I've been looking at entry level scopes (under $300) to use on my Enfield. I've acquired a mount which replaces the rear sight and requires no modifications to the rifle. I originally wanted mildot, but in that price range I could only find Bushnells, and I was concerned - from reading user reviews - about their ability to hold up to a .303 round's constant abuse.

I discovered the Nikon BDC reticle, and their SpotOn app for the iPhone. The Prostaff 5 has a 2.5 -10x scope - probably more magnification than I would want, but it wouldn't hurt to have it. I don't expect to ever shoot over 300 yards. I don't hunt, it's mostly for fun shooting, and I can get the scope and rings for $279.

Any thoughts - good or bad - on my choice? Later on I may get a nice rifle set up for longer distances, and get a true mildot scope. But I want to see how much I use this one, since I already have it.
Also, if anyone has any thoughts on the height of the rings I should get - haven't used a scope since the 80s. Any advice is apredicated. ( appreciated)

The mount takes Weaver rings...

I think you are right on track with your choices. The PROSTAFF 5 scope is an excellent choice for your use. It will be clear and easy to use. The BDC will let you dial in your scope,rifle and ammo for the greatest longrange accuracy. That PROSTAFF 5 scope is current;y under a Nikon Promo so you can get some free rings that'll work on your rifle. Check out this link below for more info. I don't do any sales, just trying to help a fellow S&W member out. When at all possible supprt this sites sponsors. Make sure they are authorized Nikon Dealer's so you can take advantage fo the free mount.

I have a couple of Nikon Pro Staff scopes. Work well.
What about the bolt when opening? Safety?

Google this to get pictures of scoped SMLE's. Some look like your thoughts. pictures scoped SMLE 303

Read some ballistic charts, if you zero it dead on at 25 yards it will be a few inches high at 100 yards and good to about 275 years with a 150 grain load.

If you zero it dead on at 100 yards it will be 10" low at 260 yards.

Sounds like a fun project. What will you use it for?

FYI; while reading up I see it was basically a 300 yard sniper rifle for the Brits. Good shots might wrangle 600 yards out of it.

I appreciate the comments. Mostly I'm just going to plink and punch holes in paper. A friend of mine has access to longe distance range, and I thought I might see if I could get enamored of long range shooting. If I did, I'll spring for something more modern with a longer reach.

The bolt should function with medium or high rings, I've read. Something to play with...

I've been looking at the ballistic charts. And Nikon has that neat app ...

A screen shot frm th app:

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Yo can also expand the image and get more detailed ranges.

Nice! Do you reload? If so you can get close to 308 Win performance and the 168 grain target boattails might be outstanding

I haven't reloaded for some time, but now that I'm enjoying shooting again, I've begun looking at progressive reloaders. The .3o3 round, variable loads in the .460 cases, and 9mm, and maybe .40 cal. Just set up a table and made space in the basement....

I like the Nikon scopes ,very good for the price and I have never had a problem with mine. SWFA has a 10 power Super Sniper that is a good value if you really want a mil dot scope.

__________________
Hue 68 noli me tangere

Thanks Vonn. 10x may be too much for what I'm going to use the Enfield for, and the Nikion BDC seems like a good learning tool. Thought I might even try hunting with the Enfield, if I become competent with it.

In Cape Town we use the .303 out to 900m with open sights. The furthest I've shot mine is at 700m. I wouldn't scope mine but if I did I would look for something similar to the original sniper sight.

CLI .303 club of Cape Town
https://www.facebook.com/CLI303Club?fref=nf

15 years ago I'd do the same. But considering my old eyes can no longer focus on the front sight blade, with or without my glasses, I'm having to reconsider my options. I've seen the facsimiles of the original scope, but I don't want to thread new holes in the rifle for the mount - it will never be a real T version - and the cost and scope aren't what I'm currently looking for. Maybe one day. One company has the sights, mount, cheek rest etc available to make it a pseudo sniper rifle, but im not sure if that would devalue the rifle itself. Perhaps you can answer that concern?

Vonn
I bookmarked that scope for future reference

LOL You're not alone, my eyes aren't what they used to be. I just never get round to sorting out my spectacles. Given that the rifle really isn't worth that much I would seriously consider giving a more "authentic" period look. It may well be more desirable because it would be easier to shoot accurately. The real question is would it suit you better?

