Who still hunts with the .303?

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Tortex

I got a mule doe draw this year... I anticipate being within 50 yards, so I might as well pull out the SMLE.

Yeah, its kind of funny. Last year I had a mule draw, and after hunting the timber for a bit, it became obvious that I would have to hunt the fields. So I got some permission and headed out with my .270 and its more powerful scope. The thing is, even when I hunt fields I hunt them the same as I do the bush. Rather than set up somewhere I can see a long ways and try to "run the table" I sneak along the fencerows and low swales reading the sign, sure enough when that buck jumped up I was struggling to get the scope on him at about 20 yards chicken Louie. Same as usual, iron sights would have served me better.

I used to prescribe to the usual notion that shot distance is a product of terrain, obviously I must subconsciously cling to that notion on some level. But I've come to believe the reality is that shot distance is more a product of how one hunts. If one selects a vantage point where they can overlook a lot of country they inevitably end up making long shots. I habitually break everything down much more than that, and even on those odd occasions when I am hunting a cutblock or a hayfield the encounters are almost always at close range. In short, despite the fact that I cant seem to convince myself to get rid of my more powerful scoped rifles, if all I had was the .303 and its irons I would pass up on very few shots, and the majority of the time I think I would actually be better off.

[FellSwoop]

Bush makes an interesting point. Although I am probably somewhere further down the bush stalking to glassing spectrum maybe 50/50...
The rifle carried lends me to use the tool at hand, more open fields with the scoped rifle and more stalking with the Lee Enfield.
I recently did a hunt where I carried my CZ550 about 12 km per day over hilly terrain. The 10 lbs Czech was not so pleasurable by the end of each day, and the enfield would have been a better choice but I only brought one rifle with me.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by FellSwoop

Bush makes an interesting point. Although I am probably somewhere further down the bush stalking to glassing spectrum maybe 50/50...
The rifle carried lends me to use the tool at hand, more open fields with the scoped rifle and more stalking with the Lee Enfield.
I recently did a hunt where I carried my CZ550 about 12 km per day over hilly terrain. The 10 lbs Czech was not so pleasurable by the end of each day, and the enfield would have been a better choice but I only brought one rifle with me.

Not saying its for everyone, but this has been my main rifle the last two seasons and It splits the difference pretty well. A lightweight 30-06 carbine with a 1-4x scope. I still have my great glass security blanket and can make shots out to 300 yards, but I can pick up a close range target amongst the undergrowth pretty fast too. I have an identical rifle in .270 with a 2-7x on it that also works really well.

That said, my goal this year is to get comfortable without the security blanket. I'll be doing a canoe hunt with the 06, kinda hard to close the distance with a river in the way! But other than that I'll be using the .303 and irons.

PA080253 by , on Flickr

PC120247 by , on Flickr

[KegRiver]

It's been a few years since I shot anything with a .303.
I own four of them. Three enfields and a Ross.

Not to give the wrong impression. It's not that I've retired the .303s. I just don't hunt big game a lot these days. One animal lasts me and the wife a couple of years, or more if a relative gives us some of their Moose or Elk.

Last fall a couple from Camrose gave us a box full of some of the best Deer I've ever had. To eats from top people.

I have other rifles that I use some times, so the .303 doesn't get a lot of use these days. I did shoot my auction special at paper last fall, but never drew down on anything living, with a rifle last fall.