Lee Enfield Vertical Stringing

Make sure the screws attaching the trigger guard to the reciever are gorilla tight. And check to see that the barrel will move around slightly at the muzzle end of the stock. It should not be held tightly by the wood.

Vertical stringing off the bench? Prone with a sling? Not enough information to really narrow it down. Sometimes vertical stringing is a result of not using the "6 O'clock hold" sight picture. Using the battle sight or smaller peep sight? I am assuming reloads; full length sized, or neck sized? Bullet choice, seating depth, crimp or not, powder choice, all can cause vertical stringing. As DougW suggests, check to see if the barrel is contacting the wood. Sometimes a shim under the tip of the forearm that presses the barrel up slightly can reduce or eliminate vertical stringing over one that is fully free floated. Check out Steve Regwell's website; www.303british.com for information about bedding and all things Lee Enfield and .303 British rifles.

DougW said:

Make sure the screws attaching the trigger guard to the reciever are gorilla tight. And check to see that the barrel will move around slightly at the muzzle end of the stock. It should not be held tightly by the wood.

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Actually, with a No 4, the stock should apply a fair amount of upward pressure on the barrel . . .

I'll bet someone "improved" it by free floating the barrel, which usually doesn't help accuracy.

If you are really interested in getting top accuracy out of your No. 4, Read this.

Agreed, it's most likely the barrel bedding in the stock.
Like the AR15 at 50yrs old, by the time the Mk4#1 was built, the brits knew how to make them.
There's a link to an article written by a New Zealander over on the cast bullet forum under "cast bullets/military rifles" that very well documents proper rifle/stock fit for the Mk4.

What ammo/loads are you using?
My rifle has a like new FTR barrel. It shoots as good as my 03-A3 Springfield with a like new barrel. ("0"/0.5). However, it slugs .3115".
It is astonishing with Hornady .312" bullets, <\=2"@ 100yds, 2-2.5" with PPU .311" bullets, and 7-9" with Speer .311" that actually mike .3095". Needless to say, it "sprays" Hornady .308" 150gr FMJ. (But, I just had to try them, just in case they did shoot good...).

The first centerfire rifle I ever shot was a Mk4 with Canadian CIL Dominion 180gr Soft Point. Circa 1967. I'm rather partial to the Enfields.

There are a bunch of reasons for vertical stringing. One of which is the shooter and his breathing. Recoil will do it too.
Glass bedding won't help. Enfields being daft things, they don't get bedded like commercial hunting rifles either.
Assuming the headspace is ok, start by slugging the barrel. Lee-Enfields can have groove diameters from .311" to .315" and still be considered ok. Issue is the available bullets are .311" or .312" only. (Other than Montana Bullet's cast bullets.)
And you need to provide more info. Everything curator mentions and are you using a sand bag or resting on a solid rest, as in wood on wood?
"...Circa 1967..." Just before IVI took it over and ruined the ammo. Shot some DA 1944 vintage ball in about 1981. CF decided they were going to destroy all the W.W. II ammo and we were issued IVI. Quality was like night and day. The DA would shoot circles around the crappy IVI.
It's ww w.303british.com.

Sunray,

Thanks for the correction,

I can only blame fat fingers and a cup 'a grog for my error. MkVII surplus ammo was always the gold standard until it disappeared. I shot my last hoard of Dominion 174 grain FMJ ammo about 10 years ago. HXP greek ammo was almost as good and that dried up too. I got 500 rounds from Midway 3 years ago and only wished I had enough $$$ to buy 5K rounds. In the mean time I get by with Reloader 15 and Hornady 174/312 RNSP bullets and neck sized brass. I occasionally shoot my club's mil-surp 100/300 yard prone match with respectable results.Spoil-sports that they are, they won't let an older guy use his P/H 5C rear sight insisting on military issue only. While I don't win against the 30 something young guys, I do give them a run for their money. My favorite L.E is a 1951 CNo4 Mk1* Long Branch with the Bren 6 groove barrel. Nothing magical here, just the best quality Lee Enfield ever made. As an ex-pat Canuck, it do me proud!

