Reflections on this hunting season

Spoken like a man.

On this side of the Atlantic we have great admiration for the style and way and patience you guys display when hunting. My personal respect when I read about a shot NOT taken because a better representative example of the species did not show itself.

Member fnhunter13 shared a relevant experience with me by email: he had waited for that buck you heard but never saw. In the end his patience paid off and maybe he shall share the tale of those cold days with us.

Tracking: That is what gets us our game. Late afternoon scouting by the trackers to find the freshest sign and early morning re-confirmation and then following those, and then the joy of seeing it getting fresher..

"This was a great "first" season. I feel like a young man again with all the new experiences and learning opportunities. It wasn't just about the deer; it was the whole experience. I loved it and can't wait for next season."

Ah... the invigourating elixir of the adrenaline release of the hunt. To actually hunt and not only take a pot shot at an animal grazing at 400 yards and hoping to hit it. (Somewhere on its body). To pit the limited survival skills that were allowed to have been implanted in man against the hearing and smelling acuity of a herbivore.

I am not sure of deer behaviour in your part of the world, Erich, but here when hunting in the denser vegetation the 70-100 yard shot is common. Not too difficult to get to 100 yards or less on impala or kudu - the difficult part is to be able to slowly raise the rifle without attracting attention. No matter how carefully you do that he will still see it and gaze at the movement. Then the difficult part is in the four seconds left before he flees to do the same breath control as you do on the range, let the out-breath lower the crosshairs onto his heart and let the trigger-release pressure come at the proper moment - almost as a surprise. The calm, considerate kill at the moment of truth. "The Heart of the Hunter"

I hope you will have many unique experiences of the hunt on that lease.

The longest shot I'd be able to take in my current stand would be about 100 yards. I'm in a draw with alot of thick brush. The deer I looked at were anywhere from 60 to about 80 yards. There are a couple of clearings that might be a little more but I'll have to scout those in the offseason and make sure I'm not in someone's field of fire. I think someone else has a stand near the field closest to me.

I brought up my rifle to take a shot at the does at first. Everytime they'd look at me, I'd freeze till they went back to feeding. I finally got a good look through my scope and decided not to shoot. Next season, I'll probably take that shot for the meat but this time I just wanted to wait to see what else would show up.

I have only seen Georgia from the air - and that was only Atlanta. Inbound from Johannesburg for Miami, Florida, and outbound on the opposite route again.

As you guys wind down from the season and get your bodies warm again after grinning and bearing it out in the cold, we are gearing up for hunting which starts in May. Last week had a country-wide heat wave with daily temperatures around 104-110. Back to normal now with below 100.

On Monday 15th Feb. my partner and I are doing a four day travelling-working session to check out some Cape buffalo areas in the Northern and Central Free State Province.

I need to re-sight my .303 Brit (Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.1) with 150 gr. Peregrine VRG-4 expanding bullets. About 2,700+ ft/sec as the early season will be with hunters after plains game (blesbok, blue wildebeest and gemsbok at about 200 yards.

Someday I hope you can visit the state. Although I hunt in central GA, I live near Savannah, a fascinating city with it's roots in colonial times.

I learned I need different gloves and better boots for the late season here. It's not frigid but sitting for hours in a tree at 20 degrees F does wear on you. I'm hoping to go out west at some point to hunt for elk so I'll need to acquire some decent gear.

I'm curious about the .303. I've heard the original versions had issues with their action but that later versions were so smooth that German soldiers thought they were facing machine gun fire when assaulting a section of trench manned by a well drilled British rifle squad.

I once sat for 4 hours in the open while it was snowing and the temperature at -15 degrees in Colorado at 7,500 ft. elevation with a client from Pennsylvania waiting for elk...

