the 243 is to the 308. Neck the .303 case down to .243 / 6mm, Et Voíla. Ballistics were close to the 243 Win. Flat shooting calibre for those loooooong shots required in some some areas of RSA and Namibia.

[@peterjones4442]

@@kafferhond435 its been an education! Thanks for your input.

[@biocrystals7550]

what a gorgeous piece of British history. I was wondering, have you been deerstalking as long as you were in the police force? If so did you find it difficult to balance this job/hobby with a career in the police?

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks for watching and the question. I served in the police for a little over a decade, but grew up on a farm, so have been shooting and hunting since I was a boy. It was only when I left the police that I turned my hobby into a full time job.

[@pleaseleave2live]

@@peterjones4442 same here, I'm using BSA 303 and I take any game from duiker to kudu bull

[@maxwelm7408]

There are are lots of police officers who shoot game :)

[@maxwelm7408]

@@peterjones4442 I’m still serving :)

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

Love shooting any 30 cal. Was brought up with the 7.62 in my service days, now shoot a .308 and a club 303. Shot a very similar nr4 on an mod range at 600 yds and 3 shots from 5 on target with open sights! Really it was a reasonably accurate 300 yd weapon in standard trim. For deer Stalking it would be a great rifle except dusk and dawn when open sights are compromised but you would struggle finding a deer legal bullet. Great channel by the way😊 One question….why the PDS1 when we already have the DSC1 promoted by the basc? Like many others, I did the dsc1 and found it informative and worthwhile even though I’d been hunting for over 30 years when I took the course. What a responsible and refreshing change to make such a great case for the sustainability and conservation angle. Far far more sensible to garner support for this activity from the public. Trophy hunting vids do the exact opposite😉

[@rundllx3228]

what was great about this episode was that the vocal audio was only on the right

[@serverlan763]

Tens of thousands of deer were shot with .303 SMLE rifles by cullers in NZ. They are still used today for the same thing.....

[@David_Quinn_Photography]

happy to see 2 Englishmen enjoy a great sport that also helps feed a family with a classic mass-produced rifle just wish ammo was more available to you guys, 303 Brit is not available like 223 Rem is but 303Brit is at least a shoulder width on the shelves at my local gun shop.

[@antonditt1661]

Great content, thank you! Greez from the Mauser country ;-)

[@peterjones4442]

Pleasure, thanks for watching.

[@cheesefries7436]

What a beautiful forest

[@jusportel]

I used my 1911 SMLE in stock form for many years… Still do, in fact. Accounted for many deer, and keeps me safe in bear country.

[@sopwithcamelus]

The Lee-Enfield, regardless of Mark, is a classic.

[@jimbojet8728]

I fired the .303 at the Severn Tunnel Ranges when I was about 12 or 13 yrs old as a member of the Army Cadet Force. The rifle was very intimidating at that time, but I enjoyed firing it and did quite well if my memory serves. I joined the Army later and used the SLR 7.62 rifle. Which I never became any use with. I wanted to do well with it but just couldn’t get it shoot straight. Oh well, that’s how it was. I enjoyed this vid, it’s been interesting. Thank you.

[@aaronwilcox6417]

Those never gained much popularity in the states but i used to see them here and there in the 70's and 80's but not so much now. Our Canadian neighboors to the north were fond of them but even that is waning and today the dominant player seems to be the Tikka rifle.

[@allandobbs7059]

I’ve had three No 4’s but no SMLE .I had a Longbranch No 4 (2 groove rifling) and two Parker Hale Sporter conversions.The No 4 outshot the Sporters!About 11/2” at a hundred yards with Winchester 170 gn SP ammo!👍I used Greek Army surplus for range use !🙂

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks Allan, I'll pass this on to Paul, you guys clearly know more about these old rifles than I do!

[@sorshiaemms5959]

THEY work good on moose too

[@seanbrennan3885]

I had one for a short while, made at the Lithgow Small Arms Works back in the 80s.It was in good condition considering, I believe it was used in Korea. A little problem with reloading ammo., where there is a will, there is a way, getting the Burdan primers wasnt the easiest job but I managed. Instead of using the military charge, I used A R 2201 powder, that powder now superceed by the same manufacturer, big improvement on the military charge, Cordite I think, Smkles Powder a lot cleaner and better on the barrel, Burdan Primers were a problem, Mercuric caps. All firearms need to be cared for if a good service life is required, without exception, particularly when using some of the earlier charges and primers. At any rater, I moved up to a K98 Mauser, Belgium Made in 30 06 Cal. Lovely heavy rifle, I knew I had been humping something around at the end of the day, my place is quite hilly, ranging from 612mts to 855mts and around 7kgs gets a little on the heavy side at the end of the day. Both the Lee Enfield and the Mauser, I had Bayonets for, Wild Pigs can get a little angry when wounded close in unless you can get another shot into them, sometimes the dogs may get in the way if you are useing them, I prefer the cold steel, quick and easy.