When you are shooting, what size targets are you planning on shooting at? The image you posted of the scope recital is very "thick" and may cover too much for small targets. I see you are a Marine (as is one of my sons), and I assume most of you training was on large bullseye and man sized torso targets. However on the long range courses that use steel plates, we rarely see targets over 1' square at those distances. 3" x 5" is about the smallest target from a practical stand point. The power of the scope is less important than the clarity of the scope and a big enough objective lens to gather light (about 40mm seems to be the minimum) The problem with recitals with mulipul cross hairs or dots is the are fixed to a specific velocity and BC. The app tells you conversions to match what you are using and tells you that the 200 yard dot is say 180 yards. That is still a hit on a 18" x 24" torso but will most likely be a clean miss on a 4 Minute of Angle (8" x 8") target.

No. 4 Enfields seem to be a great rifle to start with! My oldest son and I both started our centerfire shooting with one. When I comes to reloading there are a few pitfalls though. You will need to use the .313 diameter bullets instead of American 30 caliber .308 bullets. 150, 154, 174, and 180 grain bullets seem to be you main choices. I would recommend the 174 boat tail bullet. Most No. 4's have a extra amount of "slop" in the front of the chamber (a place for debris and mud to go in the battlefield and still function) this causes the shoulder to move forward about 1/10" when fired. When reloading this would normally be pushed back in full length resizing. The brass stretches from just in front of the web (about a 1/4" in front of rim) and around the 4th firing has case separation (look for a 30-06 stuck case remover). Neck sizing is the normal answer. Start with virgin brass, you have no idea how many time "once fired " brass has be shot. Have fun. Ivan

I think the Nikon will do me well right now. When I'm ready to change, I have an AK pistol Im considering making into an SBR. The Nikon would do well there.

At the moment, all I have available is a hundred yard range - enough for me to sight the scope in, and to get used to shooting through a scope. I have done so in the past, having had a Winchester 70 in 30-06 and a 12x Weaver scope, but that was some time ago.

Mosltly be shooting small targets to begin with - depends on what I can get away with with the scope.
And if the Nikon turns out to be a mistake, it's not an expensive one.

The way we are able to shoot accurately over distance is because we use adjustable aperture sights. Mine were installed by an old Navy armourer who also relieved any pressure points the stock was making on the barrel and fitted a sling swivel ahead of the magazine.

I'm more a pistol shooter but the first time out at 700m I shot 38/50. The old hands can call the wind pretty well and they help get you on the paper in two or three shots.

Haven't shot with the club in years btw.

Ivan

Woodleigh makes a 215 grain soft tip round nose I was looking at...

Stirling

My Enfield has a MkII Rear sight. The front sight needs adjusting, however. At 50 yards the group was several inches to the left...

Seraphim, I will have to look at my front sight but it never needed adjusting. I think a special tool is required but old armourers are hard to come by these days.

Google will have to help out on this one. Maybe these links will help.

Welcome to Culver's Shooting Page

Lee Enfield No 4 Mk2(f) Target Conversion | How To Make & Do Everything!

I came across a post on an Enfield from someone recognized by the membership as an armored. He recommended a brass rod - forget the term he used - and a hammer. There is tool for making the adjustments, plus a tool for loosening the the front sight. The armorer stated you don't need to loosen the screw unless you are removing the sight - just tap it with the hammer using the brass rod. He also stated using the hammer was better than using the adjustment tool. There are also tutorials online for making the the removal tool from a screwdriver.

The brass rod is called a "drift" in the US. In the other English speaking parts of the world it is probably called something else! The thing you call a hammer ,in my house is called a "whomper" and is often a piece of fire wood 3" diameter. My drift is a brass 3/8" x 5" bolt with the head sawed off . S&W has an adjustment tool that is 1" brass rod about 8" long that you beat the gun with (it won't leave marks on steel), I made a similar tool out of an ingot of lead. Ivan

Drift - that was it!

