Is the Venerable .303 British enough for moose?

[Dick284]

There's been a pile of debate on this subject. And often trying to convince certain folks such as Americano's that you don't need one of Roy's double radii belted magnums, but something more akin to a 308Win or a 280Rem, or gawd forbid a 30'06 is plenty of gitty up for Alces alces.

Maybe they need to see more stuff like this!
https://youtu.be/h8355R0FNDM

Hunting in G bear country could change the choice for sure, but really at spitting distance would a wonder mag be any more effective on a G bear than a 180gr 7.7mm pill doing 2300-2400fps?


And go................

[catnthehat]

Unless they have seen it happen, many people don't think the .303 is good for anything but porcupines at close range .
I don't associate much with that type , often after They have been proven wrong
Cat

[Elk Chaser]

I grew up watching my dad and his buddies stomp out the door in the fall with the mighty 303 in hand. A week later they would be home with their moose, 1 each. I still have his gun. The 303 is more than enough for moose, bear, elk and deer.

[Pathfinder76]

Cartridge selection is almost moot in most cases. Even in Grizzly country. But I could never quite see what a 303 would have that a 270 Winchester wouldn't.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by chuck

Cartridge selection is almost moot in most cases. Even in Grizzly country.

Totally agree with that!
Cat

[jaylow?]

i grew up watching my old man and my pop shoot moose with nothing but a 303 brit . i would say its ideal .

[last minute]

First moose I ever shot was with a 303cal good gun for its time .

[58thecat]

If will kill all that walks this planet!

[purgatory.sv]

yes

[Little red riding hood]

A friend of mine from newfieland told me that he was on a fishing boat when they caught a humpback whale, he said they dumped a box of 303 into it and carved it up to get the liver, if it is possible to kill a humpback whale with a 303, seems like a moose shouldn't be too much more difficult.

[covey ridge]

Thanks for posting

[jednastka]

I used a 303 SMLE for years as my only big game rifle. There was nothing that I could not take with it out to 200 yards. I converted the open sights to Lee peep sights, and could reliably put 5 out of 5 inside a 4" plastic desert plate at 200 yds. The first moose I shot was a cow at 25 feet in a willow patch. The longest shot made was a large whitetail at 65 yards near the Battle River. Retained bullet energy to 200 yards presented no problem. I used one load and one bullet size for all situations, believing that intimately knowing how one load behaved intimately knowing how one load always behaved was more important than "matching the load to the game".

I would still have it and use it, if it were not that eyesight changes with age, and I could no longer keep both sights and the target id focus at the same time.

I now shoot a scoped 270, and it also takes everything, but I need to be mindful of range, since the temptation is to shoot further out than the downrange remaining bullet energy justifies.

Vic

[Passthru]

Yep. All I use currently is a .303 , besides my bow, and they all died. There is better and newer calibers for long distance for sure but anything 300 yards and under and it's more than enough. I tried to convince a friend of this same thing but he wouldn't listen I guess. He went with a 7mm mag. Beautiful gun but his set up cost $2000 more than mine

[Texican]

Number one Boone and Crockett largest moose taken by a .303 British about 3-4 years ago.

[Salavee]

For sure it is. With heavy bullets the .303 is right up there with any std .30 cal cartridge.

[Bulldog Edm]

I just got my great grandfather's 303. It's a beautiful rifle and it has taken its fair share of moose through its years. Once I build up enough priority points I will be taking it out myself for one.

[elkdump]

They even worked for downing aircraft, WWI ,,, WWII

But a 7000 lb. ME 109 messersmitt is not is tough as an Alberta moose

[6.5swedeforelk]

Originally Posted by chuck

... But I could never quite see what a 303 would have that a 270 Winchester wouldn't.

The $13.95 price tag affixed to the oak barrel full of LE #4 mk1s
by the General Store counter?

