Need help to choose an Enfield in 303

[Mark375]

I use a 243 win, 375 H&H and a 470ne as my hunting rifles. However my first rifle, i used for a long time was a lee enfield in 303....
Out of nostalgia i would like to have a "sporterized" 303 again... (A nice one with new Stock, ect).... Will stay with open sights/no scope.
But which one to choose to sporterize? Mark4#1? Just fit a new barrel or look for one with an exellent bore(hard to find) Anybody recommendations?
Thanks upfront for your guy's help!

 

[KoedoePoesPienk]

I’ve always been partial to no 1 mk 3’s
But if I was looking for a sporter I’d try and find a Lee Speed instead

 

[Odinsraven]

Parker Hale after the war sporterised large numbers of 303's in vairous grades their Supreme (from memory) was rebarrelled and free floated etc - I have a few of them and they are surprisingly accurate - If you are on the hunt for one of these - they have drilled receivers for the Parker Hale scope mount, indeed the barrels are signed Parker Hale ! MOA is achievable if you do your bit ! I have several of them and have used them for culling in RSA and UK.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I use a 243 win, 375 H&H and a 470ne as my hunting rifles. However my first rifle, i used for a long time was a lee enfield in 303....
Out of nostalgia i would like to have a "sporterized" 303 again... (A nice one with new Stock, ect).... Will stay with open sights/no scope.
But which one to choose to sporterize? Mark4#1? Just fit a new barrel or look for one with an exellent bore(hard to find) Anybody recommendations?
Thanks upfront for your guy's help!

@Mark375
As you may realise the 303 came in rifles of three different strengths.
SMLE No1 Mk111, great rifles but not for use with hotter loads.

No4 Mk1-2 stronger than the first one and has been rebarelled to 308 win. Great rifles.

P14 Enfield, strongest of the lot.
None of them will let you down

My choice would be a No4 action with a new screw in Lothar Walther barrel ( available fairly cheap in Australia). The reason for the re barrel is some military barrels are all over the shop on bore size from .310-.318.Then I would fit a Huber concepts trigger for a nice crisp single stage trigger pull adjustable down to 2#. Boyds do a nice selection of stocks for the above rifles as well.
The secret to getting the No4 to shoot well is set the head space to 62 thou to tighten up the head space. The beauty of the No4 is bolt heads come in sizes 0-4. These alter the headspace by .003 with every increase in number making it easy to correct any headspace issues by just changing bolt heads.

Then Bisley bed the action. Instructions are available on the interwebs or I can tell you how to do it.

Savage and Longbranch and Fazakerley
y are great actions with the savage No4 action being made in the USA under the lend-lease program. They are cheaper than the other two and just as well made.

Doing this will enable the old girl to shoot groups that will amaze you. The 444 marlin I built on a No4 would shoot less than an inch all day with full power loads ( read 265ftx at 2,500fps).
In a No4 action it is no great feat to get 2,800 fps with a 150gn projectiles.
Have fun mate, any advice you need just let me know.
Bob

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Another vote for the Lee Enfield No. 4. It was my initial service rifle during the Indo-Pak war of 1971 (before the East Bengal Regiment had them changed out to FN FALs by August of the war).

We used sporterized versions for the government sanctioned feral water buffalo culling operations of 1979 (with the sporterizations being carried out as a trial run by the gunsmiths at Bengal Ordinance Factories).

 

[pilar]

I had a Santa Fe model enfield, I wish I still had it! But it got stolen ( my mom bought it for $70 @ a garage sale)
Had a side saddle 1x scope + a nice open sights

 

[ZG47]

Parker Hale after the war sporterised large numbers of 303's in vairous grades their Supreme (from memory) was rebarrelled and free floated etc - I have a few of them and they are surprisingly accurate - If you are on the hunt for one of these - they have drilled receivers for the Parker Hale scope mount, indeed the barrels are signed Parker Hale ! MOA is achievable if you do your bit ! I have several of them and have used them for culling in RSA and UK.

The Parker Hale stocks were reportedly made by Sile and waterproofed via the Morse method i.e., they were dipped in Glycol to force out moisture.

 

[Red Leg]

Would holding out for a Lee Speed be out of the question? One in good shape is just as great a choice today as it was early in the last century - particularly since you are planning to use open sights. Almost no other rifle says colonial Africa or the Raj like one. Depending upon how you might want to customize a battle rifle, your investment may not be that much more.

