eagle27
(.400 member)
22/02/18 04:11 PM
Re: Hunting with the 303, please report

One of my first rifles as a teenager was a 303 SMLE Jungle Carbine. I loaded 150 grain bullets, mostly Sierra which are always a good performing bullet on red deer, probably any deer for that matter. Never saw a need for the 180 grain weight, possibly on elk, moose or big bear yes maybe, but the 150 grain at 2700fps MV or thereabouts should do everything required.

The 303 cartridge is often underrated when compared with other more modern cartridges but it performs well today with good bullets albeit the SMLE rifles don't usually have the accuracy potential as others.
Like many early hunters in New Zealand where the 303 has taken thousands upon thousands, likely millions of deer, my father often said that if he had had his BSA Hunter 7x57 and later his Shultz and Larsen 7x61 in his earlier years where he used an SMLE 303, he would have been able to hit and kill a pile more animals than he ever did with the 303. I think this was more a matter of bullets of the day rather than the cartridges themselves and of course scopes. The bullet of the day back then was almost exclusively military hardball with the tip filed or drilled to make a soft point.

Any of the bullets you list will perform well at 303 velocities.



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