Picking up a .303

[MG5150]

G'day All

I'm keen to pick up a .303 rifle so I can do a themed hunt for ANZAC Day (although I might be leaving it a little too late for a permit to clear).

I hear stories of people getting them in bargain bins for $20 but it seems like the cheapest ones are around $250-$300. Some of them are several thousand.

What should I be looking for in a .303 that can be used for deer hunting?

Also, am I correct in thinking that there were 303 SMLE rifles made by Lithgow for WWI, and a second round of SMLE 303 rifles for WWII.

If someone doesn't mind explaining the full history I'd love to learn more.

Thanks in advance!

[Tinker]

There are plenty of inexpensive sporterised .303s around, already with scope mounts, for $300-$500. The Parker-Hale conversions are usually well done. One of the limitations is there is only a small selection of factory ammo available.
Original SMLE's in good condition with all matching serial numbers fetch anywhere from $1000 - $3000. Lithgow started making SMLE's (No1Mk3) in 1913, and made the last batch in 1953.
Look up the "Lee Enfield Rifle Association" in NSW for a good summary of the history.

[bigrich]

the full history of the lee enfeild would take a lot of typing . for strength , and a better trigger , the No4 mk1 is the one to get . as others have said there's some sporterised versions for not a lot of money . i saw a parker hale recently i should've grabbed . but some of these have all the top of the action machined off to make them "clean" looking , limiting them to side scope mounts. i'd much rather prefer the top mounted pic rail for a scope , unless your eyes are good for the iron sights . only other thing is get a smith to check the head space on well used enfields . i bought one from a old bloke when i was a kid , found out the headspace was dangerous . got back to the old fella about it , "well it hasn't blown up yet , still works fine" . i've preferred mausers ever since

edit , a P14 is heavy , but the action is super strong , they were used by aussie troops for sniper rifles and civilian target/hunting rifles back in the day . tweaked triggers are good too

[Wapiti]

I would be chasing a Lithgow-made Aussie 303, if you really want to get into the Anzac theme here, and into future years.

Sure, there are evolutions of the 303 like the No.4 etc, and a heap of other countries made them, but if it isn't an Aussie NSW-made one, I can't see the true theme really being followed here.

To try and stop the thread morphing into other recommendations of other more-common rifles and different calibres, I thought I'd just add my opinion on keeping Aussie-authentic.

Unfortunately, quality costs... up to and over $1K for rifles really worth owning for Aussies... Aussie ones.

[bigrich]

I would be chasing a Lithgow-made Aussie 303, if you really want to get into the Anzac theme here, and into future years.

Sure, there are evolutions of the 303 like the No.4 etc, and a heap of other countries made them, but if it isn't an Aussie NSW-made one, I can't see the true theme really being followed here.

To try and stop the thread morphing into other recommendations of other more-common rifles and different calibres, I thought I'd just add my opinion on keeping Aussie-authentic.

Unfortunately, quality costs... up to and over $1K for rifles really worth owning for Aussies... Aussie ones.

people want silly money for lithgows these days . the canadian made longbranch is held in high regard by a 303-a -phile i know
just a better qaulity of finish and machining i'm told

[Blr243]

Good idea. For a long time I hav been thinking about taking my smle on a hunt for that traditional feel I’m not hunting till early may. But better late than never

[MG5150]

great info guys thanks for sharing

[alexjones]

They could not give a 303 away in the 80s and 90s now everybody wants them.

Not to mention a bayonet. They cost $300 or more also.

[MG5150]

They could not give a 303 away in the 80s and 90s now everybody wants them.

Not to mention a bayonet. They cost $300 or more also.

I wish I had of been buying guns in the 90's instead of being in primary school

[bigrich]

They could not give a 303 away in the 80s and 90s now everybody wants them.

Not to mention a bayonet. They cost $300 or more also.

not too long ago rebel gun works had brand new "in the wax paper" Enfield's for 4k . i was talking to one of the owners years ago , ron, and he told me back in the 80's he bought a warehouse full of enfields and brand new parts , probably for stuff all . good investment by todays prices

it'd be lovely to have a crystal ball to see this type of price inflation coming . i woulda made a fortune buying falcon GT's and bathurst monaro's out of car yards in the mid 80's for around 12k

[Wapiti]

I would be chasing a Lithgow-made Aussie 303, if you really want to get into the Anzac theme here, and into future years.