This is my Ghost and the Darkness .303

 

[Flbt]

Would holding out for a Lee Speed be out of the question? One in good shape is just as great a choice today as it was early in the last century - particularly since you are planning to use open sights. Almost no other rifle says colonial Africa or the Raj like one. Depending upon how you might want to customize a battle rifle, your investment may not be that much more.

This is my Ghost and the Darkness .303

View attachment 696345

My grandnephew got some speed feeds from royal tiger import
There in bad shape but he going to do a complete rebuild on them.
I gave him a dvd of the gtd he going to try to copy that rifle as close as they can in the gun shop
Know idea what the final cost will be
He wants one with out a scope and one with for deer season

 

[Mark375]

@Mark375
As you may realise the 303 came in rifles of three different strengths.
SMLE No1 Mk111, great rifles but not for use with hotter loads.

No4 Mk1-2 stronger than the first one and has been rebarelled to 308 win. Great rifles.

P14 Enfield, strongest of the lot.
None of them will let you down

My choice would be a No4 action with a new screw in Lothar Walther barrel ( available fairly cheap in Australia). The reason for the re barrel is some military barrels are all over the shop on bore size from .310-.318.Then I would fit a Huber concepts trigger for a nice crisp single stage trigger pull adjustable down to 2#. Boyds do a nice selection of stocks for the above rifles as well.
The secret to getting the No4 to shoot well is set the head space to 62 thou to tighten up the head space. The beauty of the No4 is bolt heads come in sizes 0-4. These alter the headspace by .003 with every increase in number making it easy to correct any headspace issues by just changing bolt heads.

Then Bisley bed the action. Instructions are available on the interwebs or I can tell you how to do it.

Savage and Longbranch and Fazakerley
y are great actions with the savage No4 action being made in the USA under the lend-lease program. They are cheaper than the other two and just as well made.

Doing this will enable the old girl to shoot groups that will amaze you. The 444 marlin I built on a No4 would shoot less than an inch all day with full power loads ( read 265ftx at 2,500fps).
In a No4 action it is no great feat to get 2,800 fps with a 150gn projectiles.
Have fun mate, any advice you need just let me know.
Bob

Bob, if you could tell me about the action bedding...
Read a few different articles, but you have a lot of experience...
A friend of mine has a Savage, which is for sale, so i will use it....

 

[Zvikomborero Mudzamba]

I use a 243 win, 375 H&H and a 470ne as my hunting rifles. However my first rifle, i used for a long time was a lee enfield in 303....
Out of nostalgia i would like to have a "sporterized" 303 again... (A nice one with new Stock, ect).... Will stay with open sights/no scope.
But which one to choose to sporterize? Mark4#1? Just fit a new barrel or look for one with an exellent bore(hard to find) Anybody recommendations?
Thanks upfront for your guy's help!

I have a .303 Mk5 No1 ( also known as the Jungle Carbine)

 

[Mark375]

I have a .303 Mk5 No1 ( also known as the Jungle Carbine)

How does it shoot?

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Bob, if you could tell me about the action bedding...
Read a few different articles, but you have a lot of experience...
A friend of mine has a Savage, which is for sale, so i will use it....

@Mark375

Mark
I will send you another more simplified article via pm and also include a couple of other tricks I have learnt along the way.
Bob

 

[Zvikomborero Mudzamba]

How does

How does it shoot?

Precise and accurate......
The last furthest distance I shot, was a baboon here in Zimbabwe (in Save Valley Conservancy)at 120 yards away, open sights, no telescope with Rifleline Ammunition (SP BT 180grain)
For all plainsgame here in Africa from duikers to Livingstone's Eland, I trust my .303 and it hasn't failed me yet.
United Kingdom nailed it on the .303's, they are a fine testimony of sniper engineered rifles that fought the World War battles...
The other beauty of this .303 Lee Enfield of mine is the 10 round magazine capacity.
Every part of the rifle is still in perfect working condition.
Unlike other. 303 versions, the .303 Mk5 No1(Jungle Carbine) has a shorter barrel length. It was designed in that way for closer combat I believe....

 

[Mark375]

@Mark375
View attachment 696383View attachment 696384
Mark
I will send you another more simplified article via pm and also include a couple of other tricks I have learnt along the way.
Bob

Thank you so much, it is highly appreciated!!!

 

[Zvikomborero Mudzamba]

@Mark375
View attachment 696383View attachment 696384
Mark
I will send you another more simplified article via pm and also include a couple of other tricks I have learnt along the way.
Bob

Would you mind sharing with me too... I also a fan of .303's