Guess you'd need about a 28" bolt - I mean drift - for squib rounds *grin*

The Woodleigh 215 gr RNSP bullet, is a very good bullet for hunting medium to large game at 150 yards or less. For long range target shooting I would recommend the Sierra 174 gr Matchking (product #2135) over 40 to 42 grains of Varget and at 2350 to 2400 fps. In WWII most British ammo wasn't up to sniper specks (There were a few good lots though) and the snipers used mostly American made Winchester ammo with ball powder. Varget is extruded, but Hodgdon's CFE 223 and `Winchester 748 are both ball powders and should work well for this project. CCI's BR-2, is about the best large rifle primer there is, and Federal's 210 M isn't to far behind it. I buy primers by the 5000 case, and get several years out of a case. However, I have friends that by 4 cases of the same size/brand a year, and often both brands.Target bullets for 303's are a little rare these days. So don't be afraid to place a backorder and wait. Since I know what works for me I order all my components a year or 2 in advance. I'm about ready to order 2016-17's supplies next month.

The Woodleigh bullet isn't good (for target shooting) because it will be too slow, have excessive recoil and a low Ballistic Coefficient. The BC on the 174 MK is .499, which is good. I use a somewhat similar bullet in my 308 and it has a .509 BC. While my 308 gets 1/2" groups at 300 yards (about 1/6 Minute Of Angle), I think your rifle should/scope be able to shoot 1 to 1 1/2 MOA (3 to 4 1/2"). Then if you like the sport you can start dumping money into it (My 308 and scope & ect is around $3900 in 2008 & my 338 Lapua set up is more like $4700 in 2011) Spending money is not the answer! When you get the best performance out of a shooting platform you are the winner, no matter what a score sheet says. A friend of mine went to a tactical plate shoot with a Mexican 7mm Mauser using cast bullets and military sights. He only connected on a little less than half the shots. But when he rang that gong (12") at 900 yards, he was the match hero and was mentioned in several long range forums, not the winner (who set a new course record!) I've seen the opposite also. One guy put just shy of 10 grand in a custom rifle and March ( 20-60 X) scope and still lost consistently to a guy with a stock Savage Target model with a Leupold on it. Quality ammo, a good scope (with a good retical) & practice, will get the best performance out of any gun! I go to 3 or 4 shoots a year now, plus 3 or 4 practice sessions (out to 1035 yards), so I will win nothing but, I have a riot! I look at it like this, I am my own class, so I always win! Most importantly; HAVE FUN! Ivan

Don't worry, lol - I'm not expecting miracles

Thanks for all of the good information. I've a lot of research on the various reloading components. I'm not in a rush, and much depends on the range options I find locally. A neighbor has some good connections, so we'll try a few places...

Like to sniper kit for Enfield:


Sniper Scope, No. 32, MKII, Reproduction Gun Parts | 1249080 | Numrich Gun Parts

That No. 4 rifle is probably worth more than some think, if in good shape. Please don't alter it or lose the rear sight if you need to remove it to mount the scope. I really feel that this isn't the rifle for your purpose. It is a part of history, and many were butchered by Bubba or converted to sporters more professionally by Parker-Hale, etc.

An unaltered no. 4 in nice condition is quite collectible and prices have risen in recent years.

BTW, Winchester makes 180 grain hunting ammo with a bullet profile more like the 174 grain MK VII ball round for which the rifle is sighted than does Remington, who use a RN bullet.

However, a member here (Clean Break) has used a No. 1 rifle and Remington ammo to kill coyotes to about 100 yards from his house in rural Washington. As I recall from photos, one was a head shot. So I guess Rem. ammo shoots okay to the issue sights on his rifle, which he lovingly refinished the wood on. If he sees this, maybe he'll post some more pictures of big trout?

Stirling-

Is the other rifle barely in your photos an R-1? (FN-FAL). What are the current laws on owning one? Did the gun laws passed after the enormous change in govt. in 1995 make it hard to have one? And why is that sling swivel in front of the magazine? (On the No. 4.) I've never understood that. My No. 4 doesn't have it and I've only seen it in pics of target rifles. Mine, BTW, was made at Fazakerly in 1952. Your stock looks like pretty blond wood. Is yours one of the last couple years of production? I've read that the stock wood changed, walnut being too scarce. But I've seen light stocks in older rifles, too.

I understand the monetary value of the rifle - probably between $350 to $500 - as well as the historical, which is why Im making no permanent modifications. I'm also being care not to damage the screws. But I'm not overly concerned about the monetary value. My current purpose is to enjoy shooting the rifle. That's all. It's the one I have, so it fits the purpose. When I'm willing to spend money for another, I'll reconsider my purpose and choose accordingly.

