Hunting moose and deer. Got my bull tag this year. Which do you think is the better Caliber for hunting big game. I think I have already made up my mind which rifle I'm gonna use but whats your take.
.303 british or .308 winchester
2 reading
happykal
21 - 36 of 36 Posts
Joined
·
1,340 Posts
Just clean it up and inspect it thoroughly. I've only had one problem with any of the milsurp rifles I own, and it was a broken tip of a firing pin on a WWII Japanese Arisaka. Wasn't danegrous, just wasn't very fun to shoot. loli picked this up @ my LGS after i hit range yesterday. ive been eyeballin this rifle for the past month. got it for $260. my first bolt action. i wonder if i should have rifle inspected by a smith before shooting.![Image]()
Joined
·
4,773 Posts
Hey Jim B you cant even begin to compare .223 to .308 and .30-06........223 for all intensive purposes when compared with other center fires has near zero recoil whereas .308 and 30-06 can "boot" in comparison ,a lot depends on the configuration of the rifle,weight, stock design, recoil pad, and loads etc,i would say having extensively owned and shot all these calibers in general theres not a huge difference between .308 and 30-06....most 30-06s i have fired have been fairly "heavy" rifles and well suited for that caliber i had a .308 Rem Mohawk that used to let you know it had gone off(at both ends) as in a .308 Rem lightweight model 7.The lighter the rifle obviously the heavier the recoil.That said both .308 and 30-06 have vastly more recoil than .223.hope this helps.
KIWI.
Joined
·
32,414 Posts
My first hunting rifle was a No 5 Jungle Carbine. My brother-in-law bought it for me 45 years ago when I was 16. Still have it. I collect Enfields so my choice would be 303.
Joined
·
32,414 Posts
Or an elephant.
Joined
·
32,414 Posts
What year and where was it made? Doesn't appear to have the correct military sling on it.i picked this up @ my LGS after i hit range yesterday. ive been eyeballin this rifle for the past month. got it for $260. my first bolt action. i wonder if i should have rifle inspected by a smith before shooting.![Image]()
Joined
·
2,095 Posts
Unless I had a 303 handed to me...or even if I did, I would choose the .308. I might test the 303, but I am pretty familiar with the characteristics of various .308 loads and behaviors.
There's a confidence-level difference between Recreational shooting and Hunting-shooting. For me, I could enjoy shooting the 303 for fun....but my confidence-level would increase greatly when hunting with one of my .308's
There's a confidence-level difference between Recreational shooting and Hunting-shooting. For me, I could enjoy shooting the 303 for fun....but my confidence-level would increase greatly when hunting with one of my .308's
Joined
·
3,195 Posts
.308 would be closer to the 30-06 but slightly less. The .223 recoil would be significantly less.
Joined
·
1 Posts
Given the same gun weight/barrel length/bullet weight I'd say the .308 has a "snappier" recoil compared with more of a "push" from the .303. As the .308/7.62 is a more developed round then that is probably the better bet and easier to get the best out of than the .303, especially trying to get to know the Lee Enfield which is a life's work in itself!
Joined
·
1,257 Posts
If you will pardon the diversion I have a tale to tell.
I grew up in Nashville TN because my Dad was a professor of nuclear and theoretical physics at Vanderbilt University. As a child he was always inviting students, visiting dignitaries, and fellow professors home to dinner. The children were always included in the events all the way up to bed time. It was a wonderful time and we met people from all over the world (including professors from Russia during the Cold War).
The one gentleman I remember quite clearly was a newly hired professor to the math department who came over from merry old England. During dinner, my father asked him of his life and his education. It turns out that his first trip abroad was to France in his sixteenth year and that was to an event called The Battle of Dunkirk. No, he did not carry an Enfield, but a large shoulder fired WW1 recoilless anti-tank weapon that he described as more heavy than useful. He said the Sergeant Major chose him and several other scrawny fellows from the ranks to act as rear guard because the little guys knew how to get their asses whooped and get back on their feet again. He said the big guys were just learning. He didn't tell us much more about his life in the military, at least not while the children were present.
