Thread: Is the 303 obsolete?

Oh and if one worries about dinner plate size spray then just need to get closer, some of us just for fun hunt with robin hood paraphenalia

There's tidy sporter 303s that shoot as good as anything else if that's your preference. Cheap, but maybe false economy for a beginner. That said I'll never part with mine!

It's a tough one. Cheap 303s don't necessarily mean a good rifle. Big difference nowadays is there is bugger all cheap ammo about. Even winchester 180gr powerpoint is 80 nicker a packet. Not a lot to pick from. 30.years back it was a biggish jump to a second hand centerfire that was anywhere close price wise.
Nowadays not so much. Obsolete? Definitely not.
Cost effective, yeah well....

Originally Posted by csmiffy

It's a tough one. Cheap 303s don't necessarily mean a good rifle. Big difference nowadays is there is bugger all cheap ammo about. Even winchester 180gr powerpoint is 80 nicker a packet. Not a lot to pick from. 30.years back it was a biggish jump to a second hand centerfire that was anywhere close price wise.
Nowadays not so much. Obsolete? Definitely not.
Cost effective, yeah well....

Nothing is obsolete if you handload! My favourite rifles in the cupboard - .284W, 6x45, 30-40 Krag... but if you are shopping for something you can buy ammo for, then its a different story. Not sure 303 falls in the category where you can easily get hunting ammo commonly off the shelf any more. Probably hard to beat 308, 270 and 223 for that?

Shirt answer is yes.
Long answer is still yes but with more words.

Short answer is no. Long answer is not all all....same but with more words.

If you pure bush stalking,shots under hundy....of want cheap bail gun...will do job just as well as something else.you can still rebarrel a Mauser action 303 brit and then have ballistic twin to 308 all be it with piss poor bullet variety's.they still work.

Originally Posted by bjp

Nothing is obsolete if you handload! My favourite rifles in the cupboard - .284W, 6x45, 30-40 Krag... but if you are shopping for something you can buy ammo for, then its a different story. Not sure 303 falls in the category where you can easily get hunting ammo commonly off the shelf any more. Probably hard to beat 308, 270 and 223 for that?

A better word is obsolescence.
303s aren't going to disappear overnight but they aren't going to get more numerous either.

If you already have one there's obviously nothing wrong with them. But you'd be crazy to spend $1000 to rebarrel one, or even convert one to 308 (like used to be common) for a hunting rifle. Even spending a few hundred dollars mounting a scope and threading for a supressor isn't a good use of money when there are much better options available.

Service Rifle or target rifle sure, they'll stick around for a very long time.

I still want a 303 double.

Short answer is yee-s, but why does that matter? I have shot a bunch of deer with blackpowder .44-40's.

I have a .303 with an excellent bore that will shoot 1.5 inch groups with handloads and a peep receiver sight. It weighs 7.7 pounds. If you are happy with iron sights then I like them.

But with a scope and those big old mounts they had, then the Lee Enfields are really too heavy for me. So are the P14's.

I'll give your mate the same advice I was given, get a .243, it'll knock over everything you've listed out to 300m+ and it'll teach him how to shoot well. There's one on TM for $350 start with something like that, there's also a Franchi but I'm still on the fence on those!

I have a friend who brings deer home with a .303 and he loves it. But most good ones I see around are $300+ at that point I'd be putting a few more coins in and getting a 270 or 243. I've seen some parker hales around $400. Seen a zastava 270 go for under $500 recently.
But what gear he already has is a consideration I guess... I'd rather have a .303, good boots and a swanny than a 270, jandals and a hoodie haha

Currently he needs the lot, binos, pack, boots, ect. But getting a rifle and some basics will open up day hunting

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In that case I'd put money into good boots and socks, and a comfy enough second hand pack etc.... and let him carry your gun for a couple trips until he saves up some more $$$.
If heading out with a mate, you don't both need to carry a gun.
Just a thought.
I remember going out with terrible boots and an old metal frame pack and hating it

Yeah i agree 100%. My rifle is dialed so that covers that. I think the first part is just getting out there and catching the bug.

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