Hunting

[KJM]

Anyone planning on doing any hunting this fall? I have a moose licence for either sex this year and my brother has one for bull only. Hoping to get at least one out of two licences! It will probably be my brother because I have a tendency to miss. I use an old WW2 .303 british and just can't seem to get it set up right. I even had it to a gunsmith and he said the barrell rifling looked real good but it had a tendency to drop as it heated up from firing. Any suggestions (besides use my brothers rifle!)?

 

[alldodge]

Not a big hunter mostly because Admiral doesn't want me to kill Bambi. She probably won't mind the day after one hits her car Bought some more rounds last year to get one, and didn't even go check the sightings.

Anyway I'll stop winning and back to your question. Doesn't matter if its the gun or you that is the issue with hitting the target accurately, you need something else to use.

 

[aspeck]

If the issue is the barrel heating up and losing accuracy, take more time aiming and be more selective with your shots and use the .303 as a single shot. I have an old .303 British with peep sights and it is the same. I would get rid of it, but it was my grandfather's gun.

So your solutions are as follows:
1) Buy a new to you gun to use
2) Use the .303 as a single shot

With either of those solutions, you need to practice. You need to know your gun and what to expect of it. You need to be able to shoot it from varying positions and not flinch at the recoil. You need to learn to keep your eyes on your target (before, during, and after the shot). You need to learn to breath properly and gently squeeze the trigger. If you are doing that with the .303 you need to give yourself time between shots to allow the barrel to cool down.

 

[southkogs]

I was gonna' ask if the .303 Enfield is really that good of a hunting gun (particularly for moose)?

I've got a .243 that is great for distances, but I've even had concerns for it knocking down a deer at longer ranges (I don't hunt too much, so it's not an issue). But most guys I know are hunting with something a little "punchier" like a .300 win mag or 7mm.

Enfield is fun to shoot at the range though

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I use arrows.

 

[Scott Danforth]

I use arrows.

Next time you are down here, will get you in touch with a former co-worker that is the Florida Archery champ and runs the Archery side of the local gun club

 

[DeepCMark58A]

It is kinda funny I am a horrible gun hunter, I am self taught but I had years of futility. I bought a bow when I was done coaching football and started shooting bucks. Shot 3 that are Pope and Young. I love bow hunting.

 

[KJM]

It is kinda funny I am a horrible gun hunter, I am self taught but I had years of futility. I bought a bow when I was done coaching football and started shooting bucks. Shot 3 that are Pope and Young. I love bow hunting.

The moose bow hunting season opens here today. Bowhunters get 2 weeks ahead of gun hunters. I've been tempted to try.

 

[KJM]

I was gonna' ask if the .303 Enfield is really that good of a hunting gun (particularly for moose)?

I've got a .243 that is great for distances, but I've even had concerns for it knocking down a deer at longer ranges (I don't hunt too much, so it's not an issue). But most guys I know are hunting with something a little "punchier" like a .300 win mag or 7mm.

Enfield is fun to shoot at the range though

The .303 is plenty powerful enough for a moose. Its always been the most common gun used here for that purpose until about the last 20 yrs or so. Still lots around. The other popular calibers are .30-06 and .308. I got a permit yesterday to do some target shooting this weekend and see if I can get my gun figured out. A wounded moose is the last thing I want! The price of ammunition has certainly gone up, places wanted $50 for a box of 20! I found a box of 20 made in Serbia for $35, hope they are OK.

 

[KJM]

Just got back from target shootong and the gun did pretty good in my opinion. At approx 100 yrds all shots inside the green 8" diameter circle. Nothing spectacular but they all would have been in the kill zone on a moose. I suspect the "problem with the gun" was the person shooting it!