hunting with battle rifles

[dave]

Hi!! im from the midwest USA. and have been collecting old military rifles for about 10 years, and shooting them a lot longer( borrowed, trade gun, ). I guess it took a few years to relise just how good these rifles are for hunting!!!!!! I would like to here from anyone who hunts whith original battle rifles. thanks!

[redcross]

I have, and enjoyed it

but after moving to iowa

[no rifles for deer]

8mm on a gopher is sort of overkill

but I didn't think that about

50 cal on prairiedogs

[Brian Wolfe]

When I was much younger I used a WW I .303 Lee Enfield for deer and moose hunting. It worked well, of course, but was a bit too heavy to lug around all day. How did they do it back when?

I've also used the .303 Lee Enfield WW II version and the .303 Jungle Carbine. The short light carbine kicks way too hard as far as I am concerned. I only used these due to economical reasons and as time went buy and the income grew I went over to the sporting rifles.

I once purchased a .303 Lewis Gun from a fellow who was forced to sell his collection of 3 because he was caught by the Game Warden with them set up on the "stand" awaiting the deer that the "drivers" would be sending their way. That was 40 years ago, now they would be grabbed up by the law and you would probably get free room and board for your trouble. The Lewis has since moved on to another collector's care.

Cheers (but never mixed with guns)

Brian

[Tiger-pie]

Used a WW2 .303 Lee Enfield for deer hunting years ago. That was back in the day when they were cheap and you could buy old military ammo for bugger all. The ammo was good for sighting in or pest control (shooting 'roos), but useless for deer hunting. I would buy soft-point bullets for actual hunting. They kick like a mule too, I don't know how they put up with shooting them during long engagements.

[Ulsterman]

-same here. I bought two lee Enfields 1940 pattern for $40 each from the local K-Mart in 1985. Ammo was dirt cheap and it used to be great fun to go to the target range.

Sadly the pins degraded over time and then the wife made me get rid of them.

I miss them.

[Scott Powell]

i use a sporterized 1944 SMLE enfield for deer. i load my own rounds, and go for a light high velocity round for White tail

[Tiger-pie]

-same here. I bought two lee Enfields 1940 pattern for $40 each from the local K-Mart in 1985. Ammo was dirt cheap and it used to be great fun to go to the target range.

Sadly the pins degraded over time and then the wife made me get rid of them.

I miss them.

Yeah, now you have to pay hundreds for them, and many of them are deactivated for use as a show piece.

You could buy the locally (Lithgow) made ones here for under a hundred dollars still in their grease paper with a bayonet, scabard and a sling, all matching numbers, never issued. I had one that had the full fore-stock furniture on it with peep sights. I bought another one and fitted that with a 'sports stock', basically a sniper stock with the cheek piece, and mounted a scope to use for hunting.

[octave]

I have hunted deer with my Madsen.

[Nam Vet]

I enjoy hunting with classic military rifles and have harvested many deer with them. I leave them in issued condition. I have killed deer with M17 US Enfields, 1903 Springfields,M49 Persians,M91-30 Mosins and Gew 98 Mausers.

[Obergefreiter]

My first deer rifle was a Springfield M-1903 A/3. A very accurate rifle, and I've kicked myself often for selling it off when I was in college.

[peter monahan]

i use a sporterized 1944 SMLE enfield for deer. i load my own rounds, and go for a light high velocity round for White tail

Here in Canada, back in the balmy days of my youth, there were hundreds and hundreds of SMLEs "sporterized', meaning they had the forestocks cut away to reduce the weight, and sold as cheap hunting rifles. Never used one myself - don't hunt - but lots of people swore by them. I suspect the ammo was dirt cheap too.

Now, finding even one of those is a trick and getting a Lee Enfield in firing order with matching parts, never mind bayonet and sling, cost considerable bucks! I suspect many of the sporterized ones went into the furnaces when Canada started it's gun registry. I got rid of a sporterized LE - cut don stock and barrel, no bolt - that way. Call the cops and they took it to the dump for you. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

On the other hand, Canada also has one of the few military units in the world still using issue Enfields. We have maybe a hundred or two "Rangers", all residents of remote communities in the far north, many or most aboriginals, who still hunt for a living and who serve as a REALLY CHEAP scout force and to train our reular soldiers in Arctic survival. Their uniform consist of a red basebal cap with "RANGERS" on it and their equipment of SMLEs. I believe the munificent Dept. of Defence also throws in a couple hundred rounds of .303 a year to keep their shooting up to snuff. And I'd be surprised if at least some of those rifles get used on seal, caribou and polar bear!

Peter

[censlenov]

I have 3 Enfields that i used for hunting an No.1 Mk3 (dated 1918 with full military stock iron sights, No.1 MK3*sporterized and scoped, and No. 4 MK2* full military stock and iron sights. I have a Mosin Nagant 91/30 and, I've also had a M1 Garand with full wood, a sporterized Enfield 17, a springfield 03, and the mighty fine Ross (sporterized unfortunately).

All of which i've used to hunt Mule deer and Whitetail deer. I've also had to put down cattle with them on occasion. I really like 303 British however the 7.62x54R is a fine round also. I think everyone may have a different preference and once a person finds a rifle they like they tend to stick to it.

Cheers

Chris