[@skwidthecrayfsh34]

Use the middle finger as trigger finger, keep the index at the bolt handle, speeds you up a bit

[@normann4016]

good results and speed !

[@dalanwanbdiska6542]

Got many deer with the old sporter 303 british no1 mk3 with open sights or else the no4 mk1 with a scope , 6x . Sporter rifles of coarse. They shoot very well and are used for elk and moose hunting. My bro uses a Ross mk3 M1910 straight pull 303 british with peep sights. He hit the same hole at 500 yards with his mk3 ross rifle.

[@mattyallen3396]

100,000's of deer shot in kiwi land with these. Hell... I was feral goat culling with one yesterday

[@peterjones4442]

Apparently, over the years more game has been shot with this rifle than any other. Pretty rare in the UK these days though. Thanks for watching!

[@PitPwny]

Took my first elk with a No.1 mark III. Thing was over 100 years old at that point.

[@australianmade2659]

It’s a heavy rifle but the recoil is not too much. It certainly takes more skill to use an open site rifle like this. 303 is certainly a great round with an epic history

[@robertladd6762]

my first deer rifle at age 16 was a 303 enfield i was deadly with it,think i got 6 deer and numerous prarie dogs

[@michaelgmcauliffe]

A bit of overkill for the 303 british. it packs almost as much power as the 308!!

[@peterjones4442]

You are right, not far off the .308. The deer doesn't mind overkill though.

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

Not quite, in fact .308 has a fair bit more mv and muzzle energy. I shoot both.

[@Mr_Itchy]

got mine for roughly 400, i swear by it to this day

[@chrischaplin8497]

Would love to have a go with one of these. My grandfather was a sniper in ww1 so probably used something like this.

[@moxapunk1]

Beautiful rifle right there. I'm saving for an Australian Lithgow made SMLE3* myself.

[@robertodebeers2551]

The 303 is well suited for deer. Something close to the 300 Savage, I'd guess.

[@camd2677]

Was told by my firearms officer that I couldn't have a .303 for deer, it was a purely target round... So I put in for a .308 and bought a Lee Enfield that had been converted 😂 idiots have no idea about guns!

[@WiltshireMan]

If you keep your head on the stock whilst cycling the action you can shave a few more seconds off that time

[@WiltshireMan]

PS Lovely old rifle:)

[@peterjones4442]

Agreed, Thanks for watching!

[@gregwilliams386]

On 9/26/23 in TN the No.4's are going for $650.00. Mostly Savages and Long Branches.

[@williamwilde9867]

Great gun

[@gradyhernandez4699]

Yes my first deer rifle was a 303 Brit

[@jesseDelisle]

Well,.. I’m not sure which mark mine is. It is stamped with a clear date.. 1917, with the British crown. It only takes 5 rounds. Unsure if that’s aftermarket or not. It is one of my most accurate rifles. Still sending rounds out to 600 meters constantly. I’m sure it could do more I’ve just never pushed it past that. I know she’s got a lot of history behind her and it’s traveled across the Atlantic at some point to make it here to America.

[@No1sonuk]

All Lee Enfields were made with external 10-round magazines. Yours might be an M1917 Enfield. They were made in the US, and are a mix of Mauser and Enfield.

[@Parfashrek]

Awesome content

[@peterjones4442]

Thanks Ollie for watching and for the comment.

[@paullindsey9721]

The 303 has taken more deer in NZ than all the other calibers put together

[@jerryg2073]

Savage Arms in the US also made No. 4 rifles - for the lend lease program.

[@Cdnvw]

Some of our units in the canadia armed forces still use the Lee Enfield. They are replacing them with a Tica rifles. Reason is they bolt action works in the far north. Much more reliable than a C8 (AR15 made by colt canada) in artic conditions.

[@No1sonuk]

IIRC, they're only replacing them because parts are hard to get, and they're not easy to resize for smaller users.

[@ziffification]

I have a No 4 mk1 Longbranch where all the best LE were built :) I also have my old deer/elk rifle which is also was a No 4 mk1 Longbranch that was butchered by globe arms into a sport model :( but it was still a good hunting rifle until I got a composite stock 308

[@MrAndy7316]

Try holding the bolt handle between the thumb and index finger and pulling the trigger with your middle finger, that’s how riflemen where able to achieve such high rates of fire

[@arthurmcbride1235]

No they didn't. Thats a modern internet notion. If you did that in the army they would have bashed on the side of the head.

[@jts1234]

they used to sell them and Mosin for 60 dollars at Big 5 20 years ago bought plenty

[@Sam-xw6sl]

Took my first deer with grandpas 303 enfield.

[@forestgrump2168]

excelent!

[@lenhowl]

Over the past 50 years or more there have been thousands of moose and caribou shot in Newfoundland with the trusty .303. Great hunting rifle.

[@TheFORUNNERGaming]

still plenty of 303's (mostly sporters) floating around the public land in NZ.