[Flight01]

Grandpa shot moose from 50 feet out to 250 yards with his 303.
If I had to guess we would be talking maybe 45-50 moose.
While the 303 doesn't shine at longer ranges it is as good as any 30 cal inside 100 yards. A great practical round. They were common , not because they were the best but because they were available and affordable.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a 303 on a moose if it was what I had or if was for sentimental reasons. Either way I wouldn't feel under gunned

Edit: I am mostly referring to the military arms not just the 303 British cartridge.
A modern and well constructed rifle in 303 Brit has no reason to be inaccurate. And would be nipping at the heels of the 308

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

If will kill all that walks this planet!

It has killed all that walks this planet!

[last minute]

Originally Posted by huntsfurfish

It has killed all that walks this planet!

A. Men

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Flight01

Grandpa shot moose from 50 feet out to 250 yards with his 303.
If I had to guess we would be talking maybe 45-50 moose.
While the 303 doesn't shine at longer ranges it is as good as any 30 cal inside 100 yards. A great practical round. They were common , not because they were the best but because they were available and affordable.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a 303 on a moose if it was what I had or if was for sentimental reasons. Either way I wouldn't feel under gunned

Edit: I am mostly referring to the military arms not just the 303 British cartridge.
A modern and well constructed rifle in 303 Brit has no reason to be inaccurate. And would be nipping at the heels of the 308

I'd wager guys like Sgt. H Marshall of the Calgary Highlanders would disagree with your claims that military .303's are inaccurate.



Although the rear lock up on the Lee Enfield isn't what would be considered a reloaders dream, that doesn't mean it isn't capable at longer distances. I wonder what was used in DCRA type competitions in first half of the 20th century.

The bad reputation stems from mis matched bolts, poor maintenance and use of corrosive ammo, varied bore diameters, and the incessant hype and advertising directed at hunters and shooters.

[elkdump]

Originally Posted by 6.5swedeforelk

The $13.95 price tag affixed to the oak barrel full of LE #4 mk1s
by the General Store counter?

$9.95 the first one I owned, from the Army&Navy Dept store in NewWestminster BC , still had cosmoline packed in the barrel and action

[spellswrong]

Originally Posted by Flight01

Grandpa shot moose from 50 feet out to 250 yards with his 303.
If I had to guess we would be talking maybe 45-50 moose.
While the 303 doesn't shine at longer ranges it is as good as any 30 cal inside 100 yards. A great practical round. They were common , not because they were the best but because they were available and affordable.
I wouldn't hesitate to use a 303 on a moose if it was what I had or if was for sentimental reasons. Either way I wouldn't feel under gunned

Edit: I am mostly referring to the military arms not just the 303 British cartridge.
A modern and well constructed rifle in 303 Brit has no reason to be inaccurate. And would be nipping at the heels of the 308

There is a clip from a new york times report showing a military unit "kilo company" fighting in afghanistan and being held down by what they assume was 303 gunfire (this was based on the commonality of the lee enfield amongst the taliban) Its not so much what youre shooting as it is your familiarity with the rifle. IMO

[Norwest Alta]

Originally Posted by chuck

Cartridge selection is almost moot in most cases. Even in Grizzly country. But I could never quite see what a 303 would have that a 270 Winchester wouldn't.

Class and experience

[last minute]

Originally Posted by Norwest Alta

Class and experience

Or lack of experience just saying

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by 6.5swedeforelk

The $13.95 price tag affixed to the oak barrel full of LE #4 mk1s
by the General Store counter?

We are talking cartridges not rifles.

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Norwest Alta

Class and experience

Please explain.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by chuck

We are talking cartridges not rifles.

Not really Chuck.
This intended as an open conversation.
Don't be Debbie downer, roll with it.
Enough with the negative waves.

https://youtu.be/aT9Lm4Y886k

[gitrdun]

Originally Posted by last minute

First moose I ever shot was with a 303cal good gun for its time .

Actually so did I. When I was 14 years old, up in Wilson Creek between Sparwood and Elkford BC. My dad bought it for me at Sears in Lethbridge. My 2nd animal was a black bear that I shot with a 30-30 model 94. I bought my bear tag at a Turbo gas station for 50 cents.