This is what he told us about the Enfield in 303 British. After the war, he applied for work with the government to help him pay his way through college. The government of Great Britain gave him a job as an animal control specialist in the African Colonies, Kenya or Nigeria, I can't remember. So every summer he would go to Africa for three or four months to control the local fauna. This entertained everyone at the table. I remember my Dad asking him what was the largest animal he ever had to control. He responded that on several occasions he had to deal with enraged elephants that were passionately squashing the local citizenry. My dad asked him what rifle he was using to dispatch the wild elephants, expecting to hear of some such round as a 375 H&H or 416 Rigby. Instead he responded that he was issued an ancient #1MK3 Enfield in 303 British.
My Dad looked at him aghast and asked him if you could actually kill an elephant with a 303 British.
"Yes", the gentleman responded in a very calm british way, "If you get close enough".
True story.
I grew up in Nashville TN because my Dad was a professor of nuclear and theoretical physics at Vanderbilt University. As a child he was always inviting students, visiting dignitaries, and fellow professors home to dinner. The children were always included in the events all the way up to bed time. It was a wonderful time and we met people from all over the world (including professors from Russia during the Cold War).
The one gentleman I remember quite clearly was a newly hired professor to the math department who came over from merry old England. During dinner, my father asked him of his life and his education. It turns out that his first trip abroad was to France in his sixteenth year and that was to an event called The Battle of Dunkirk. No, he did not carry an Enfield, but a large shoulder fired WW1 recoilless anti-tank weapon that he described as more heavy than useful. He said the Sergeant Major chose him and several other scrawny fellows from the ranks to act as rear guard because the little guys knew how to get their asses whooped and get back on their feet again. He said the big guys were just learning. He didn't tell us much more about his life in the military, at least not while the children were present.
This is what he told us about the Enfield in 303 British. After the war, he applied for work with the government to help him pay his way through college. The government of Great Britain gave him a job as an animal control specialist in the African Colonies, Kenya or Nigeria, I can't remember. So every summer he would go to Africa for three or four months to control the local fauna. This entertained everyone at the table. I remember my Dad asking him what was the largest animal he ever had to control. He responded that on several occasions he had to deal with enraged elephants that were passionately squashing the local citizenry. My dad asked him what rifle he was using to dispatch the wild elephants, expecting to hear of some such round as a 375 H&H or 416 Rigby. Instead he responded that he was issued an ancient #1MK3 Enfield in 303 British.
My Dad looked at him aghast and asked him if you could actually kill an elephant with a 303 British.
"Yes", the gentleman responded in a very calm british way, "If you get close enough".
True story.
Joined
·
587 Posts
Go with 308
Years ago I had a war surplus Lee Enfield 303. I was fun to shoot and will stop a deer. But the 7.62 of the 308 has more loadings, and more stopping power. Go with the 308.
Let me throw a wrench into the discussion; My hunting rifle is a Ruger M 77 in .270 Win. 130 grain will take out any deer and 150 grain loads will take care of elk moose and bear.
Years ago I had a war surplus Lee Enfield 303. I was fun to shoot and will stop a deer. But the 7.62 of the 308 has more loadings, and more stopping power. Go with the 308.
Let me throw a wrench into the discussion; My hunting rifle is a Ruger M 77 in .270 Win. 130 grain will take out any deer and 150 grain loads will take care of elk moose and bear.
Joined
·
3,195 Posts
There's about 30'/sec more MV with a 308 over a 303 with 180 grain bullets.
With lighter 150 grain bullets, it spreads to about a 130'/sec advantage with the 308. That isn't much.
I believe you can find more bullet selections with the .308 Winchester verses the .303 Brititsh caliber. Now the .303 is a larger diameter but at a 100 yards no one is going to tell a difference.
The .303 cartridge comes in a 174 grain round nose from Hornady but don't know about any other factory loadings and velocity is Max at 2400fps.
The .308 Winchester can shoot a 180 grn bullet at 2600fps! so push comes to shove, your looking at a .308 diameter verses a .312 diameter bullet. I like the .308 Winchester myself for moose or elk with the heavier bullet!
The .303 cartridge comes in a 174 grain round nose from Hornady but don't know about any other factory loadings and velocity is Max at 2400fps.
The .308 Winchester can shoot a 180 grn bullet at 2600fps! so push comes to shove, your looking at a .308 diameter verses a .312 diameter bullet. I like the .308 Winchester myself for moose or elk with the heavier bullet!
21 - 36 of 36 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
