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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Rifles
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AussieHunter
.224 member


Reged: 29/08/07
Posts: 47
Loc: Outback, NSW, Australia
Anyone Own A .303/25?
      #111327 - 08/08/08 11:42 AM

Picked up a #5 Mk1 .303/25 the other day and i have not had a chance to shoot it yet. What type of game is this calibre capable of taking? I mostly hunt pigs and i hope it is capable of taking 40kg pigs at least.

Thanks for the help.

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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3591
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: AussieHunter]
      #111328 - 08/08/08 12:57 PM

AH:
They were the poor-mans .243 in their day.

Anything in the Australian bush capable of being taken with a .243 can be killed effectively with a .303/25, including small to medium pigs.

Pity the rifle was modified, as the original chambering is fine for pigs too! ...and unlike .303/25, factory .303 ammo is still common over the gunshop counter.

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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Oz
.224 member


Reged: 24/05/08
Posts: 39
Loc: Australia
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: AussieHunter]
      #111329 - 08/08/08 01:00 PM

G'day,
I've used mine a treat on roo's reaching out some because it shoots fairly flat, foxes for destruction not for the pelts. As for pigs, I can't see why a good shot wont take them down at a reasonable range but if you want to get up close and personal then I wouldn't use mine, it's set up with a scope and it's too long to swing around in a hurry. Just my ramblings, I have a Savage No5 Mk1 in .303 with the aperture sights and thy're easy enough to use.
Cheers
Oz

--------------------
Once upon a time, long long ago
there was a contented young woman
happy with the choices made by her husband

But it was only the once,
and it was a long long time ago

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AussieHunter
.224 member


Reged: 29/08/07
Posts: 47
Loc: Outback, NSW, Australia
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: Oz]
      #111332 - 08/08/08 01:36 PM

Thanks for the quick replies fella's! Marrakai, yes i am dissapointed that it was modified to .303/25, this rifle in the standard .303 would have been the perfect bacon buster with ammo readily available.

Cheers

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shinz
.300 member


Reged: 11/05/08
Posts: 135
Loc: New Zealand
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: AussieHunter]
      #111333 - 08/08/08 01:55 PM

AH, check out the rate of twist in the barrel, you'll need to have at least 1 in 10 or tighter to shoot 120 gr bullets in it, but 100 or 115 gr Nosler Partitions should be reasonable pig pills, unless as was suggested you're up close & personal. At 303/25 velocities 1 in 10 is getting marginal to stabilise some of the 120gr bullets out there.
Steve

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tophet1
.400 member


Reged: 15/09/07
Posts: 1873
Loc: NSW, Australia
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: shinz]
      #111334 - 08/08/08 02:26 PM

Virgin .303 brass will neck down ok with plenty of lube with a few slow passes into a die. With 87 proj's try 34.5 of AR2206 and/or 40grains of AR2209 for accuracy.

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bigger_is_best
.275 member


Reged: 16/01/07
Posts: 82
Loc: Australia
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: tophet1]
      #111338 - 08/08/08 03:31 PM

I have a bit of experience with them. In their day they were considered THE long range rifle in Australia. They were recomended for everything Australian except crocodiles and buffalo, though even the buf was considered fair game by some at that time.

Couple of points about the ammo. I

I favour running them through the 303-270 dies first, as I have destroyed as many as I make trying to go to 303-25 in one pass. Might just be that I am impatient and rush it, but seems to happen.
The neck seems to work harden badly also. I am in the proccess of pulling several hundred down for someone with a view to annealing the cases. Most were splitting on the first firing, and over time they have started to split without being fired. Accuracy has also been erratic, and I suspect this is due in part to the neck tension being all over the place. All were new commercial cases.

A final thing to look out for is old converted military brass. Much of this was created by pulling the bullet and sizing the case, complete with original cordite in place. Having seen much 303 being used on the range, I have observed missfires, hangfires, variations in the bang, and a strong ammonia smell from many of these rounds. They also tend to crack in the neck, the shoulder and along the body from the web. How a similar charge would behave in a significantly reduced bore is something I feel no need to experience personaly.

They were touted as the perfect kangaroo and dingo rifle for the open country. I would be happy to use it against most animals in Australia (not buffalo - some of those old blokes were a bit game in days gone by), as long as there was more hunting than shooting, that is get within range and put the bullet in the right place.

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butchloc
.300 member


Reged: 18/12/04
Posts: 230
Loc: faribault mn
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: bigger_is_best]
      #111365 - 09/08/08 06:17 AM

not 303/25 but i had one in 303/6mm - was a hellova round

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Newy
.224 member


Reged: 13/03/08
Posts: 10
Loc: Cooma NSW Australia
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: butchloc]
      #111387 - 09/08/08 02:02 PM

I have one comming its a 303-25 on a lee enfield #1 it will be rippa!
i have seen that highland have 303-25 brass it was advertised in the sporting shooter.
good luck with yours!

regards Newy

--------------------
And so here we are! Today is another day closer to not being here!

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Con
.333 member


Reged: 24/05/04
Posts: 261
Loc: Victoria
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: Newy]
      #111412 - 09/08/08 10:04 PM

Got to love the old 303 wildcats. I've got a P14 303/25, a No4 in 303/270 coming and another No4 sporter in 303British coming as well. One of the No4's will be converted to 303/35 in the coming months.
Cheers...
Con

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sbs470
.333 member


Reged: 15/04/04
Posts: 378
Loc: Sheffield Tasmania
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: Con]
      #111529 - 11/08/08 05:46 AM

I have one ,but not on a SMLE action.I built it up on a Ruger Number 1 action and put a heavy octagon Badger barrel and a 6-20 Leopold on top and a Harris bipod .Its a tack driver and will hold sub MOA out to 400 yards.Its a great duck rifle ,taking heads of at 200yds.I load 38 grains or adi 2208 with a 120 grain sierra hollow point boat tail The brass last forever.

good shooting
sbs470

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Marrakai
.416 member


Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 3591
Loc: Darwin, Top End of Australia
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: sbs470]
      #111575 - 11/08/08 01:34 PM

Quote:

Its a great duck rifle ,taking heads of at 200yds



...and this is legal where?

Oh, you must mean muscoveys on your farm......

--------------------
Marrakai
When the bull drops, the bullshit stops!
--------------------------------
www.marrakai-adventure.com.au

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sbs470
.333 member


Reged: 15/04/04
Posts: 378
Loc: Sheffield Tasmania
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: Marrakai]
      #111586 - 11/08/08 09:22 PM

and chickens

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MarinePMI
.275 member


Reged: 21/04/08
Posts: 92
Loc: San Diego, CA USA
Re: Anyone Own A .303/25? [Re: bigger_is_best]
      #111980 - 17/08/08 02:42 AM

BIB is correct. Going from .303 to .25 is a lot to neck down in one pass. Better to step down to .27 (as noted) and then .25. BIB is also correct, that this drastic of a neck down will work harden the necks, and they should be annealed before fire forming to the chamber.

While I am not an accomplished big bore shooter, I have spent quite a bit of time with sub-caliber wildcats and necking down many different calibers (some severely). Anneal, anneal, anneal...no sense in wasting your time making the brass, only to skip annealing and have the case necks split the first time...

I would think a .303 Redding bushing die would work well (just order the appropriate bushings to reduce the neck in different stages). Not real familiar with the shoulder position on this wildcat, so it may require a specific die to bump the shoulder back...

YMMV...

--------------------
MarinePMI

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