I have about 5 boxes of the Remington rounds. Once I get the scope mounted, I'll get an idea of how consistent the rifle shoots. The scope should arrive today - I need to go out and find some blue Loctite...

Based on a video I watched, I got the impression the 'blonde' wood was used by the American manufacturer, Savage. I forget which type wood it said they used. The British manufacture was maple, IIRC. I may have misinterpreted the information, though. Or misremembered.

Walnut - not maple...

Texas Star the rifle is an Indian made L1A1 SLR. Ownership is a challenge but they can be had for sport use. IIRC my Lee Enfield was from Navy surplus. It was in good nick apart from a gouge in the stock. The armourer that prepared the rifle for long range shooting also cleaned up the stock and massaged the gouge. The centre swivel was fitted for target shooting and is useful when shooting from a standing position for example.

I dare say that setup looks really good! That will really be a good solution to your challenge in my view.

Nice weapons, Stirling!

I hesitated on the sniper kit, because it did involve drilling the receiver and putting screws into the stock. It would destroy the original weapon, and would never be a real Enfield sniper because it would not have the markings, and it's still only a reproduction. For now, here's my solution.

The mount went on beautifully, as did the scope. Everything is only snugged into place at the moment: I wanted to ensure everything fit before applying thread lock ( loctite blue).

The scope is as far forward as it goes, and I'd like a little more eye relief so my head rests naturally, but I also have a recoil pad that will add about two more inches which should alleviate that concern.

Sometime in the next few days I should get it to the range. I haven't a bore sight tool ( yet lol) but I'll start at 25 yards and work my way out.

Sorry for the iPad photo. I'll do something more dramatic later.

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Better photo:

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Yep - the recoil pad lets me rest my cheek naturally with the right amount of eye relief.

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Looking good Seraphim. Bottom line is it's a solution that works for you.

Photos of the mount:

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Other side

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There's a nut which mounts on the receiver above the bolt. The instructions are vague about which way it mounts. Here's a photo showing how it should lay in relation to the bottom of the mount. Took me some trial and error

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Stirling-

Thanks for the terrific photos!

I don't suppose that one can hunt with the L1A1, etc.? I think it'd be legal in many states here, but with a five-round magazine, to comply with game laws.

I think I have seen pics of South African hunters with Lee-Enfields, inc. the No. 4. They had the usual ten-round magazines.

Of course, most hunt with normal sporting rifles. Is Musgrave still in business? They had some nice rifles here at the SHOT show years ago, but I think import to the USA fell through due to the embargo then.

Don't know about maple. Only seen walnut and later ones in beech. But if you see a movie starring George Montgomery called, "Watusi", made about 1960, the hero has a No. I MK III rifle with a blond stock. The movie was set soon after WWI. If memory serves, the rifle had the brass disc marked to note service by the owner in the King's Own Scots Fusiliers. There is a back story about the bayonet. His handgun was a Colt SAA .45, I think with 4.75-inch bbl.

The film is a little off in the spelling of "Watutsi" and also off in having the hero be the son of the hero in, "King Solomon's Mines," Alan Quartermain. In his books, Sir Henry Rider Haggard said that Quartermain's son Harry died in the UK, where he was a medical student. The movie ignored that and Harry was the guy played by Montgomery.

The heroine was German, played by Taina Elg, if memory serves. She reminded me of American actress Mariette Hartley, if you remember her. She changed Quartermain's hatred of Germans.

It's a good movie. I need to see if it's on DVD. I was a sophomore in HS when I saw it in the theater. But I already knew SMLE rifles pretty well and l owned a No. 4 made by Savage. The stock appeared to be walnut and was medium-dark brown. It was in much better condition than many surplus examples, like yours. My No. 4 MK 2 from Fazakerly is also a nice one. Some have arrived here in the original factory wrapping.

That No. 1 in the movie looked about new, and was probably obtained in Kenya where it was maintained well in an army or police armory or by a settler. (Kenya was not independent until 1962.) I was envious of its looks and recall it well. It may have been restocked in a lighter colored wood. But I've seen others with fairly light stocks. Some service stocks and especially, some made by BSA for commercial or export sale, have really pretty wood, as do many early .303 sporters. A lot of those were sold to officers and to settlers in Africa. I think colonial India banned .303's for hunting rifles, as there was a fear that rebels would steal or capure rifles taking service ammo.