Thread: SMLE 303

I have 3 older 303s. A dirty barrel is nearly always a pitted/rusted barrel. Yes they can shoot straight enough but deadly accurate is I suspect optimistic. A good 303 with a bright worn bore with some rifling is more use than any pitted bore. A bright worn bore will make a nice cast bullet rifle out to 150m with minute of dinner plate accuracy. You can kill a lot of deer with that. But you will need to reload. 303B brass, factory ammo and components are not as expensive as some think. But you can do better with 308. A good 303 with bright bore and scope mounts will cost you upwards from around $600, if you can find one. A 308 for the same money will give you a better rifle with better performance and a lot more options. A rough 303 is still a good utility rifle on the farm and in the stock yards but after that they are best for the ardent and the knowledgeable. I'll take a 303 to do a bit of goat shooting. But I would normally prefer a 308 (or 223) if I'm spending money to go deer stalking. Others will differ.