Good for pigs and buffalo
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: Hunting with the .303 British cartridge.
Forum Description: Share your hunting stories with the rest of us.
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10665
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 6:30pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Good for pigs and buffalo
Posted By: mickb
Subject: Good for pigs and buffalo
Date Posted: June 21 2020 at 10:55pm
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Havent used one recently, but a lot of us grew up here using various 303 for pig shooting. My state has plague proportions, they outnumber humans 2-1 and put a lot of pressure on farming and national parks. It was also the go to for water buffalo when other calibre choice was limited and probably shot more feral species here( horses, wild cattle, goats, donkeys) than any other in the day. Not considered really the class of 2000+ lb water buff but it will kill them with the correct placement. As you guys probably know a lot of 303 were sporterized in the day so the young lad or old uncle could carry them afield all day. There always seemed to be 303's around when I was younger, every house had one under the bed or in the farm shed. Also quite a few conversions to 303-25, being not many firearm or ammo options as there are today. I haven't used 303 for many years but it was a real thumper, put pigs down with authority. Obviously kills in the same class as 30-40, 308 etc. We had a company here called 'highland axe' doing decent softpoints for it for quite a while. Our big game bullet manufacturer Woodleigh which does a lot of bullets in elephant gun calibres also does good softpoints in 303. Aussies tend to prefer softer bullets than you guys for whatever reason. I think a lot of these species being plague proportion ferals they are more often in mobs- so less chance of complete penetration and wounding is preferred. Recently with the covid situation a lot of gunowners here went out and stocked up an ammo. While 303 still does a modest turnover in ammo sales here, the amount of 303 that went out the last few months was startling. Still in the top 4 or 5 calibres according to our LGS. There must still be a lot of these old guns around.. Really enjoying reading the hunting stories here btw.
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Replies:
Posted By: Whitjr
Date Posted: June 22 2020 at 9:45am
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Welcome to the forum, from NC, USA ------------- |
Posted By: Black Prince
Date Posted: June 22 2020 at 1:42pm
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Welcome mate. Where about are you, I am 100 Ks west of Bathurst NSW, on the Lachlan river. Do you need help in  control, I have gun will travel.Cheers
------------- I know what I like & like what I know. |
Posted By: 303 Hunter
Date Posted: June 22 2020 at 3:36pm
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Lee Enfields and the .303 British was also used a lot here in Canada and it still holds a good reputation. I know of three or four guys that even though they don't use it any more they have used it in the past and concider it to have good power, a co-worker even thinks of it a ELEPHANT ROUND! And welcome to the forum from Alberta, Canada. ------------- The Lee Enfield is to the Canadian north what the Winchester repeater was to the American west. Cal Bablitz |
Posted By: Goosic
Date Posted: June 22 2020 at 4:02pm
| I was told that the .303 British rifle round has killed more big game animals then any other cartridges of comparable bore size and bigger past or present. My dad took the second largest mule deer in Arizona with one in 1966. The same rifle has successfully taken down two bull elk as well using original 215grn bullets... |
Posted By: Marco1010
Date Posted: June 22 2020 at 7:53pm
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Seem to recall reading in an aussie shooting magazine about a bloke going hunting Buffalos with the 303 in 174 grain hornady interlocks , worked fine knocking them over. |