.303 British for Whitetail Deer Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Whitetail Deer Hunt
- Hunting Calibers
- 04 Apr, 2020
Is the .303 British a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for whitetail deer hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .303 British is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer.
As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the whitetail deer, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the whitetail deer in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on.
What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a whitetail deer in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically.
Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the .303 British within the ideal range of suitable calibers for whitetail deer hunting?” our answer is:
Yes, the .303 British is A GOOD CHOICE for whitetail deer hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.
Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table.
| Assumption | Value |
|---|---|
| Caliber | .303 British |
| Animal Species | Whitetail Deer |
| Muzzle Energy | 2410 foot-pounds |
| Animal Weight | 210 lbs |
| Shot Distance | 150 yards |
What is the average muzzle energy for a .303 British? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .303 British round is approximately 2410 foot-pounds.
What is the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer is approximately 210 lbs.
What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in whitetail deer hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for whitetail deer to be approximately 150 yards.
What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .303 British. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the whitetail deer being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.
Various calibers
A common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions.
Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .303 British is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer - and to this question, the response again is yes, the .303 British is A GOOD CHOICE for whitetail deer hunting.
This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting whitetail deer to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.
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2 Comments
Honestly, I think that for iron sight use, the Lee Enfield rifles are about as good as anything else out there, and better than lots of other options. Getting a scope solidly mounted on one can be a bit tricky, and the accuracy limitations can start to show up at longer ranges. With the stock irons though, I’ll drop any North American game animal you like at 150 yards or less.
My first deer rifle was an Enfield Jungle Carbine. Although reliable as hell, it wasn’t worth a damn for deer hunting. The bore wasn’t all that bad and I was using mil-surp ammo, about all a 14 year old could afford at the time. I bagged quite a few whitetail with it, but not a one dropped in place. Most were lung shots or gut shots. Granted, my shooting skills were not very seasoned at the time. I went to a pawn shop one Sat AM and there was a 1942 Enfield 303, No.4, Mk1 for sale at $50. I told the owner I had a Jungle Carbine and how much credit would he give me towards the No. 4 Mk1 Enfield. He tried to hide his excitement, but it was obvious that he was willing to give me an even swap if the rifle was in good condition. I brought my Jungle Carbine in and the owner not so much as looked down the bore and handed me my new Enfield. I had checked the No.4 Mk1 over thoroughly. The bore was like new, the action smooth and the stock had few nicks & scratches on it. I took it home and my uncle helped me clean every inch of it dismantled and he “stoned” the trigger for me. My hunting luck changed instantly ! I bagged many a whitetail with it, dropping most in their tracks. Like most young bucks, I wanted the newest rifle I could afford. I sold the Enfield No.4 Mk1 and bought a used Winchester 30-06. Other than bruising my shoulder, it wasn’t any better than the Enfield No. 4 Mk1, and tore up more meat than the Enfield did. I soon regretted selling my Enfield. Later I bought a Mauser 308 and was more pleased with it than I was with the Win 30-06. Five years ago, I bought an Enfield No.4 Mk1 on an online gun site. I only paid $155 for it. I looked right rough, but I figured I could clean it up well enough for a wall hanger, since I had never lost my love for the Enfield No. 4 Mk1. When it showed up, it was caked with dirt, grit and the bore was damned near clogged with years of grim & dirt. I spent hours upon hours working on cleaning it up and to my amazement, the bore was like brand new. There was a name etched into the butt stock. Hours of research online using the serial number and I even included the name etched on the stock. Long story short, I had purchased a one time sniper Enfield ! This accounted for the near perfect bore. Snipers did not shoot near as many rounds of ammo as those soldiers on the front line. I invested in lots of different .303 soft point ammo. Before long at the age of 73, I was getting 3/4" – 1" groups at 200 yds. with Sellier & Bellot 150 gr. soft point ammo. My grandson was shooting 1/2’’ groups @ 200 yds and placing many shots in the previous hole. The day I took an 8 point buck with that rifle was one of the proudest days in my life. There I was with a 1942 Enfield I had put in a free-floating sporter stock, standing next to my grandson with his brand new Savage 6.5 Creedmoor I had given him for Christmas and that he had already bagged 2 good sized does with, feeling proud as a peacock ! There is just something about the feeling of satisfaction one has when an old man with old rifle bags a trophy ( trophy to me, the biggest buck I had ever shot) buck in the presence of his grandson. I’m not sure who was more proud of me…me or my grandson ! Love my Enfield !! It’s all I hunt with now. I pretty much gave every other deer rifle to my grandson and granddaughter. She’s a damned good shot. I trained her well.