303 British Ammo

About .303 British Ammo

The .303 British is a rimmed, bottlenecked rifle cartridge adopted by the British military in 1889 and used as the standard service round through both World Wars. Chambered in the iconic Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifle — one of the fastest-cycling military bolt guns ever produced — the .303 British served British Commonwealth forces for over 60 years before being replaced by the 7.62x51mm NATO in the 1950s.

Today the cartridge lives on as a popular hunting and collector round, particularly in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom where surplus Lee-Enfields remain common. It fires a .311-inch diameter bullet, typically in the 150–180 grain range, delivering performance roughly comparable to the .308 Winchester at moderate ranges. The 174-grain load was the standard military specification and remains widely available today.

Bullet Types Available

• Full Metal Jacket (FMJ): Ideal for range training and high-volume shooting in Lee-Enfield and other .303 platforms. The most affordable option per round.
• Soft Point (SP): The go-to hunting load for deer, black bear, feral hogs, and similar game. Reliable expansion and good penetration at typical hunting distances.
• Polymer Tip / Ballistic Tip: Higher BC for flatter trajectory and more consistent expansion. Hornady's .303 British FTX load is a popular option for hunters wanting modern terminal performance from a classic cartridge.
• Hollow Point (HP): Fast expansion at shorter ranges, suitable for varmints and thin-skinned medium game.

Rifles Chambered in .303 British

The Lee-Enfield family — including the SMLE No. 1 Mk III, No. 4 Mk I, and No. 5 Mk I "Jungle Carbine" — accounts for the overwhelming majority of .303 British rifles in circulation. Other platforms include the Pattern 14 Enfield, Ross Rifle, Bren light machine gun, and various Commonwealth-produced sporting conversions. Several bolt-action hunting rifles were also produced in .303 British for the civilian market in the UK, Canada, and Australia.

One important note: many surplus Lee-Enfield rifles have worn or oversized bores from decades of use. It is worth having the chamber and bore inspected by a gunsmith before running high volumes of modern factory ammunition through a well-used military surplus action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is .303 British the same as .303 Savage?

No. Despite sharing a similar name, .303 British and .303 Savage are completely different cartridges with different case dimensions and are not interchangeable. The .303 British is a rimmed cartridge developed for British military rifles; the .303 Savage is a rimmed cartridge developed in the United States for lever-action sporting rifles. Always verify your rifle's chamber markings before purchasing ammunition.

Can I use .308 Winchester ammo in a .303 British rifle?

No. .308 Winchester and .303 British are entirely different cartridges with different case dimensions, bullet diameters, and headspace specifications. They are not interchangeable under any circumstances. The .303 British fires a .311-inch diameter bullet while .308 Winchester uses a .308-inch bullet.

Is .303 British ammo still being made?

Yes. While no longer a military cartridge, .303 British remains in active commercial production. Prvi Partizan, Sellier & Bellot, Hornady, Federal, and Winchester all produce factory loads. Availability is more limited than mainstream calibers like .308 or .30-06, making it worth buying in bulk when you find it in stock.

What is the effective range of .303 British for hunting?

With a 150–180gr soft point, the .303 British delivers adequate energy for deer-sized game out to approximately 250–300 yards. Ballistics are roughly comparable to .308 Winchester at moderate ranges, though the iron sights and older action designs on most surplus Lee-Enfields make 200 yards a practical maximum for most hunters.

How much does .303 British ammo cost per round?

Expect to pay roughly $1.00–$1.30/rd for FMJ range loads and $1.50–$2.25/rd for hunting soft point or polymer-tip loads. .303 British runs somewhat higher per round than mainstream calibers due to lower production volume — buying in bulk is the best way to keep your cost down.