Sure, there are evolutions of the 303 like the No.4 etc, and a heap of other countries made them, but if it isn't an Aussie NSW-made one, I can't see the true theme really being followed here.

To try and stop the thread morphing into other recommendations of other more-common rifles and different calibres, I thought I'd just add my opinion on keeping Aussie-authentic.

Unfortunately, quality costs... up to and over $1K for rifles really worth owning for Aussies... Aussie ones.

people want silly money for lithgows these days . the canadian made longbranch is held in high regard by a 303-a -phile i know
just a better qaulity of finish and machining i'm told

I don't know about that, mate. And what is silly money nowadays?
We'd spend a $1000, much more, on some imported cheap bit of steel and plastic as safe queens made to a price, not to survive a war and 100 years after that too.

A battle rifle in great nick, made by the very Australian relatives of those serving at the time, made here?
We all go on about Aussie made, then sell ourselves out with the cheap stuff and tell ourselves we're true blue.

I put up my opinion because that's what a forum is about and specifically talked about an Aussie rifle being what I reckon the only way to dedicate the day to our Australians who served. Anything else is to me, a compromise and a sell-out to another country. But that's just my opinion.

I know one thing, the Light Horsemen at Stanthorpe at the Dawn Service, which runs a chill down my spine when they appear out of the dark after hearing their hooves coming out of the cold town air, are wearing the exact gear that our hero forefathers wore to war, from uniforms to saddlery, including their Lithgow-made rifles. The same rifles issued to the men we are commemorating. They will not use something because it is cheap.
Not some adornment that hasn't anything to do with our countries' great heroes.

And the fact that some other country made a later issue rifle (that wasn't any better, merely some further evolution) hasn't anything to do with it. If that's the case, where do you stop?
MG5150 talked about doing a themed hunt with a rifle that our heros used, so to me a Canadian or even British rifle that isn't even the same as was issued is pointless. But that's just me, and that's how I think.

[bigrich]

hey mate , silly money ?. hmmm, i guess that varies depending on your point of view . just had a quick look on usedguns , 303 sporterised are as cheap as $350 up to around $550 , not silly money . i guess like others i remember when you couldn't give them away back in the late 80's , early 90's , just can't get my head around what they sell for now . also on used guns a lot of various Enfield's listed from $1200-up to $2000 listed as good to very good condition . maybe i'm not keeping up with the times , but i won't pay this for one. to a collector or patriot who REALLY wants one i suppose this is reasonable .rebel gun works has a lithgow currently listed at $2700 .not for me thanks , also on used guns is a genuine matching numbers 1917 lithgow sniper rifle , $6698, very good condition . to me , this is silly money . a few years ago , the market was getting close to $2500 for a Enfield in very good condition , that's also silly money to me, the markets dropped down a bit since to a average of $1500 at a guess.
i hear ya about watching the light horse on ANZAC day , i was in tenterfield a few years ago for it , and the crowd noticeably hushed out of reverence when the light horse went passed . truly inspiring to see them go past , i had a great uncle in the lighthorse , caught tuberculosis in Egypt , was shipped home to brisbane and died . i went off from the OP's post about wanting a lithgow in particular . i digressed off topic , very unusual for me

my reference to the longbranch is as far as Enfield's go, they are held in very high regard for fit and finish . so 303 nuts have informed me
canadians are fond of their enfields and dropped them not too long ago . i think rangers/resevists were still using them up until 2015 .
doing a bit of googling i found out a similar ranger unit in greenland is still using M1917's in 30-06. that's a hell of a long service life for a rifle. so says Ian McCollum , aka , "gun jesus"

i appreciate your opinions and patriotism mate , cheers

[Gun-nut]

Hunting with a milsurp is an absurd amount of fun, you're in for a great time. My go to deer rifle in my neck of the woods is still the humble .303. I just bagged a fallow with my no4 mk2 over the Easter weekend. Are there more practical modern options? Absolutely. Are they any near as fun? Not in my opinion.