Initially I was surprised at the amount of negativism I encountered on the other forum regarding the .303 Brit. Here is a thread I started which became the most popular thread in the history of that forum until the band of six colluded to break it up:

https://www.shootersforum.com/rifles-rifle-cartridges/107081-underrated-three-oh-three.html

Invariably the negative comments are from individuals who had never owned a Lee Enfield. The action was butter smooth from the Mk.3 No.I to the latest No.4 Mk. II. Never any issues on that action and it is at least as strong as any military Mauser (which we revere here as you may know). More than 17 million rifles built over a span of 80 years and still in everyday use here in South Africa, Canada and Australia.

It is a true controlled feed action and indeed the fastest bolt action ever made - the reason being the uncanny smoothness assisted by the cock on closing as well as the perfect position of the bolt handle. I think an Australian guy holds the world record for the fastest bolt action shooting with a No.4 Mk.I: something like 26 (or 36?) rounds into a man size target at 200 yards in one minute.

In the field it is about 90 ft/sec slower than the .308W with similar bullet weights. The latter cartridge is by far the most popular for big game hunting here, followed by the 30-06 / 7x57 / 7x64 Brenneke / .303 Brit. All are 100% and equally capable to kill any of the 12 elk size animals we hunt.

Lots of old womens' tales about the rear locking lugs but with no measured basis for that - it is a run-off from the Remington 788 which had premature wear problems on its little rear locking lugs which became a handy argument against the Lee Enfield by those individuals who find it incumbent on themselves to bash anything not made in the USA. Here is a photo of the 788 bolt:

and here is the Lee Enfield bolt:

and a sporterised rifle:

Here is another link about the .303:

https://www.bullet-behavior.com/the-lee-enfield-303

Well, now I'm really intrigued. I'm going to have to look for a rifle chambered in .303. Darn it!

Look for a Savage built No. 4 Mk. I. On the left side of the receiver it will have US PROPERTY stamped. Of course it was not "US property" but built under licence for England.

I have one of those Savage 303's. I might be talked out of it for the right price. But then, maybe not, heh.

Yes, the Savage #4s were part of the Lend Lease thing. One must be careful when looking for one, most of the Lee Enfield breed in the US can be quite worn out war brides. The last dozen of years or so here have seen a crop of #4 mk2 rifles on these shores. Made in the 50s, never seeing combat, most not even issued, and kept in storage - the bores can be quite pristine. Those models command a premium but will be worth it. The Lee Enfields tend to suffer from the days of picking one out of a barrel down at the local hardware store for under 10 dollars, but who wants such an ugly rifle when one of the iterations of the mauser looks more like a "normal" sporting rifle and with a bit of work it might just substitute for a factory Winchester or Remington for the initial outlay of 20 bucks or so. Besides, those "junker" Enfields just look too foreign......nevermind they were designed by James Paris Lee in the US. Oh, and certainly that weird 303 ammo is the equivalent to throwing rocks.

They are one of those "best kept secrets".

Erich, I think Tom's tongue in cheek observations above are very appropriate. I mentioned the No.4 Mk. I because I hunt with one here in SA and there are many many pristine specimen's available. The slightly reworked Mk. II will very well be your best choice.

Once you locate one communicate with Tom about what it looks like - and should you have any accuracy problems talk to me. Mostly if a No.4 has accuracy issues is is because the front stock had shrunk from drying out. The best way is to completely immerse it in RAW linseed oil for three weeks and then wipe it completely dry. It must not be exposed to the elements but stay immersed. Linseed oil darkens the wood which for the very blond Birch or Beech used for many No. 4s may be a good thing. Should you need to do that then both front and rear stocks need to be soaked.

Michael (fnhunter13) has seen my sporterised Lee Enfield (we simply call it a "Three-O-Three") but we had no time to shoot it because another client who had wounded a kudu with a lung shot used up the full day Michael and I would have spent on the range before his plains game hunts.

In the US Tom and I use Herters and PPU ammunition. Remington brass is too thin for reloading but Hornady cases are O.K.

