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British .303 as a hunting rifle.
- Thread starter Rockypoco
- Start date
I don't own a .303, but my dad tells me that back in his day as a hunter, the 1940s-1960s, plenty of military surplus rifles in that caliber were used (some sporterized, some not) for deer hunting and other big-game hunting. The round had a great reputation, in the same ballpark as the .30-06, the 7.62 x 54 Rimmed, and the 7.92 x 57mm Mauser.
I'm a history buff, and I've read many old gun magazines and catalogs that showed that even during the early 1900s and between WWI and WWII the .303 British was a well-respected round for big game hunting. In Asia and Africa, it's been used all through the 20th century to ethically hunt EVERYTHING short of elephant and cape buffalo and rhino and hippo, and even plenty of those have been put down by .303 bullets (probably not the most humane or certain way to do it, though).
It's only 200 f.p.s. slower than a .30-06 (2500 vs. 2700 in 180-grain soft point factory loads).
The .303 Brit with 180 grain loads is equal to or even a little faster than a .308 Winchester with the same kind of 180 gr. bullet. (2500 f.p.s.)
I'm a history buff, and I've read many old gun magazines and catalogs that showed that even during the early 1900s and between WWI and WWII the .303 British was a well-respected round for big game hunting. In Asia and Africa, it's been used all through the 20th century to ethically hunt EVERYTHING short of elephant and cape buffalo and rhino and hippo, and even plenty of those have been put down by .303 bullets (probably not the most humane or certain way to do it, though).
It's only 200 f.p.s. slower than a .30-06 (2500 vs. 2700 in 180-grain soft point factory loads).
The .303 Brit with 180 grain loads is equal to or even a little faster than a .308 Winchester with the same kind of 180 gr. bullet. (2500 f.p.s.)
necrothread comes alive 
I have an SMLE I bought a couple of years ago from an ODT member. It's a WWI rifle rebarreled in 1953. Shoots as well as my old eyes. I remember reading that some of the old African hunters took big game up to elephant using
.303 solids (and great marksmanship).
.303 solids (and great marksmanship).
