hope I got this right, 303 trouble

[goodold303]

This seems a wonderfull place to hang out and ask some questions.
I am a newby on this forum, or any forum for that matter. If I do something wrong, hope you'll forgive me for it.
Done some reading on other posts, learned a lot already, so thanks for that, and hope to learn more as time goes on.

Now to my question, Ive been given an 303 a few years ago, and like it to be my hunting rifle. But the problem is that I can't seem to get much constistend accuracy out of this gun. The gun is sportarised, non military stock, scopemout, scope.
Got it bore sited, and the guys warned me that the scope maybe a bit on the cheap site, (marksman4x32). It seems that the scopemount is not lose, but dont know how well it is mounted. Perhaps just a very dirty Barrel??
Perhaps a shot out barrel, (that even possible??)
Got any advise what to do from here??

[brett01]

my guess is that it is shot out. Iv'e seen 303's in the past where the bullet tumbled so bad it took a swath out of the target. Just my .02

[brett01]

i dont think a cheap scope would matter much, athough it might. My old man ran a 4x tasco rimfire scope on his 7mm r.m for 10 years and she was a tack driver. Thats a dilly of a pickle your in. try cleaning it, then shooting. Keep in mind your first shot will be a "flyer" after cleaning

[goodold303]

Thanks for the quick reply brett01.
What would tumbling look like on a target??
Had a target nailed on a osb sheet, no nail holes in it, and after having shot a few rounds, look liked that someone had been pounding some large nails in it. holes where clean and round.

[brett01]

hmm... it aint tumbling. The ones ive seen put an abnormal shaped hole in the target. weird shapes, oval ect. How do the rifleings look in the barrel?

[goodold303]

Thanks again.
Kind of new to the shooting thing, so perhaps a ignorant question, but what do you mean by a "flyer" after cleaning?

[spurly]

There are many things to consider. how experienced of a shooter are you? It could be that the gun was never maintained properly.Are you shooting from a good rest and following good shooting practicessuch as form and follow through? It may be something as simple as changing bullet weight or brand.Start by cleaning first ,if you are inexperienced have someone else shoot the rifle to see if they also have the same accuracy problems. Most 303s are not shot enough to be shot out. could also be a bedding problem.good luck in trying to sort it out.

[brett01]

it'll be way off of where you aim because there is no residue in the barrel. My best advise to you would be tighten all your screws on your mounts and rings. Take it to 25 yards and "0" it so your shooting bulls eyes. Then take it to a 100 yrds and see where it is hitting. If nothings wrong with the rifle it should be hitting roughly 1.5 above centre. Try er and let me know how you make out

Keep in mind your first shot will be a "flyer" after cleaning

It may or may not be depending on the individual gun.

[goodold303]

Geenhorne opservation here of course, but took the bolt out, pointed the barrel to a light, looked down the barrel, seems to me that the riflings are clearly visable, no groves in it, just nice and crisp.

[brett01]

well from your observation, i wouldn't think it would be shot out...... are you shooting mixed load bullets, jumping from one bullet weight to the next ?

[BC7stw]

Played with a couple 303's over the years, a couple things we did.

-different weight of bullet, had one that didn't like light bullets.

-check for uneven pressure on the barrel in the barrel channel.

Some of these rifles shoots really well, but have seen a couple that a 2 inch group was a good day, it all depends on it's life story before you found it.

[goodold303]

So far have been using same brand and weight bullets, the only thing that I don't know, is the age of the bullets, was given with the gun.
Don't know if I can ask a secondary question regarding ammo, but with the ammo that came with the gun got some very old looking ammo, made by dominion. Should I even use this, or get ride of it. Is old ammo bad to use??

[chain2]

Hi and welcome,

How far did you shoot? What was the size[consistency] of your groups?
SAme ammo? How's the gun feel, cheek weld , high rings, trigger creep?
The trigger and you will need time together. The scope may also need to be confirmed reliable...lots lil things to test but shoot it more to confirm...and bring your info back here, lots of sharpshooters post here....chain

[goodold303]

After I got the gun boresited, took a few weeks to get it out again, but a friend of mine tried it, good not even get it on a 3x3 box that we used for practise, could I have bumped the scope and trown the crosshairs off again??

[goodold303]

This is a great forum, thanks for all the info.
Not that I am a great shot as off yet, but can get 4 22 shots at a hundred yards in about 2,5 inches (beginnes luck I am shure). But there is perhaps a bit of a problem for me aswell, got to be honest, dont like the recoil on this gun to much, steel pat on the back is a bit tough to swallow, seem to flinch a bit while shooting this old beast.

[brett01]

hard to say, but it is possible. Don't always trust bore sighting either. I had a rifle in the past boresighted for 100 yards and it blew up the dirt in front of my backstop (4x4 sheet of plywood on posts). Had a couple that were off in the past also.

[brett01]

that right there might be your problem

[impatient_hunter]

Originally Posted by goodold303

This is a great forum, thanks for all the info.
Not that I am a great shot as off yet, but can get 4 22 shots at a hundred yards in about 2,5 inches (beginnes luck I am shure). But there is perhaps a bit of a problem for me aswell, got to be honest, dont like the recoil on this gun to much, steel pat on the back is a bit tough to swallow, seem to flinch a bit while shooting this old beast.

I had a problem with flinching and your bullets will go all over the place. They should be all off in the same direction though. I was always pulling right and my bullets were all going way right.

[goodold303]

got to say that the groupings where a consistend in the sense that though not tight, they were probably within about 5 inches at about 75 yards same generall area. Guess now got to go out again and have a bit of fun with the gun. Get to know the gun and see what she is made of, and guess the samething goes for the shooter i guess.