Like they have done with most European calibres (ie. the 8x57, 7x57, 6.5x55) - SAAMI also suggests rather silly low pressures for the .303 Brit. I am presently loading Peregrine 150gr VRG-4 bullets to just touching 2,700 ft/sec, and 168 gr to just under 2,600 ft/sec with zero pressure signs. The 168gr Peregrine penetrates all the way through a blue wildebeest shoulder from 100 yards+.

The stores of Enfields in your country was of an entirely different nature from the way they arrived here - bought by the ton as war surplus therefore it can be a crapshoot unless one can inspect the rifle. Yes, ammo is not rare as the Herters (Cabelas) and Privi are available.

Oh, the Savage (US) and Long Branch (Canadian) made tended to have better finishing and tighter bore/groove tolerances. Not much but just a bit due to the wartime manufacture in the UK vs North America.

Now ya got me all wound up on the #4s.

I know of a military warehouse here with crates of brand new No.4s stacked to the roof - three rifles per crate if I remember correctly.

Well, that was before the government was given to the native majority, not sure if they will still be there.

I am a Mauser man and the .303 Lee Enfield was the rifle forced upon my folks after the Second English War while all Mausers were hated and confiscated by the British Imperial Government. Amazing piece of history that they confiscated and destroyed every Mauser from the Boers - and issued them with Lee Enfields and 1,000 rds free ammunition every year! Then came the Mk. VII 174 gr round for the .303 which after the war was only produced by PMP here in Pretoria and which must still be the most accurate 1000 yard ammunition no matter the calibre. Receiving 1000 rds of those for free every year the farmers of course used them for hunting as they did with the older 215gr which was used very successfully on elephant with frontal brain shots.

The new bullet immediately gave the .303 a bad name as a " wounder" - being designed with a light-weight nose filled with either aluminium or a wood filler. The rearward centre of mass was designed to keep the bullet stable below Mach one and the reason why it does not wobble at 1,000 yards. This however does make for a slight but consistent wobble above Mach 1.8. It tumbles on impact below 200 yards with lots of meat damage and poor penetration on a big animal shoulder.

That tumble on impact design was to prevent little calibre size holes through the enemy soldier's body; to make a massive wound and certain death. (If you ever get shot hope it is by an AK-47: the bullet makes a neat little, less than calibre size hole and zips through your body. Unless a critical organ is hit you will survive multiple hits - seen this many times during our war with Cuba in Angola).

The Lee Enfield proved to be a better battle rifle than any other bolt action including the Mauser and the .303 cartridge with well constructed bullets around 168-175 gr weight kills any elk size animal as cleanly with one shot as does the .308W - which kills as cleanly as the 30-06 / 8x57 / 7x57 / 7x64 Brenneke.

The action in my opinion is as reliable and as strong as the Mauser and markedly smoother. The large box magazine of the Enfield makes for more noise than the Mauser when the bolt is rapidly cycled but one hunts with a round in the chamber and the rapid reload after a shot does not need to be quiet.

The safety lever is naturally by the thumb as it should be. One smooth movement and completely quiet lock up with not the slightest possibility to cause a mishap.

Like the Mauser based rifles there is never ever a single issue with the Enfield action or the .303 cartridge - it is a very satisfying range and field combination.

Michael mentioned that he has a No.4. I know that every rifle he owns is in some way unique as he is not a man to simply do what other men have done but likes to experiment and come whatever elegant solution to meet a certain demand. Maybe he can tell us about that rifle.

Tom has a good eye and deep knowledge for a good Enfield (or Mauser or Swiss K31 or Springfields of all shapes) so he will and can answer any question off the cuff you may have.

Wow! Thanks everyone for the input. I'll start doing some looking and see what turns up.

Well I have two 303's actually. (Also a 1903 Boar War 7mm Mauser made in Spain that has been customized. Only the action and bolt remain after being case hardened.)

