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Old 02-20-2007 | 07:01 AM
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eldeguello
Giant Nontypical
 
Joined: Feb 2003
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From: Texas - BUT NOW in Madison County, NY
Default RE: .303 enfield for deer

ORIGINAL: snedd162

my friend has an enfield no. 4 mk 2 in .303. He is considering using it for deer hunting. what do you all think? Does anybody have any experience with this rifle/round?
Yes, I do. The No. 4 is probably the BEST bolt-action combat rifle ever built. It is both accurate and FAST in operation-so fast that in WWI, using the earlier version (No.1), trained British troops could lay down aimed fire so rapidly the Germans thought the Brits were using machine guns!

The .303 round is in about the same power class as the .308 Winchester or the .30/40 Krag, so it can be used for deer, elk, and moose. I'd use the 180-grain load.

There is but one MAJOR drawback to the SMLE action-they lock up at the rear, so they tend to flex on firing. This makes the cartridge case stretch a little every time it is used, so brass wears out after two or three full-charge reloadings. This is a real problem for a handloader, and the damn things are just plain UGHLY!

Other than that, have fun!
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