[rena0040]

if the scope is a bushnell marksman i thought they were a rimfire scope, if so the recoil of the 303 may be knocking it out.

[Dick284]

The Crux of the matter is you may have one probelm or a mutiple of problems going on at the same time.
Buy some wipeout bore foam and give the bore a few (2 or 3) treatments. Then get some better optics on it, and throw the dime store stuff out. Then have the bedding checked, then learn how to shoot.
And that is in no particular order.
See what I mean, it could be one or all of the problems, and these things dont solve themselves over night.
Sorry I could'nt give a pat answer but that's the facts.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by goodold303

This is a great forum, thanks for all the info.
Not that I am a great shot as off yet, but can get 4 22 shots at a hundred yards in about 2,5 inches (beginnes luck I am shure). But there is perhaps a bit of a problem for me aswell, got to be honest, dont like the recoil on this gun to much, steel pat on the back is a bit tough to swallow, seem to flinch a bit while shooting this old beast.

Before you even look at the rifle, I'd try to get that flinch of yours under control, that seems to be the BIGGEST problem.
I've shot more than a few Enfields that were supposedly "shot out" and most of the casue was the guy who owned the rifle couldn't handle the gun, some would throw "keyholers" though!
Try to find a friend with a .223 and maybe a 30/3o that you can practice on.
Get him to load the rifle for you while you're not looking at it.
That way you won't know weather or not he gun is loaded when you squeeze the trigger.
It will take about a box of shels, sometimes more, but after a few duds and bangs, you should have it more under control.
Get some G96 copper cutter ot barnse CR10 and following the dierections clean it out, then start over.
Cat

[Chung66]

I will throw another one out there.
My neighbour had a 303 with a scope. It would not group at all. When he took the scope rail off and used the iron sights it was fine. We figured that mounting a rail type scope mount messed with the accuracy somewhat.
It could be your mount?

[Big Red 250]

Try at 25 yds. Make sure you got a good rest. If you have sight's on the rifle, remove the scope. that'l narrow the problem down to one or the other. I'd still use the same ammo. I have a flinch when target shooting (but not a bad one ) don't have it when shooting at game. Or take the bolt out and boresight by eye at about 15 feet.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Big Red 250

Try at 25 yds. Make sure you got a good rest. If you have sight's on the rifle, remove the scope. that'l narrow the problem down to one or the other. I'd still use the same ammo. I have a flinch when target shooting (but not a bad one ) don't have it when shooting at game. Or take the bolt out and boresight by eye at about 15 feet.

If a person has a flinch, they have it ALL the time when shooting , you can take that to the bank.
You just don't notice it.
It was commented at one time after my father ,
( a World Champion coach and shooter) had misfired a flintlock three times about how there was no flinch in his shooting.
" Everybody flinches" he satated " I'm just very good at covering it up!"
Cat

[Okotokian]

I can't believe this group of gun nuts hasn't suggested this yet... GET A NEW GUN! Buying another gun is always a good thing. Keep old betsy for the odd shot, but go aout and get yourself a nice new virgin rifle better suited to the task. Shopping is half the fun!

[Pioneer2]

Excessive headspace does nothing for accuracy either.Check to see if you have a "parts gun " non-matching serial #'s.The headspace can be easily corrected on the MK III and IV's the boltface is removeable and available in various lengths.Most stocks are too short and to compound matters when scoped you have to raise your face off the stock to see through the scope.Basically pointshooting unless you add a lace on cheekrest.Corrosive ammo and no or over zealous cleaning is hard on the bore.Most .303's should shoot at least 3" groups at 100 yards or better.A lot like the now absent 215 gr load....I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater so to speak but don't spend a lot of $ fixing it up either.Flinching can be cured buy installing a good recoil pad and have someone else load or not load the rifle for you at the range and you shoot consentrating on target picture and trigger control.The trigger as you know is a military two stage affair. B-square makes the best mt IMO.* a trick that is cheap and also rock solid is a 5" piece of 3/16 angle iron X1 " used as a side mount then drilled and tapped for the top mt Weaver base .Can be cleaned up and cold blued and it aint movin...Harold

[shooterbuck]

Welcome to the forum

I'm no expert but here's my 0.02.

Clean it till it shines, then clean it some more.
Get a Limbsaver slipon recoil pad (40 bucks) and some good quality
ammunition. Mount a good quality scope on it. You can find some really good deals on ebay. You should be able to pick up a brand new Leupold VX-1 for under 200 bucks or a used VX-II for about the same. Buy good quality mounts ( weaver, leupold..60 bucks)get it mounted and boresighted by a pro and try again.

If it still gives you problems you can use the scope/mounts and recoil pad on a new gun. If your still flinching with the Limbsaver on it I would suggest getting something in the range of 0.243 or a 6mm. Great rifles for deer and they won't beat you up. Shoot it lots, then work your way up to something bigger. i.e a 270, 270wsm or a good old 30-06.

Best of luck

[tbosch]

Don't throw that gun away! And if you do throw it at me. ha ha I love those old guns. My buddy had the same problem with his enfield and it was the scope mount. Instead of installing the rails they had tapped the bases on. This caused the scope to be pointing at a slight downward angle which then caused the scope to be maxed out to the top of its vertical adjustments. This caused the sights to be knocked out time and time again. We mounted a rail on it with weaver mounts and bases bore sighted it, and it was within 3" of where we wanted to be. Shoots perfect now. He's since took 2 bucks and a doe with it. 1 shot kills all 3 times. Oh and also we found the 150 gr federal's shot the best for factory ammo. But seriously if you want to get rid of it???