The Older 303 is Lee Enfield No1 Mark III. It shoots quite high and right so I use it as a wall hanger. I think they are pretty, not ugly by the way. I know if I worked with it, I could probably get it to shoot much better, but simply like it for what it is.

The other 303 is a US Savage made No 4 Mark 1 with an American receiver that has a different sort of bolt removal release than the British. It is in Excellent condition with all marks well defined, good bluing, Excellent bore and tight action. It shoots British military ammo quite accurately, but does not shoot the US made hunting ammo worth a darn. Except for the hard to find Federal ammo that is. I think many US makers use a 308 bullet, so naturally that does not work well with a .311 bore.

I have a micrometer target sight for it that I have never put on. Was thinking to use it in a military unmodified target match. Just never did it, although the site was deemed legal for the competition.

I did see Andries' very nice No.4 Mark 1 303. It looks like a real hunter's gun. These are capable of excellent accuracy, although not guaranteed.

One of my so so experiments was with an Enfield No 4, 2A Mark 1. Ok, this is an Indian Enfield made with Vanadium Steel in 308 caliber. Looked just like the other Enfields. This one did until I got a-hold of it anyway. The wood is a red mahogany from India, so I commissioned a stock sporting re-work rather than replacement. It's beautiful wood. Unfortunately it did not shoot well until I discovered the chamber to be a bit large. This being so to allow it to function better very dirty and fouled. Good for the military use I suppose. My solution was to get 100 count of Nickel plated brass and shoot squibs with them. Then I neck sized them and started searching for the best load. Ultimately I made a very tough and reliable 1 MOA rifle out of it and have used it hunting some.

Without coming across the wrong way....Both SAAMI & Enfield specs called for .314 grooves. With wartime tooling, that could go up to .317. I suspect that the US bullets are .310 or .312 due to the large number of Mosins here. US made ammo for "surplus" rifles is no good because of the liability issue in this culture. S&B, made in the Czech Republic, (also sold under the Herters brand) and Privi, made in Yugoland, would be well worth a try, I get either for $20 or less a box at Cabelas.. I have found both quite accurate from decent, non shot out, barrels. Oh, and a correction, the Boers did not use any Spanish made type 1893 mausers. By 1903, the hostilities were over. The 93s that they used were all German made.

Your Ishapore 2A1 is an interesting rifle with several possibilities. The mods seem to have certainly turned it into an accurate rifle.

My apologies to Erich for hijacking his original post.

Get Andries to tell you how he got the wood for his LE back.

Right. It's an 1893, not a 1903. Sorry. It is a Boar rifle as purchase by me some time ago. The mil ammo for the Enfield is either .311 o.312 per my micrometer anyways. And the Boars did use some Spanish made 7mm rifles. They are described in one of the history accounts that I have. It was in one of the first battles in fact. I seem to remember they were fronted by Spain maybe actually made in Germany. I have another receiver around here somewhere as well. It is a Loewe Berlim German made in 1894 for Brazil in this case actually.

They were based on the Spanish 93, not Spanish made.

We can agree to disagree.

I remember the history account saying they obtained the guns through a deal with Spain, but not if they were made there actually. So what you say is possible certainly. My Gunsmith was aware that it was not case hardened steel and cautioned me to the effect that even though he did it, the receiver might stretch. Thus he cut the chamber as short (minimal) as would just clear the gauge with the existing bolt. The rifle will not accept any untrimmed reloads, however shoots the Winchester 145g factory load at nearly 1/4 MOA.

On the Enfield, only the Federal ammo shot passably. I had another Lee Metford (it was one of the early ones after the Metford actually but it looked like it. The Nos and Marks are quite confusing right about then.) that would only shoot the Federals as well, but I sold it. It took a few nice boars for me. Was 30 years ago so memory is fuzzy., I know it was not a No1. Mark III, predating that.

That sounds like one of the "Long Lees", and you are correct, the nomenclature can be confusing.