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Phoneguy
05-18-2007, 02:49 PM
Just starting hunting and my father in law is giving me his 303 with scope and double barrel 12 guage. He won't be using them anymore (lifestyle). I have not seen the guns yet but knowing him I imagine they are in excellent shape!

So I may have a chance this long weekend to go for bear. Is the 303 enough rifle, and what bullets would you recommend? Any other pointers are appreciated.

James

Steeleco
05-18-2007, 03:28 PM
If the gun hasn't been shot in some time, take it to a range and sight it in for yourself. The practice is always good and trusting someone that it's "on Target" is not always a good thing. The animals we hunt deserve as swift an end as we can provide. Winging a critter because the guns is 6" off will not be a good feeling, TRUST ME!!

Phoneguy
05-18-2007, 05:29 PM
I have printed a bunch of targets. May be all I do is punch paper. May not even get out. Lots of May be's this weekend. Hope something comes together. I have been along on hunts before, this is the first time I will have my own licenses and permits. Thinking of doing a day trip / overnight trip somewhere up the west side of Harrison.

bsa30-06
05-18-2007, 06:16 PM
I have printed a bunch of targets. May be all I do is punch paper. May not even get out. Lots of May be's this weekend. Hope something comes together. I have been along on hunts before, this is the first time I will have my own licenses and permits. Thinking of doing a day trip / overnight trip somewhere up the west side of Harrison.


NO, NO,NO, NO, I hope i made that clear. Stay away from the Harrison area on any long weekend, there will be about a million weekend warriors flying around the back roads on quads and motorcycles and 90 percent of them will be drunk.I made the mistake of going there last may long weekend and turned around and came home when i saw the drunk guy hangin out the passenger window of a pick up truck.

Steeleco
05-18-2007, 07:07 PM
I'm with BSA on this one, local bush will be rife with IDIOTS, not everyone in the field is one, obviously, but there are plenty.

It will be hard to find and area that's not seeing a ton of activity of any kind. By all means go and explore, you may find a new spot or a new road, but don't hang your hat on getting an animal this weekend.

Phoneguy
05-18-2007, 07:28 PM
Thanks for the heads up re Harrison. For me a good day is getting out of the city. Seeing an animal is a bonus! Actually killing an animal, don't know. Other than a couple of grouse and fish never done it. Gotta try though. Even if I only get out, set up an informal range and kill some paper it will be a good day. Anything else will be an added bonus. We have a new to us travel trailer so I was thinking of taking it out for a test run too.

James

brotherjack
05-19-2007, 12:42 AM
So I may have a chance this long weekend to go for bear. Is the 303 enough rifle, and what bullets would you recommend? Any other pointers are appreciated.


I content that a 303 british will kill anything on this continent with relative ease; bears included. I've killed a bear with mine (it took 2 steps, and fell over dead), so I reckon I'm qualified to comment.

Winchester 180 grain PowerPoint's are what has always shot the best in any of the various .303's I've owned over the years. The bullets don't fragment (ie: stay in one piece), and expand nicely. I dug 168 grains of well mushroomed bullet out of my first bull elk. Bullet was mushroomed to over twice the diameter. Good stuff, I tell ya, good stuff!

Happy hunting.

Phoneguy
05-19-2007, 08:51 PM
OK, so the gun has arrived. It has a 10 round clip. I remember something about the clip only holding (3? 5?) bullets for hunting. Can anyone refresh my memory? Also, are there replacement clips and where should I get them? Also, is there a good site to research this beast? Thanks
James

ohno
05-20-2007, 09:19 AM
PG - I think the Enfield is specifically exempt from the 5rnd mag cap limit. (But I would advise you verify that) There is a thread on Canadiangunnutz regarding this. You can do a search. Also nutz is a good place to gather info regarding any FA.
O.

Wildfoot
05-22-2007, 10:12 PM
i got a No 1 Mk3 that I use. It is a great gun. and any bolt gun can have over 5 shot mag.
My Enfield still has the brass button on the stock for the British Royal Marines in WW1.

The secret compartment in the butt is pretty rockin too. Put some matches and a pocket knife and a whistle in there for emergencies

Phoneguy
05-24-2007, 10:42 AM
I have just read up on the Canadian firearms site, and had the BC govt confirm:

For BC regs, whatever is legal in Canada is the same for BC.

Canadian regs limit semi automatics to 5 rounds. Bolt action is not semi automatic so there is not a limit. I would assume it would be the same for pump or lever actions. Shotguns are different....

This means I do not have to try and find a smaller magazine for my Lee Enfield No 4 Mk II Parker Hale!

James

.308win
05-24-2007, 09:24 PM
Just starting hunting and my father in law is giving me his 303 with scope and double barrel 12 guage. He won't be using them anymore (lifestyle). I have not seen the guns yet but knowing him I imagine they are in excellent shape!

So I may have a chance this long weekend to go for bear. Is the 303 enough rifle, and what bullets would you recommend? Any other pointers are appreciated.

James

Phoneguy, pretty sure the .303 will serve you fine, my dad as been using a Parker Hale remodeled .303brit, for about 37yrs. My dad and uncle have been successfully drawn for moose tags for the past 24yrs(back in NF) and has taken Moose and bear from 20-300yrds with no problems, and he only shots factory Winchester super X 180grn's.

Wildfoot
05-28-2007, 12:02 AM
i like the winchester super X 180g. I found that the cheap federal ammo marked up my reciever with brass colored crap. it was annoying to clean off.

Mattimoose
07-01-2007, 10:11 PM
X2 on the winchester CXP2 ammo. I shot my first moose with this ammo in a Ross Rifle, running at 70 yards and the bullet performed flawlessly with a double-lung shot. If someone were to ask you what caliber rifle has killed the most elephants, you'd be surprised to know it was the .303!
The No.4 MkII is the best and most-advanced of the Lee-Enfields and There are tons of aftermarket upgrades for-it; including composite stocks and one-piece, walnut stocks that require extensive gunsmithing but will leave you with a fast, light bolt-gun with the greatest available firepower of any bolt-action.
When I was a kid, the local MNR used to trap bears in the town of Espanola Ont. and let them go on the Lee Valley road that was not really far enough away. They were hard on my uncles' oats in the spring and when they started to show-up again in the fall, he reconnoitred the back 40 and decided to sit on the woodpile in the middle of the field just before dark. He let all the bears he could come-into the field before opening-up; and ended-up killing a Sow, 2 cubs, a small boar and a really big boar all in the same seating with a single 10-round magazine. The .303 Lee-Enfield can be manipulated, with practice faster than any other bolt-gun for 10 rounds, legally and is ballistically on par with the .308. It's no slouch and is still one of the best choices for big-game anywhere.

After dressing the bears and consuming half-a-dozen Beer, my uncle called my dad and I went-out with him and helped butcher them the next morning. The big boar was not recovered and was shot running full pin away from my uncle. The rest were well shot and I believe they were shot with Imperial Polymer-tip, 180-grain, posi-feed spitzer ammo but I could be mistaken. The big boar carcass was found after, and it apparently had wedged itself under a blowdown stump a couple-of hundreds yards from where it was shot. Pretty good for a No4 mk I with a Weaver K 2.5 in a Bishop stock.