Andrewsky,

Steve Regwell's website (.303british.com) has all kinds of information on accurizing the Lee Enfield that will help you tighten up your groups. PPU ammo is pretty good, but I believe their current offerings are loaded with 174 grain boat-tail bullets. If your Savage No4Mk1* rifle still has its original 2-groove barrel, I wouldn't expect it to shoot all that great with boat-tail bullets. Sometimes just tightening up the headspace can help with vertical stringing. If your rifle has a "O" or "1" bolt head, a #2 might help some, or even a #3 (if you can find one) One advantage to being a skilled reloader is you can tailor your ammo to a particular rifle. The Lee Enfield rifle is capable of better accuracy than what you are getting now once you learn her idiosyncrasies.

Try this book, also was available on Kindle from Amazon. This book focuses only on how to improve your rifle for about 200 pages in great detail and with the requisite pictures. Both reversible (for collectibility) and non reversible methods for shootability are shown.

There is also milsurps.com with its extensive Lee-Enfield knowledge library and forum and ex-armorer Cpt. Peter Laidler (ret) commenting. Brian Dick from BDL.limited also comments there from time to time and he is probably the top American gunsmith focusing on the Enfield in particular. Make sure though to read the vast FAQ stuff in that forum before asking questions that have already been answered.

If you do replace the bolt head, it has to be properly fitted to the bolt or you might end up with worse accuracy--Laidler goes step by step how to do it properly with pix in one of the Lee Enfield knowledge library articles.

The 2012 Complete Book on Lee Enfield Accurizing B&W by Roger Wadham.
https://www.amazon.com/2012-Complete-Book-Enfield-Accurizing/dp/1471603113

Andrewsky said:

After following the advice I got in this thread I shimmed the stock with pieces of brass. I got my 200 yard 10 shot groups from 14" to 4.5". Thanks!

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I like a happy ending. That is excellent news.

GooseGestapo said:

Agreed, it's most likely the barrel bedding in the stock.
Like the AR15 at 50yrs old, by the time the Mk4#1 was built, the brits knew how to make them.
There's a link to an article written by a New Zealander over on the cast bullet forum under "cast bullets/military rifles" that very well documents proper rifle/stock fit for the Mk4.

What ammo/loads are you using?
My rifle has a like new FTR barrel. It shoots as good as my 03-A3 Springfield with a like new barrel. ("0"/0.5). However, it slugs .3115".
It is astonishing with Hornady .312" bullets, <\=2"@ 100yds, 2-2.5" with PPU .311" bullets, and 7-9" with Speer .311" that actually mike .3095". Needless to say, it "sprays" Hornady .308" 150gr FMJ. (But, I just had to try them, just in case they did shoot good...).

The first centerfire rifle I ever shot was a Mk4 with Canadian CIL Dominion 180gr Soft Point. Circa 1967. I'm rather partial to the Enfields.

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Excuse me, Yank, but the proper nomenclature is "Rifle No.4 Mk.1" . You've got it exactly backward !

Indeed! Nice catch! #4 mk1 it is !! Cherrio Mate!!!

Nevertheless, best b/a battle rifle ever. Not far behind my M1 Garands!
Still my favorite!

I have a Lee Enfield Mk1 III* BSA 1917 manufacture, FTR 1954, in a sporter stock (acquired used in 1984, may be a Parker-Hale sporter conversion, the stock looks like a Fajen, Monte Carlo style, no iron sights, scope only).
My problem has been diagonal dispersion based on bullet weight and powder charge in handloads. Groups are reasonable and round at 100 yards, but reloads with different charge weights march from low left, across center, to upper right.
Once I discovered that it put Remington Cor-lockt 180 gr and Brit milsurp 174 gr close to the same POI at 100 yds, I gave up reloading for it and bought Rem 180gr factory til I had a reasonable stockpile.

I think the problem with tuning the Lee Enfield for accuracy is the two-piece stock.

The full military stocks appear to be more stable than the "semi-sporterized" stocks popular in the 1950s. Their barrels are rather thin. I remember the Army/Navy surplus store had as-issued Lee Enfields for $15, "semi-sporterized" for $20.

ADDED: for what it is worth, the forearm came glass bedded in the action area. I made a point of evening off the bedding at the chamber and assuring that the barrel from chamber forward was free floated. I do not know whether that info will translate to a mil stocked Mk4 or not.
My late stepdad arranged the trade for the Enfield; for years it was my only highpower rifle; took it hunting with my oldest son; it is a sentimental "keeper".