I agree with Cosmoline and would suggest you get a full-size Enfield. In Canada .303 ammo is everywhere as well and it’s more likely to be found in rural shops unlike Mauser ammo which isn’t as common in out-of-the-way places. Although I haven't been back in Canada for over a year I doubt this has changed since then.
The Enfield’s design is to me the most useful design for a bolt-action rifle. It was the first centerfire bolt-action rifle I have ever used for hunting meat to feed myself over an extended period of time (I used mostly shotguns and levers and rimfire prior to using the Enfield) and it will likely be the only bolt I use from now on. Before I used Savage bolt-action .22lr and .22 magnums and Winchester 94’s and when I was first introduced to the Enfield I didn’t really like it. I thought it was too big and clunky and heavy and so on.
The Enfield I had was borrowed from a friend- an old SMLE III* with a modified stock using Winchester 180 grain Power-point shells and at the time I had no choice but to make do with what I thought wasn’t that great of a rifle.
Yet when I went hunting with the Enfield in the mountains my perceptions about the rifle began to change and I almost immediately began to appreciate it’s inherent design. Even though this particular Enfield wasn’t very accurate at longer ranges for whatever reason(s), I don’t think I will ever use another bolt-action rifle for hunting other than the Enfield due to it’s performance in the field. Accuracy to me is something I need to work on with the Enfield’s but it’s not my primary concern though when I return to Canada I would really like to find one that is more accurate and in better condition than the one I was using.
The smoothness, simplicity and durability of the action grew on me. I have yet to use any other rifle action that feels so smooth and natural (I like lever-actions but I think I like the Enfield action better) and I favor simplicity, durability and utility when it comes to guns and hunting equipment. The rifle I used had no clip, so it was basically a single-shot and the smooth fast operation of the bolt allowed me to quickly eject and push in a new round with ease if I missed a first shot and on one occasion I missed a first shot and was able to quickly chamber another round and hit the animal with a quick second shot before it ran off. I have used break-open single shots before and they were nowhere as fast to reload as the Enfield. With the generous amount of space in the chamber it is simple to slide in another round with speed (unlike some other rifles I have used –especially when using rimfire or smaller rounds) and have the bolt closed and the gun loaded ready to use very quickly for a follow-up shot. I imagine the rifle would be deadly fast with a clip in there.
The rifle fits me well and I prefer the reliability of it's action. The bolt operation is quiet, the only significant sound is when I pull back the cocking piece. Often I would leave the rifle cocked when I was getting close to game, or half-cocked, and then I would either fire or pull to full cock and fire or pop up the bolt quickly to release the cocking mechanism and it was simple enough to pull it back or just keep it at half-cock while hunting. In that respect it reminds me of the utility and ruggedness of the Winchester 94 30-30’s I have used before which I would keep at half-cock much of the time.
It was also a beater rifle than I could hang from a tree or put on the ground and if a little sand or dirt got in the chamber it was no big deal and didn’t affect the operation and reliability of the action.
Also the recoil of the .303 to me is mild and the only times I ever really feel it during a hunt is if I am not holding the butt properly when I am in a seated position using a rest, the recoil reminds me of 30-30 win recoil, possibly a bit more but especially when I have fired off-hand during the chase I hardly even notice it and I’m a smaller built guy than most. Another thing I noticed was that I never needed a 2nd shot when I made a hit on an animal with the .303 british. The round has more than enough power that I would feel comfortable using it on dangerous game if necessary.
I only wish I had tried out the Enfield years ago, but I’m still in my 20’s.
